Updated: 2007-08-13

In this article:

The following tables list differences in the menu options user interface. This is not a complete list. The list provides the major menu grouping changes and some second-level and third-level menu changes.

In some cases, you can use the Customize option on the Tools menu to find menu options that were available in previous versions of the Microsoft Office Editions but that are no longer available in current releases.

Office

Feature Office XP Office 2003

ActiveX Control Enablement

Yes

Yes—better security configuration options

Collaboration

Yes

Yes—enhanced

Help Content

Yes

Yes—enhanced and Internet available

Language Translation Support

No

Yes (limited)

Local Installation Source

No

Yes

Office Art

Yes

Yes—enhanced

Security Enhancements

Yes

Yes—new Very High security

Office Access

Feature Office XP Office 2003

Form/Report Error Checking

No

Yes—new

Import/Export Wizards

Yes

Yes—enhanced and integrated

Import/Export XML

Yes

Yes—enhanced

Import/Export/Link to SharePoint

No

Yes—new

Macro Security

No

Yes—new

Smart Tags

No

Yes—new

Table Analyzer Wizard

Yes

Yes—enhanced

File > New…

Yes (dialog)

Yes—now a task pane

File > Backup Database…

No

Yes—new

File > Web Page Preview

No

Yes

View > Object Dependencies

No

Yes—new

View > Task Pane

No

Yes—new

Tools > Macro

Yes

Yes

Tools > Security…

No

Yes

Tools > Tools on the Web…

Yes

No

Help > Microsoft Office Online

No

Yes—new

Help > What's This?

Yes

No

Help > Contact Us

No

Yes—new

Help > Office on the Web

Yes

No

Help > Access Developer Resources

No

Yes—new

Help > Check for Updates

No

Yes—new

Help > Customer Feedback Options

No

Yes—new

Office Excel

Feature Office XP Office 2003

Excel Formula Auditing

Limited

Yes—enhanced

Excel Goal seek

No

Yes

Excel Scenarios

No

Yes

Formula AutoCorrect

Yes

Yes—enhanced

Natural Language Formulas

Yes

Yes—enhanced

Updated Charting

Yes

Yes—enhanced

File > Permissions

No

Yes—new

File > Permissions > Unrestricted Access

No

Yes—new

File > Permissions > Do Not Distribute…

No

Yes—new

File > Permissions > Restrict Permission As…

No

Yes—new

File > Send To

Yes

Removed—still available as a custom option. On the Tools menu, select Customize, and then select the Commands tab to activate these menu options in the menu of your choice.

View > Toolbars

Yes

Yes

View > Toolbars List

No

Yes

Tools > Research

No

Yes

Tools > Shared Workspace

No

Yes—new

Data > List

No

Yes—new

Data > XML

No

Yes—new

Window > Compare Side by Side with

No

Yes—new

Help > Show the Office Assistant

No

Yes

Help > Check for Updates

No

Yes

Help > Contact Us

No

Yes

Help > Customer Feedback Options

No

Yes

Help > Microsoft Office Online

No

Yes

Help > Office on the Web

Yes

No

Help > 1-2-3 Help…

Yes

No

Help > What's This

Yes

No

Help > Activate Product…

No

Yes

Office Outlook

The menu structure of Office Outlook changes dramatically depending on the configuration, profile, and add-ins that are installed. Several of the list headers (From, Subject, Received, Size, and so on) can be sorted by clicking the header (use the right mouse button for specific control access). Not all of the menu options or features are discussed in this comparison.

Overall, Outlook 2003 has significant changes in the UI and feature sets compared to Outlook XP. The following table highlights valuable information regarding how some features and menu options have transitioned into new features or options within Office 2003.

