Microsoft Excel XP Help System

MS Excel XP offers a rich and enhanced help system with different options that can answer all your questions. Part of this help system is interactive where you get into a question answer dialog.

Accessing Help  1. Click the “Help” option from the Menu Bar, the “Help” submenu will appear.

2.   Click on any of the available options to access a different kind of help. The following  sections will list the different help options and provide a brief description of each of them. If you are familiar with the Help system of any Office XP product, you can skip the sections on help because Office XP has a common help system with the same concepts and techniques.

Using the Ask a Question Box

The Ask a Question Box  allows you to type in keywords relevant to the topic with which you would like help. It is located in the menu bar at the top right of your screen:

Understanding the Microsoft Office Assistant

The Office Assistant    will watch what you do and offer tips on how to work more productively. You can also use it to answer questions or obtain help with Excel. The Office Assistant is common among all your Office applications. Any option changes made will be reflected in all Office applications.

Occasionally, the Office Assistant will display information on the screen as you work. If you are unsure about how to use Excel, you should always read the help offered.

·         To display the office assistant:

·          Click the Microsoft Excel Help icon located on the Standard toolbar.

► OR from the main menu, select Help then select Microsoft Excel Help.
Displaying Tips through the Office Assistant
As you work, the   Office Assistant  will track your progress and recommend  tips by  displaying a light bulb.
► To display the tip offering advice:
►  Click the Office Assistant or light bulb

Customizing the Office Assistant

You can customize the Office Assistant by defining when the Office Assistant is used and what types of tips are displayed. You can also change the default image to other images provided in the gallery.

►To customize the office assistant:

►  Right-click on the Office Assistant and select Options from the menu.

• OR click the Options button on the Office Assistant dialog box:

►To select a different office assistant:

 1-Click the Office Assistant.    

 If the Assistant isn't visible, click Show the Office Assistant on the Help menu. 

  2- In the Assistant balloon, click Options. 

  If the Assistant balloon isn't visible, click the Assistant. 

  3-  Click the Gallery tab, and then click Back or Next until you see the Assistant you want.