In Office 97, Microsoft introduced a new way to help you learn how to use the Office programs. When you are wondering how to do something or you want to know more about a feature, you can ask the Office Assistant. When you click the Office Assistant button, the assistant appears and displays a balloon. If there is no balloon showing, go ahead and click the assistant's window. Next, simply type your question into the balloon. When you press ENTER or click Search, the assistant tries to find the top ten topics that should answer your question. If there are more than ten possibilities, you should refine your question by adding another keyword or making the question more precise.

The Office Assistant provides tips to simplify your tasks. When the light bulb appears next to the assistant, the assistant has a tip for you. Click the light bulb to read the tip.

As you work in your Office program, the assistant tries to stay one step ahead of you. Before you can ask the assistant a question, it will first offer you some Help topics that it believes relate to what you are doing. For example, type some text into a Word 97 document, select the text, and then use the Borders and Shading command on the Format menu to add a border to the selection. Next, click the assistant. You should see that it automatically suggests the topic "Add a border" to you, thinking you might need some additional help with adding borders.

Turning the Office Assistant Off

While the Office Assistant is a new way of finding help when you need it, you might become distracted by it. In fact, you might not like it at all. Here are some tips for working with the Office Assistant:

Distracted by the Office Assistant? If the assistant is distracting to you, try a different assistant. Each assistant has its own characteristics. The Office Logo Assistant is one of the least distracting; it simply spins slowly and sparkles once in a while.

You can also check the Download catalog for each of the Office programs here at Microsoft Office Online for other Office Assistants. For example, Quiet Office Logo is the same as the Office Logo Assistant, but it doesn't blink, spin, or sparkle.

Don't need the Office Assistant to help with everything? If you use the assistant once in a while but you don't need it "in your face," try disabling some of its features. For example, you can turn off the sounds the character makes. Or, if you don't want it guessing Help topics for you whenever you click on it, you can turn that feature off. To change the Office Assistant options:

1. Make sure the Office Assistant is displayed. If it is not, click the Office Assistant button or click Microsoft <application> Help on the Help menu.
2. To display the assistant balloon, click the assistant.
3. Click Options.
4. On the Options tab, select and clear the options you want.

Don't want the Office Assistant at all? If you don't want the Office Assistant at all, you can remove it. However, this does require that you remove software, so check with your Help Desk or IT Department before you perform the following procedure.

1. Be sure to shut down all Office 97 programs.
2. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
4. Click Microsoft Office 97 on the Install/Uninstall tab, and then click Add/Remove.
5. When the Maintenance program appears, click Add/Remove.
6. Select Office Tools, and then click Change Option.
7. Clear the Office Assistant check box.
8. Click OK, and then click Continue.
9. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Using Help Without the Office Assistant

Even if you decide to uninstall the Office Assistant, you can still find Help in Office. The Help provided for your program can be accessed via the Contents and Index command on the Help menu. You can also click the Office Assistant button to open Help, even if you have uninstalled the assistant.

The Contents tab provides a breakdown of the various Help topics either by feature or task. For example, you might find a variety of information about formatting or opening and saving documents on the Contents tab in your Office program.

The Index tab provides a keyword index to the Help topics. Try typing a keyword or phrase for what you are looking for, and the index will select the closest match for you.

The Find tab provides a full-text search of Help. If you have not used this feature, be aware that the first time you use it a small database has to be created. As with the index, type in the word or phrase you are searching for. For example, you can type bold text, but don't type how do I bold text. As you type, the Find feature displays Help topics that contain the words or phrase you type. From here you can select a topic to see if it answers your question.