CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
 
PowerPoint 97/98 Basics:

8

How to Learn More

Help MenuOnline Help

PowerPoint provides a variety of online help to assist you in learning how to use the program's features. Click Help on the Menu Bar to see (and access) what is available (see illustration, right).
 

Office Assistant dialog bubbleOffice Assistant buttonMicrosoft PowerPoint Help provides an "Office Assistant" to help you create your documents. A button on the Standard Toolbar can also access this feature (see illustration, above left). To get help, simply type a question (or word or phrase) in the space provided, click the Search button to get a list of possible topics, and then click the topic desired (see illustration, right). 

Unless you turn off the feature, the "Office Assistant" also automatically pops up on your screen whenever it thinks you might want some help with what you're doing. In this case, the dialog bubble will ask if you need help with the task the "Office Assistant" thinks you're trying to accomplish. 

You can close the dialog bubble but leave the Office Assistant on the screen by clicking the Close button. To close the Office Assistant altogether, click the X button in the upper righthand corner of the little Office Assistant window. 

Contents and Index gives you three ways to look for information — using a topics list (contents), an alphabetical index, or a keyword search (find). Double-click an item to select it (you may have to click several items to get to a help topic window. You can print the topic, if desired, by clicking Options on the help window's Menu Bar and selecting Print Topic. When you're finished reading (and perhaps printing) the information in a help window, click the X button in the upper righthand corner to close Help. 

Using What's This you can point at a menu item or feature button to get a brief description of what it does and how to use it. When you've read the instructions, click anywhere in the document portion of the PowerPoint "workplace" to continue. 

Microsoft on the Web provides links to Web locations where you can find out more about Microsoft products. You need Internet connectivity and a Web browser in order to make use of this feature.
 

Printed Material

There are numerous books available to help you learn how to use PowerPoint. Following are three that are published by Microsoft Press. Students can purchase these and others at most bookstores. Campus departments can obtain Microsoft Press publications at reduced prices (contact the University Help Desk at campus extension 1400 for further information). 
ISBN No. 1-57231-368-4. MICROSOFT POWERPOINT 97 AT A GLANCE
(visual reference, 263 pages)
ISBN No. 1-57231-315-3. MICROSOFT POWERPOINT 97 STEP BY STEP
(self-study kit, including exercise diskette, 323 pages)
ISBN No. 1-57231-324-2. RUNNING MICROSOFT POWERPOINT 97 
(comprehensive reference, 508 pages)
 
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Prepared by Chris Sales, User Support Services
September 26, 2000

 
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