One of the least-known but most useful features in Office 95, 97, and 2000 is Microsoft Office Binder, a utility that lets you tie Word documents, Excel worksheets, Microsoft Project files, and PowerPoint presentations together in one file without having to load separate programs. Each piece becomes a section of the binder file.

Using the Microsoft Binder to combine Word Documents, Excel Worksheets and PowerPoint Presentations, you will find it much easier to print a document that combines details from several Office packages, using Binder. If you have your Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar displayed it is the Icon that looks like a "bulldog clip" – a large paperclip – or you will find it from Start, Programs, Microsoft Binder or Microsoft Office Tools (depending on which version of Microsoft Office you have).

• You create a New Binder – if you have already created the files you want to weave together you go to the Section Menu and select Add from File – if you need to create the documents, click Add and then say which package you want to use.
• From the File Menu, Binder Page Setup, you can create Headers and Footers (the detail that prints in the Margins) that will be used on every page, no matter what package is being printed
• If you only want Page Numbers – and no extra text – use the Print Binder, Consecutive Page number item You can save the Binder for future use or, once you have printed the details you require, close it without saving.

Creating a Binder

To start Office Binder, point to Programs on the Windows Start menu, point to Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Binder. If Binder isn't there, you need to install it. When you're working with binders, the left pane shows the documents that make up the binder, and the right pane shows the particular document you're working on. To hide or display the left pane, click Show/Hide Left Pane.

You can choose to create a binder based on a template. The documents you add to the binder, called sections, can be new blank documents or existing documents. Use drag-and-drop editing to organize documents in a binder. For example, to make the first document in a binder the last document, drag that document icon to the bottom of the left pane. To add a document to a binder, drag the document from a Windows folder and drop it in the left pane in the binder. To move a document to another binder, drag it to the left pane of that binder.

You can preview or print an individual document in a binder, selected documents in a binder, or the entire binder. You can print the same header and footer for each document in the binder or create different headers and footers for each document in the binder. To work on a particular document, click the document icon in the left pane. You can then work on the document in the appropriate program, such as Word, in the right pane.

To create a binder:

1. On the File menu, click New Binder.
2. To create a blank binder, double-click the Blank Binder icon on the General tab.
3. To add an existing document to a binder, click.

1. On the File menu, click Open Binder.
2. Click a shortcut on the Places Bar Look-in box, click the drive, folder, or Internet location that contains the binder.
3. In the list of files and folders, double-click folders until you open the folder that contains the binder.
4. Double-click the binder you want to open.

• To open a file you've used recently, click History on the Places Bar.
• To quickly open a binder on the Internet, in the File name box type the Web address of the binder, and then press ENTER.
  For example, type http://www.someones.homepage/mypage.obd
• To open a binder at an FTP site, click FTP Locations in the Look in box. If no FTP sites are listed, click Add/Modify FTP Locations to add a site. In the list of FTP sites, double-click the site you want, and then double-click the location at the site that contains the binder you want to open. Double-click the binder.
• To open a binder on a network by using a UNC address, in the File name box type the UNC address of the binder, and then press ENTER. For example, type \\Computer1\Files\Binder.obd to open a binder on the server Computer1, on the share Files.

If you've already created a binder you want to use for other projects, click Open Binder on the File menu, and then open that binder. To start with a new blank binder, click New Binder on the File menu.

If you've already created a document you want to use for other projects, add the document to the binder template.

Continue adding new documents or existing documents until the binder template contains all the sections you want.

• On the File menu, click Save Binder As.
• In the Save as type box, click Binder templates.
• In the list of folders and files, double-click the folder for the type of binder you are saving.
• In the File name box, type a name for the template.

1. To hide a section, click on the section in the left pane, and then click Hide on the Section menu.
2. To show a hidden section, click Unhide Section on the Section menu, and then click the name of the section.

You can print all sections, a single section, or selected sections in a binder.

Print all sections:

1. On the File menu, click Print Binder.
2. Click All visible sections.
3. To print all visible sections each time you print while you have Office Binder open, click All visible sections on the Print Settings tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu).

Print a selected section:

1. Select the section you want to print.
2. To select a section other than the next or previous section, the left pane must be showing. If it isn't, click Show/Hide Left Pane.
3. To select, Do the following:
   

   One section	Click the section icon.
   Adjacent sections	Click the first section icon, hold down SHIFT, and then click the last icon.
   Nonadjacent sections	Hold down CTRL and click the section icons.
   All sections in the binder	On the Section menu, click Select All.

   
   
4. To select the next or previous section, click Next Section or Previous Section on the Section menu.
5. To unselect all sections, click Unselect All on the Section menu. On the Section menu, click Print. Select the options you want.

Print selected sections:

1. Select the sections you want to print.
2. On the File menu, click Print Binder.
3. Click Section(s) selected in left pane.

