Excel Help (2008) does not return searchable or browsable help topics

[overtrick]

Something's wrong with Excel Help in my version. Specifically, when I select Excel Help from the menu, I get a window that offers a few canned help topics but no options for searching help topics, or even browsing all the possible help topics. It's kind of a glaring absence, and I suspect there must be a simple fix that I just can't figure out... because my Excel Help isn't working right!

Screen grab attached.

 

[Gregg2]

What happens if you click the little oval in the upper right corner?

My Excel Help (Office 2004) has a tool bar across the top and a sidebar. The tool bar controls what shows in the sidebar, although I'm not sure that clicking "Home" has any effect.

 

[overtrick]

I suspected the fix would be simple, and it was embarrassingly so. Thank you Gregg!

r