Using Equation Editor in Word 2007

Microsoft Office 2007 has a new “ribbon” to replace conventional menus, and a new Equation Editor in Microsoft Word.

To use the old Equation Editor 3.0 if you need easier access to advanced functions, per MTU:

https://help.we.mtu.edu/index.php/Equation_Editor_in_Word_2007

The workaround is to continue to use Equation Editor 3.0, instead of the new equation function. To do this, ignore the equation icon that appears in Word 2007’s ribbon bar under Insert, Symbols, Equation. Instead, choose Insert, Text, Object, Microsoft Equation 3.0. This will give you the equation editing interface that is familiar from previous versions. In the general access computing labs and classrooms, an equation icon has been added to the “Quick Access Toolbar” that appears in the upper left of the Word 2007 window. This is a shortcut to the old Equation 3.0 function which is the recommended method of creating and editing equations at this time.
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If you wish to use the old Equation Editor frequently, you can place a button for it in the Quick Access Toolbar adjacent to the new round Office button. From the same link as above:

Adding a button that opens Equation Editor is a simple two-part process. Step one is recording the macro, and step two is adding your recorded macro to the Quick Access Toolbar.

1. Recording the Macro:1. Open Word and click on the View Tab2. In the Macros group, click the Macros button and choose Record Macro3. In the resulting Dialog name your macro EquationEditor and choose All Documents (Normal.dotm), under Store Macro in4. Click OK to begin recording5. Click the Insert Tab in Word’s Ribbon6. Click the button labeled Object, located in the Text Group to open the Insert Object Window.7. Click on Microsoft Equation 3.0 and click OK.8. This will open Equation editor.9. Click anywhere on the Word document to return to normal display of the Word Ribbon and then click on the View tab.10. Click on the Macros button and choose Stop Recording.11. The Macro has been recorded.2. Adding your recorded macro to Word’s Quick Access Toolbar: The Quick Access Toolbar located in the upper-left portion of the Word window, is a customizable toolbar into which you can place buttons for your frequently used commands and of course, macros.
  • Adding your newly created macro to the Quick Access Toolbar:
  1. Right-click on the Quick Access Toolbar and choose, Customize Quick Access Toolbar… to open the customization dialog.
  2. From the pull-down menu labeled Choose commands from: select Macros.
  3. Click once on the macro name Normal.NewMacros.EquationEditor.
  4. Click the Add button.
  5. Optional: You can click the Modify button to apply an icon of your choice to this button.
  6. Click OK.
  7. You now have the macro button for Equation Editor located in the Quick Access Toolbar. Any time you wish to insert an equation at the cursor simply click the button in the Quick Access Toolbar and Equation Editor will open ready for you to begin typing your equation.
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