You can print the same header and footer for all sections or for several sections, and you can print a different header and footer for just one section in a binder. You can also print a binder without headers and footers. Select options on the Header/Footer tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu) to create the same header and footer for all sections or for several sections in a binder. When you choose to print all supported sections with the same header and footer, only the visible sections that support binder headers and footers print the header and footer you create. When you create a binder header and footer for selected sections using options on the Header/Footer tab, sections that you don't select print with the header and footer specified in each individual section.

You cannot print a header or footer for a hidden section or for a section that does not support headers and footers. You cannot print a binder header or footer for a document created in a previous version of a Microsoft Office program, such as Microsoft Word version 7.0. You can print a header or footer for an individual section by using the header and footer commands for that section.

Print all sections with the same header and footer:

1. On the File menu, click Binder Page Setup, and then click the Header/Footer tab.
2. Under Apply binder header/footer to, click All supported sections.

Print several sections with the same header and footer:

1. On the File menu, click Binder Page Setup, and then click the Header/Footer tab.
2. Click Only sections selected below.
3. Select the check boxes for the sections you want.

Print one section with a different header and footer:

1. Select the section you want to print with a different header and footer.
2. Use the header and footer commands for that section in the binder. For example, in a Microsoft Excel section, click Page Setup on the Section menu, and then click the Header/Footer tab.

Print a binder without headers and footers

1. On the File menu, click Binder Page Setup, and then click the Header/Footer tab.
2. Click All supported sections.
3. In the Header box, click [None].
4. In the Footer box, click [None].

I can't add a document.

The type of document you want to add isn't supported by Office Binder or isn't registered correctly with Microsoft Windows. If the document type is supported by Office Binder (for example, a Microsoft Excel worksheet or chart, a Microsoft Word document, or a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation), you may need to reinstall the program to register the document correctly.

I can't send or share a binder.

• Check your network connections to make sure that any network server you rely on is running.
• Make sure that the software you use to share files (for example, Microsoft Exchange Server, e-mail, and the local area network), is installed and running properly.
• Check the names of users or computers on all e-mail and routing slips.
• The binder file may be too large to send through e-mail. Share the binder instead by placing the file on the network, posting the file to a public folder, or saving the binder sections as separate documents that you can mail or distribute individually.

I can't print a binder.

Your printer may not be able to print a binder as a single print job. To print the sections of the binder as separate print jobs and still print the entire binder at one time, click Binder Options on the File menu, and then clear the Print binder as a single job check box. You should only clear this check box if you have trouble printing the binder.

I can't find the Show/Hide Left Pane button.

To show the Show/Hide Left Pane button, select the Show left pane and left pane button check box in the Binder Options dialog box (File menu).

My binder prints with the wrong header and footer.

• You cannot print a binder header or footer for a document created in a previous version of a Microsoft Office program, such as Microsoft Word version 7.0. To print a header or footer for a document created in a previous version of an Office program, use the header and footer commands for that section. To use the binder header and footer in a document created in a previous version of an Office program, save the document in the current Office program file format before you add the document to a binder.
• To print all visible sections you created in a current Office program with the same header and footer, click All supported sections on the Header/Footer tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu).
• When you add an existing document to a binder, the document maintains its original header and footer. To print this section with the same header and footer as several other sections, click Only sections selected below on the Header/Footer tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu), and then select the check box for the sections you want.
• To change the header and footer for a single section, select the section, and then use the header and footer commands for that section in the binder. For example, in a Microsoft Excel section, click Page Setup on the Section menu, and then click the Header/Footer tab.
• To print a binder without headers and footers, click [None] in the Header and Footer boxes on the Header/Footer tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu).

My binder prints with the wrong page numbers.

If you reset the page numbering in the program that was used to create the section, the binder prints the section starting with that page number instead of using the page numbering you set on the Print Settings tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu). For example, if you set the first page in a Word document that is in your binder to print as page 1, the binder page numbering setting does not override this setting. To locate a section with reset page numbering in a binder, you must print each section individually in sequence. Select each section individually, and then click Print on the Section menu. This will show you how each section is numbered.

I can't open a binder on the Internet.

You must have access to the Internet (for example, you might have access by using a modem and an Internet account through an Internet service provider, or you might have access through a network if you are in a corporation) to open files at an FTP site or on the Internet. If you have access to the Internet, the site might be too busy. Try to open the binder later.

The Refresh Current Page button on the Web toolbar is not available.

The Refresh Current Page button on the Web toolbar is not available when you work in a binder. If you are working in a binder located on a network or the Internet, and the binder has been open for an extended period, you can close the binder and then open it again to make sure you have the most recent information.

The file statistics for my binder are not correct.

