A menu bar is a thin, horizontal bar containing the labels of drop-down menus in an operating system's GUI. It provides the user with a standard place in a window to find the majority of a program's essential functions. These functions include opening and closing files, editing text, and quitting the program. Although menu bars are usually present in most GUIs, they may differ depending on the operating system you're using.

Microsoft Windows menu bars

In Microsoft Windows, the menu bar is beneath the title bar. The menu bar in Windows may be accessed via keyboard shortcuts. Pressing the Alt key and the menu-specific hotkey (which appears as an underlined letter in the menu) activates that menu choice. The witcher enhanced edition download. Below is a diagram of a Windows file menu with a description of each part of the menu.

Tip

With Windows 8, Windows 10, and full-screen programs, the menu bar may be hidden to improve the appearance of the program. To show the menu bar move your mouse or finger to the top of the screen.

Apple OS X menu bars

The menu barDownload hauptwerk sample set marcussen organ. on a Mac is a thin bar found anchored to the top of the screen. Unlike Microsoft Windows menu bars, which appear in each window, menu bars in OS X always appear at the top of the screen. When you switch to another application, the menu bar changes accordingly.

Go to System PreferencesDock Put a check mark next to 'Double-click a window's title' and select Zoom. Then, if you open a document and want to maximize: Don´t click on the green button, but double-click the title bar in the document instead (fex where it says Microsoft Word, if you have started this program).

The following is a diagram of a simple Mac menu bar and the functions of each menu item:

  1. By clicking the Apple logo in the left corner of the menu bar, you'll gain access to the Apple menu.
  2. Adjust the Finder properties. To open Finder, click the Finder icon on the dock.
  3. The middle File, Edit, View, Go, Window, Help all interact with the Apple OS or program you're currently running if one is open.
  4. Next, the status menus display quick information about things like the sound, Wi-Fi, battery, time, etc.
  5. Finally, use Spotlight to find any files on your computer.

Why is the menu bar missing?

Not all programs use a file menu. For example, in new Office programs instead of a file menu it uses the Ribbon. Other programs may use a hamburger menu, kebab menu (e.g., Chrome), or meatballs menu (e.g., Edge) to access the programs features. For these programs, you'll need to use the alternative menu system.

Some programs may also hide the file menu to keep the interface clean. With these programs, press the Alt key or F10 function key any time you want to open the file menu. Other programs may only show the menu when the mouse pointer is moved to the top of the screen or when scrolling up.

Related pages

Apple terms, Menu, Operating system terms, Title bar