"Help" in Office 2003

[MK]

Hi,

I installed Office 2003. Now, each time I search "Help",
it goes out to the online help which takes a long time.
How can I install Help locally on my hard drive as the
previous Office version?

Thanks.

MK

 

[Eric Lawrence [MSFT]]

Unless you did something special, Help is already installed locally.

To search offline once, just hit the red STOP button while searching.

To search offline ALWAY, click the Help menu, then click Customer Feedback
Options. Click the "Online Content" tab and uncheck the second box ("Search
web content when connected"). Thereafter, you'll only search online if no
offline content is available (e.g. when searching for templates).

We're actually working on the speed of the site and you should see
improvements over the next few weeks.

--
Thanks,

Eric Lawrence
Program Manager
Assistance and Worldwide Services

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Wowbagger]

Ditto the suggestion. Help should be local and instantly available. Is the
next planned step to eliminate all local copies of helpfiles and force
people to go online to look up information? Granted, it is a way to keep
track on what topics are frequently accessed, but the inconvenience, the
poor performance, and the privacy issues more than counter the benefits to
the user. (If there are any at all)

I would suggest Microsoft disable this feature as a default so that users

don't waste time waiting for help, especially if you have a slow internet
connection. This is not a logical place to disable this option. I am quite
disappointed with the recent change of the office.microsoft.com website and
its performance.

 

[clintonG]

I disagree as going to remote sites(s) and the use of XML
Web Services is bringing the most up-to-date interactive
support that anybody could possible ask for.

The 'webification' of the 2003 Office Systems applications
are already enabling people to achieve remarkable objectives.

I think the feature should continue to be enabled by default
but should be smarter about doing so to help lazy people
who do not want to learn how to use their software before
posting to the newsgroup to complain about something.

Every two uses for example a dialog opens asking the person
if he or she wants to continue using remote support or
'check here to disable remote support' with instructions in the
dialog to inform the person how to re-enable remote support
when he or she figures out that remote support is a leap
forward with no equal.


--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
A/E/C Consulting, Web Design, e-Commerce Software Development
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin USA
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/

LaGarde StoreFront 5 Affiliate: e-Commerce Solutions
SEE: http://www.storefront.net/default.asp?REFERER=-201499070

 

[Wowbagger]

I disagree as going to remote sites(s) and the use of XML
Web Services is bringing the most up-to-date interactive
support that anybody could possible ask for.

How up-to-date do you need to keep the helpfiles for questions such as "how
do I make my text bold" or "I want to insert a table"? Many questions are
simple, straightforward, basic, and most importantly, relatively static.

The 'webification' of the 2003 Office Systems applications
are already enabling people to achieve remarkable objectives.

Examples, please? Especially examples of how the slow and laggy web-based
help system has provided value to users. Especially since there are
hundreds of thousands of corporate users out there with no internet access -
are their companies to be required to either have an internally cached copy
(that must then be updated daily) or unlock the firewalls?

Every two uses for example a dialog opens asking the person
if he or she wants to continue using remote support or
'check here to disable remote support' with instructions in the
dialog to inform the person how to re-enable remote support
when he or she figures out that remote support is a leap
forward with no equal.

I don't see the benefit. Please enlighten me. I have an open mind, I'm
just not seeing it. Perhaps not yet, but I'm just not seeing it.

 

[clintonG]

Okay see inline...

How up-to-date do you need to keep the helpfiles for questions such as "how
do I make my text bold" or "I want to insert a table"? Many questions are
simple, straightforward, basic, and most importantly, relatively static.

Even simple examples as you suggest can best be supported using
remote support. I don't know what Microsoft calls it but I refer to what
we are discussing as remote support.

The web enables interactivity. Static help pages are just that. Static
and even the most well written instructions often fail and static
pagesthat reside on a disk need to be redeployed when updated.
Its a matter of efficient expediency.

Trust me -- if you can -- there are people who can not read simple and
clear instructions in a static page. They learn better by being 'shown'
and the way to show such people is by using remote support which
can stream a tutorial to the desktop.

Examples, please? Especially examples of how the slow and laggy web-based
help system has provided value to users. Especially since there are
hundreds of thousands of corporate users out there with no internet access -
are their companies to be required to either have an internally cached copy
(that must then be updated daily) or unlock the firewalls?