The information on the Statistics tab in the Binder Properties dialog box (File menu) is not updated automatically. To update the binder statistics, select a section in the binder, click Section Properties on the Section menu, and then click the Statistics tab. Repeat this procedure for each section in the binder, and then save the binder.

How do I add an existing document to a binder?

From Windows Explorer, My Computer, or the desktop, drag the document into the left pane of the binder window. If the binder window isn't divided into left and right panes, click Show/Hide Left Pane.

How do I work on a section outside a binder?

1. Select the section you want to work on outside the binder.
2. On the Section menu, click View Outside.
3. To return to the binder after working outside the binder, click Close & Return to BinderName on the File menu.

How do I work on a binder with other people?

You can share a binder by placing the binder file on the network where others can access it. If more than one person will work on the binder at the same time, you can use Briefcase to incorporate everyone's changes.

1. Place a binder file on the network where others can access it.
2. Instruct those who will share the binder to copy it to their local Briefcase. Each person can then open a copy of the binder in My Briefcase on their computer and work on it.
4. Everyone who works on the binder can update their copy by clicking Update All on the Briefcase menu. This allows everyone to copy their work to the shared binder or to copy any changes in the shared binder to their local copy in My Briefcase. Remember that Binder headers and footers you create from the Header/Footer tab in the Binder Page Setup dialog box (File menu) are not updated when you use Briefcase to update a shared copy of the binder.

How do I add a new document to a binder?

1. On the Section menu, click Add.
2. To add a blank document to the binder, double-click the icon for the document type you want to add on the General tab.

To add a new document based on a template, click the tab for the type of document you want, and then double-click the template you want the document based on, change the Web start page in Office Binder.

1. Open the binder you want to use as the start page.
2. On the Go menu, click Set Start Page.
3. Click Yes.

When you change the start page in a Microsoft Office program, the new start page used in your Office program is also used in Microsoft Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer cannot display binders.

Can I put my Binders on the Internet?

If you have access to the Internet (for example, if you have a modem and an Internet account through an Internet service provider, or if you are in a corporation and have access through its network), you can open binders on the Internet or anywhere on the Internet from the Open dialog box in your Microsoft Office programs. You can also add FTP sites to the list of available Internet sites. And if your company has an intranet, you can open binders there. In addition, if you have the access rights and the FTP site supports saving files, you can save binders to the Internet from the Save As dialog box in your Office programs.

The Web toolbar is available in your Office programs to make it easy to browse through documents that contain hyperlinks. The Go menu is also available from the menu bar in Office Binder. Use the Web toolbar or Go menu to open a start page or a search page in your Web browser. You can also use the Web toolbar to add interesting documents you find on the Web to the Favorites folder so that you can access them quickly. The Web toolbar keeps a list of the last 25 documents you used the Web toolbar or a hyperlink to jump to so that you can easily return to those documents again.

Create a routing slip

1. Open the binder you want to route.
2. On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click Routing Recipient.
3. To select recipients to route the binder to, click Address.
4. In the Type name or select from list box, type a recipient's name, and then click To. Once you've entered the last recipient name in the To box, click OK.

You can select a group alias as the recipient. However, all members of the group alias are considered one recipient. To route the binder to members of a group alias one after another, route it to the individual members, not to the entire alias. You can change the order recipients will receive the routed binder by changing the order of recipient names in the list. Select the name of the recipient you want to move up or down in the list, and then click the appropriate arrow.

1. Select other routing options you want. For Help on an option, click the question mark and then click the option.
2. To route the binder, click Route. To close the dialog box without routing the binder, click Add Slip. To route the binder at a later time, open the binder, click Send To on the File menu, and then click Next Routing Recipient.

When you route a binder, the binder is sent as an attachment in an e-mail message.

How do I create binder headers and footers

1. On the File menu, click Binder Page Setup, and then click the Header/Footer tab.
2. In the Header or Footer box, click the header or footer you want to add to the binder.
3. To customize the header or footer, click Custom.
4. Click in the Left section, Center section, or Right section box.
5. Click the buttons above to insert the fields you want.
6. To add text to the header or footer, type in the Left section, Center section, or Right section box.

You can have only one custom header or footer per binder. If you create a second custom header or footer, it replaces the first one.

Create custom file properties for the active binder or section

1. To set custom file properties for the active binder, click Binder Properties on the File menu. To set custom file properties for the active section, click Section Properties on the Section menu.
2. Click the Custom tab.
3. In the Name box, type a name for the custom property, or select a name from the list.
4. In the Type box, click the type of property you want.
5. In the Value box, type a value for the property. The value you enter must match the selection in the Type box. For example, if you click Number in the Type box, you must type a number in the Value box. Values that don't match the property type are stored as text.
6. Click Add.

We hope this has given you some insight into a valuable program available for your use. Office Binder can be a very useful tool when you learn to use it to your advantage. For more Microsoft Office tips like these, select one of the following: