To avoid the loss of Customized Settings, a new feature called the Save my Settings Wizard is included in Office XP. It is now possible to create a file of your customized settings, including menu, toolbar, and template modifications. Store the file either locally or on the company network, and anytime you need to re-apply the user’s customizations to an Office XP-equipped computer; you can use that profile file to re-create the work environment.

To prepare the profile, click the Windows Start menu, choose All Programs / Microsoft Office Tools, and click Save My Settings Wizard. Save these settings locally, either to a company’s network or to your own backup disk. The settings file is small enough to save on a floppy. If your hard drive melts down, and you need to reinstall Office, you can easily restore your settings from this file.