Remove Disable Word 2007 Context Formatting Menu Box
In Word 2007, when you highlight text or right-click in the document a small formatting menu appears above the text or the normal context menu. I don't like this feature, and this is how to disable it:
The object in question is called the 'Mini Toolbar', and depending on how much it annoys you, there are several options on how to deal with it.
Word's interface provides a way to prevent the Mini Toolbar from appearing when you highlight text (as shown in the photos below). To do this, click on the Office (sphere), then Word Options, then Popular, and remove the check next to 'Show Mini Toolbar on selection'—the very first option.
This is all well and good, but it doesn't do anything about the hovering formatting box on the right-click menu. To disable this, you've got to write a quick macro and save it in the file that Word loads on startup.
Disabling the Formatting Menu (Mini Toolbar):
- Show the Developer tab by checking ' Show Developer tab in the Ribbon', back on the Popular section in Word Options
- On the Developer tab, in the Code group, click 'Macros'
- Type a name for the macro and be sure it's going to be created in the global template
- Insert this line and close the editor: Options.ShowMenuFloaties = False
This will turn "floaties"–Microsoft's name for the Mini Toolbar–off.
John
April 17th, 2008
I've repeatedly tried this, and I can't get it to work. What could I possibly be doing wrong? The instructions are quite clear and easy.
Jason
May 22nd, 2008
Did you make sure to run the macro once?
Dan
May 27th, 2008
Thank you so much! I had no idea what to call that annoying little toolbar, but it's been driving me crazy for a month now. Unfortunately, its very namelessness made it extremely difficult to destroy and frustrated my efforts to find a solution on the Internet. But this was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again!