Making Short Work of Menu Names

Summary: If your menu bar has become cluttered due to different add-ins you've added, you can free up space by shortening the menu names. This tip shows just how easy it is. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

Most third-party add-ins for Excel add their own menus to your menu bar. Add a few add-ins, and before you know it you could expand your menu bar beyond what can be easily displayed in a single row. (This depends on the resolution of your monitor, of course.)

If you find your menus running beyond what can fit in a single row, one solution is to configure Excel so that your individual menu names are shorter. Follow these steps:

Right-click any choice in the menu bar. Excel displays a Context menu.
Choose Customize from the Context menu. (It should be the last choice in the menu.) Excel displays the Customize dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
Right-click the menu name you want to shorten. (For instance, right-click the Windows menu name.) Excel displays a list of configuration options for the menu.
Change the name shown in the Name field. (For instance, shorten Window to Win.)
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for any other menu names you want to shorten.
Close the Customize dialog box.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2381) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Making Short Work of Menu Names