Animated Menus

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 1, 2025)

One of the ways in which Word attempts to add spice to life is through menu animation. Normally menu animation is turned off, but if you have some CPU cycles to spare, you may want to give it a try. Simply choose Customize from the Tools menu, and then click on the Options tab. The Menu Animations drop-down list has these possible settings:

System Default. This is the default; there is no menu animation. In Word 97 and Word 2000, this option is called "None."
Random. Results in a menu using the Unfold or Slide method, at random.
Unfold. The menu opens up from top to bottom and left to right.
Slide. The menu "slides" onto the screen, progressing from top to bottom.
Fade. The menu "fades" in, from light to dark. This option is available only in Word 2002.

Make your selection, then click on the Close button. The effects should be immediately obvious when you select different menus in Word.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1280) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.