ARCHIVED: In Microsoft Office 97, how can I uninstall or disable the Office Assistant?

In Microsoft Office 97, you cannot uninstall the Office Assistant as you can other features. Here is a list of alternatives to uninstalling the Assistant:

Disabling the Office Assistant

While you cannot uninstall the Office Assistant from Office 97, you can eliminate it by moving all the Actor files (*.act) in the Actors folder to a backup directory. The default installation directory for the Actor files is:

  \ProgramFiles\MicrosoftOffice\Office\Actors

The next time you access Help, it will work as in earlier versions, without the Assistant. You can return the Assistant to Office 97 by moving the Actor files from the backup folder to the Actors folder.

Quiet Logo

If you would like a quiet Assistant, Microsoft offers a replacement for the Office Assistant that does not bark, meow, blink, or spin. Registered Office 97 users can download Quiet Logo from the following URL:

  http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/tofflogo.aspx

Hiding the Assistant

If you'd like to use the Assistant occasionally, you can hide it instead of removing it. Right-click the Assistant, and then click Hide Assistant. Now when you select Help, you will not activate the Office Assistant. When you want to use the Assistant, press F1, or, from the toolbar, click the Office Assistant button. You can also customize how the Office Assistant works, or change the Office Assistant character, by right-clicking the Office Assistant and then clicking Options.

Getting help without the Assistant

Another option you have is to get help without the Assistant. From the Help menu, select Contents, and then click Index. From the Contents tab, you can search by topic. Under the Index tab, you can search an alphabetical list of features. Under the Find tab, you can view a list of topics.