Open the Research Task Pane. Tools > Research. Submit a search
using the word 'travel' for example and select Factiva. Note the results
that are returned function like a webpage itself.

Do you see what is emerging? A web application is running within
the Research Task Pane via XML Web Services.

Via XML Web Services we as customers or we as service providers
or we as product resellers or we as merchants can now make it
possible for persons using Office System applications to interact
with us right through the Research Task Pane.

I don't see the benefit. Please enlighten me. I have an open mind, I'm
just not seeing it. Perhaps not yet, but I'm just not seeing it.

While I disagree that these particular settings need to remain as they
are be default the user interface does fail to provide the user with
choice to disable when circumstances warrant doing so. That decision
must be up to the user. That is where the emphasis needs to be placed
with regard to improving the way the new remote support services function.

My example about a dialog for example is already being used in
certain circumstances. One example I know of for certain is when
attempting to load a streaming video in Internet Explorer. A dialog pops up
and asks if I want to display the video within the page displayed in the
browser or open the video and display it in another application.

That circumstantial response is the way the user interface must continue to
be improved so software applications can respond to personal preferences
especially when the preferences are imposed on them by company
policy.

In short, expect to see all software become 'webified' and not just
software from Microsoft who I believe should get the credit for first
innovating this strategy way back with Windows 95.

Hope this helps...

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
A/E/C Consulting, Web Design, e-Commerce Software Development
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin USA
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/

LaGarde StoreFront 5 Affiliate: e-Commerce Solutions
SEE: http://www.storefront.net/default.asp?REFERER=-201499070

 

[Wowbagger]

The web enables interactivity. Static help pages are just that. Static
and even the most well written instructions often fail and static
pagesthat reside on a disk need to be redeployed when updated.
Its a matter of efficient expediency.

Trust me -- if you can -- there are people who can not read simple and
clear instructions in a static page. They learn better by being 'shown'
and the way to show such people is by using remote support which
can stream a tutorial to the desktop.

What I'm not getting is the need to have everything _remote_. Basic
tutorials such as how to make a font bold could be stored locally as a flash
or a .wma or even an .avi. Hard drive space is cheap and abundant - far
cheaper than bandwidth, which is becoming increasingly capped by various
ISPs. Your typical new computer buyer would never miss even a full Gb of
help files - especially ones that could be deleted or never installed if
necessary. To rely upon bandwidth that is likely to not be available is to
build a wonderful theme park in the middle of the desert without any nearby
roads or rail.

Open the Research Task Pane. Tools > Research. Submit a search
using the word 'travel' for example and select Factiva. Note the results
that are returned function like a webpage itself.

Research tools are one thing. Answering the question "how do I save a file"
is something entirely different. Research tools are justifiably
web-enabled. Basic help or tutorials... I'm still not convinced.

 

[Chris Schatte]

clintonG,
Excellent explanation of the new help system. We consider it a great enhancement, and use it as a way to enhance training and useability of Office 2003 in our business. Much improved over previous versions. It's a real pain now to go from a new workstation to a (non upgraded) desktop, and try to perform the same functions or useability.

 

[Beth Melton]

No, they are not attempting to eliminate offline Help.

The intent is to provide a better Help system and generate topics and
tutorials 'on demand'. In previous versions of Office you were limited
to Help as it was when the product was shipped. We complained about
'dated' material or there were many times a feature needed more detail
than was offered.

Microsoft's answer was to include the capability to search online
content. Granted there are a few issues that need to be worked out,
performance is a major issue, but the concept is good: Get updated
content when you need it.

--
Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[clintonG]

Thanks Chris. Office Systems 2003 is a leap forward all right.
I just hope I can get services developed and promoted via the
Office Marketplace before the rest of the world catches on

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
A/E/C Consulting, Web Design, e-Commerce Software Development
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin USA
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/

clintonG,
Excellent explanation of the new help system. We consider it a great

enhancement, and use it as a way to enhance training and useability of
Office 2003 in our business. Much improved over previous versions. It's a
real pain now to go from a new workstation to a (non upgraded) desktop, and
try to perform the same functions or useability.

 

[Chris Schatte]

Amen to that!!!!