1.    The first step is to open Word and right-click anywhere in the toolbar at the top.

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2.    This will cause a menu to drop down.

    a.    At the bottom of this menu is 'customize', this is the choice you want.

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3.    This will cause a new menu window to open.

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4.    In this menu perform the following steps:

        a.    Choose the middle tab called 'commands'.

        b.    In the left window choose 'insert'.

        c.    Scroll in the right window to the icon for the Equation Editor.  Please note that none of these commands are in alphabetical order.

This is the icon you are looking for. 

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5.    Once you have selected the Equation Editor icon in the right window click on the button labeled 'keyboard' at the bottom of the menu window.

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6.    Selecting the keyboard button will open yet another menu window.  This window contain 4 sub windows that you will address in this order:

        a.    Categories - highlight 'insert'

        b.    Commands - highlight 'InsertEquation' (this is how it will be spelled)

        c.    Press new shortcut key - click inside the box under this heading and then click the keyboard combination that you would like to use to bring up Equation Editor.  In this example I've used the 'control + e' keys.

        d.    Current Keys - If everything has gone right so far, the keyboard shortcut you have chosen should show up in this window.

If everything appears to be in order, click the 'assign' button in the lower left corner of the menu window.  Then close the window and the window under that.

Test your new shortcut by opening a new Word document and use your keyboard shortcut.  Equation Editor should then open.