Feature Office XP Office 2003

File > New

Yes

Yes

     Outlook Bar Shortcut

Yes

No

     Internet Fax

No

Yes

     Search Folder…

No

Yes

     Navigation Pane Shortcut

No

Yes

     Office document

Yes

No

File > Folder

Yes

Yes

     Sharing…

No

Yes

File > Cached Exchange Mode

No

Yes

     Download Full Items

No

Yes

     Download Headers and Then Full Items

No

Yes

     Download Headers

No

Yes

     On Slow Connections Download Only Headers

No

Yes

Edit > Clear

Yes

No

View > Go To

Yes

No—now a separate Go menu option

View > Current View

Yes

Yes—changed to Arrange By

     By Follow-up Flag

Yes

No

     Flagged for Next Seven Days

Yes

No

     By Conversation Topic

Yes

No

     By Sender

Yes

No

     Date

No

Yes

     Conversation

No

Yes

     From

No

Yes

     To

No

Yes

     Folder

No

Yes

     Size

No

Yes

     Subject

No

Yes

     Type

No

Yes

     Flag

No

Yes

     Attachments

No

Yes

     E-mail Account

No

Yes

     Importance

No

Yes

     Categories

No

Yes

     Custom

No

Yes

     Show in Group

No

Yes

     Show Views in Navigation Pane

No

Yes

View > Navigation Pane

No

Yes

View > Reading Pane

No

Yes

     Right

No

Yes

     Bottom

No

Yes

     Off

No

Yes

View > Refresh

No

Yes

View > Folder List

Yes

No

View > Outlook Bar

Yes

No

Favorites

Yes

No

Go > Calendar

No

Yes

Go > Contacts

No

Yes

Go > Tasks

No

Yes

Go > Notes

No

Yes

Go > Journal

No

Yes

Go > Folder…

No

Yes

Go > Mail

No

Yes

Go > Folder List

No

Yes

Go > Shortcuts

No

Yes

Tools > Send/Receive

Yes

Yes

     Send All

No

Yes

     This Folder

No

Yes

     Send/Receive All

No

Yes

     Download Headers in This Folder

No

Yes

     Mark to Download Message

No

Yes

     Unmark Selected Headers

No

Yes

     Unmark All Headers

No

Yes

     Process Marked Headers in This Folder

No

Yes

     Dial-Up Connection

No

Yes

Send/Receive Settings

No

Yes

Tools > Send/Receive Settings

Yes

No

Tools > Find

Yes

Yes

     Find

Yes

Yes—previously in Tools

     Advanced Find…

Yes

Yes—previously in Tools

     Find Public Folder…

Yes

Yes—previously in Tools

Tools > Tools on the Web

Yes

No

Actions > Follow Up

Yes

Yes

     Red Flag

No

Yes

     Blue Flag

No

Yes

     Yellow Flag

No

Yes

     Green Flag

No

Yes

     Orange Flag

No

Yes

     Purple Flag

No

Yes

     Flag Complete…

No

Yes

     Add Reminder

No

Yes

     Clear Flag

No

Yes

     Set Default Flag

No

Yes

Actions > Find All

Yes

No

Actions > Junk E-mail

No

Yes

     Add to Junk Sender's List

Yes

No

     Add to Adult Content Senders List

Yes

No

     Add sender to Blocked Senders List

No

Yes

     Add Sender to Safe Senders List

No

Yes

     Add Sender's Domain ("") to Safe Senders List

No

Yes

     Add Recipient to Safe Recipients List

No

Yes

     Mark as Not Junk…

No

Yes

     Junk E-mail Options

No

Yes

Help > Office on the Web

Yes

No

Help > Microsoft Office Online

No

Yes

Help > Contact Us

No

Yes

Help > Check for Updates

No

Yes

Help > Customer Feedback Options…

No

Yes

Office PowerPoint

Feature Office XP Office 2003

File > Pack and Go…

Yes

No

File > Permission

No

Yes—new

File > Package for CD

No

Yes

File > Send To

Yes

Yes

     Routing Recipient…

Yes

No

     Recipient using Internet Fax Service…

No

Yes

Edit > Reconvert

No

Yes

View > View Direction

No

Yes

Insert > Text Box

No

Yes

Format > Alignment

Yes

Yes

     Distributed

No

Yes

Format > Paragraph Direction

No

Yes

Format > Font Alignment

No

Yes

Format > Line Break…

No

Yes

Tools > Spelling and Grammar

Yes

Yes—previously Spelling

Tools > Research…

No

Yes

Tools > Thesaurus…

No

Yes

Tools > Typography…

No

Yes

Tools > Shared Workspace…

No

Yes

Tools > Meeting Minder

Yes

No

Slide Show > Online Broadcast

Yes

No

Help > Microsoft Office Online

No

Yes

Help > Contact Us

No

Yes

Help > Check for Updates

No

Yes

Help > Office on the Web

Yes

No

Help > Customer Feedback Options

No

Yes

Office Word

Feature Office XP Office 2003

File > Permission

No

Yes

File > Send To

No

Yes

     Fax Recipient

Yes

No

     Recipient using a Fax Modem…

No

Yes

     Recipient using Internet Fax Service

No

Yes

View > Reading Layout

No

Yes

View > Show Paragraph Marks

No

Yes

View > Gridlines

No

Yes—moved to Reviewing Pane button

View > Thumbnails

No

Yes

Insert > Number…

No

Yes

Insert > Text Box

Yes

Yes

     Horizontal

No

Yes

     Vertical

No

Yes

Format > Fix Text…

No

Yes

Format > Asian Layout

No

Yes

Tools > Research

No

Yes

Tools > Language

Yes

Yes

     Japanese Consistency Checker

No

Yes

     Translate…

No

Yes

Tools > Fix Broken Text…

No

Yes

Tools > Shared Workspace…

No

Yes

Window > Compare Side by Side with

No

Yes

Help > Microsoft Office Online

No

Yes

Help > Office on the Web

Yes

No

Help > Contact Us

No

Yes

Help > Customer Feedback Options…

No

Yes

Help > Check for Updates

No

Yes