Click here for Table of Contents

Last Updated

Word 97 Tips

This page is no longer part of Serenity's Web Site. It is here for down market browsers only. Choose Startup Tips of the Table of Contents.

Click Tips, Hacks, and Macros under contents to return to the previous page

This is a list of Tips of the Day that Word can show when it starts. The tips are stored in MSO97.DLL. Did you know.

To quickly create a letter, resume, or other document, click New on the File menu, and then click a wizard. To undo or repeat several actions at the same time, click the arrow next to the Undo button or Redo button. You can hurt yourself if you run with scissors.
To repeat most commands and actions, press F4 or CTRL+Y. To select an entire document, press CTRL+A. To quickly format a document, click AutoFormat on the Format menu.
To display a shortcut menu, click the right mouse button. To insert the current date, press ALT+SHIFT+D. To return to the location of your last edit, press SHIFT+F5.
To set options for the automatic spelling and grammar checker, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Spelling & Grammar tab. To go to the next misspelled word, press ALT+F7 or double-click the spelling icon on the status bar. To switch views, click the view buttons on the horizontal scroll bar.
To select a word, double-click it. To select a sentence, press CTRL and click the sentence. To display multiple toolbars, click Toolbars on the View menu, and then select the toolbars.
To open one of the last documents you worked on, click it at the bottom of the File menu. To apply or remove bold, italic, or underline formats on selected text, press CTRL+B, CTRL+I, or CTRL+U. To format a table, click Table AutoFormat on the Table menu, and then select a predefined format.
To move selected text between windows, drag it to another window. To copy it, press CTRL while you drag. To insert symbols and other special characters, click Symbol on the Insert menu.
To create a numbered or bulleted list, click the Numbering or Bullets button. To restore text to its original formatting, press CTRL+SPACEBAR. To preview how a new template will change a document's formatting, click Style Gallery on the Format menu.
To see only the document, click Full Screen on the View menu. Press ESC to close the full screen view. To quickly replace text, select it and type. To undo most actions, click the Undo button.
To repeat your last action, click the Redo button. To start a new line without starting a new paragraph, press SHIFT+ENTER. Word automatically "wraps" text to the next line as you type.
Press ENTER only when you want to start a new paragraph. To edit text in Print Preview, click Magnifier on the Print Preview toolbar. To look up synonyms in the thesaurus, select a word and press SHIFT+F7.
To see several pages in Print Preview, click Multiple Pages on the Print Preview toolbar. To use INS instead of CTRL+V to paste text, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Edit tab. To open a document, click the Open button.
You can have several documents open at the same time. To hyphenate a document as you type, click Language on the Tools menu, and then click Hyphenation. To apply or remove bold, italic, or underline formats, click the buttons on the Formatting toolbar.
Plaid shirts and striped pants rarely make a positive fashion statement. To use a button on the Drawing toolbar multiple times, double-click the button. To select several drawing objects, click the Select Drawing Objects button on the Drawing toolbar, and then drag to enclose the objects.
To count the number of words in a document or selection, click Word Count on the Tools menu. To center, left-align, or right-align a paragraph, press CTRL+E, CTRL+L, or CTRL+R. To undo the last edit, press CTRL+Z.
To undo more than one edit, press CTRL+Z again. To print pages in reverse order, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Print tab. To print a range of pages, click Print on the File menu.
In the Pages box, type the page numbers; for example, 2-5. To select a rectangular block of text, press ALT while you drag. To update a field, press F9.
To close all open documents, press SHIFT, and then click Close All on the File menu. To create and format a table, click Insert Table on the Table menu, and then click AutoFormat. To insert a footnote or an endnote, press ALT+CTRL+F or ALT+CTRL+E.
The status bar at the bottom of the window shows the current page number, the state of an automatic spelling check, and other information. To close a dialog box, press ESC. To create a comment, press ALT+CTRL+M.
To remove a button from a toolbar, press ALT and drag the button into the document window. To move a toolbar button, press ALT while dragging the button. To copy a button, press ALT+CTRL.
To arrange all open documents on the screen, click Arrange All on the Window menu. To display the name of a toolbar button, point to the button. To copy the formatting of selected text multiple times, double-click the Format Painter button.
To change a document's summary information, click Properties on the File menu. To change the selection to dropped capital letters, click Drop Cap on the Format menu. To increase or decrease the size of selected text, press CTRL+] or CTRL+[.
To change the color of text, click Font on the Format menu, and then click the Font tab. To create superscript or subscript text, select the text and press CTRL+PLUS SIGN or CTRL+EQUAL SIGN. To add hidden text to a document, select the text and press CTRL+SHIFT+H.
To see the hidden text, click the Show/Hide button. To slant, arch, and stretch words, click Object on the Insert menu, click the Create New tab, and then click Microsoft WordArt. To see a document as it will print, click the Print Preview button.
Press ESC to return to normal view. To go to the beginning or end of a document, press CTRL+HOME or CTRL+END. To go to the beginning or end of a line, press HOME or END.
To select an entire table, click the table and press ALT+5. To arrange text and graphics side by side -- as in a resume or catalog -- use a table. To see two parts of a document simultaneously, drag the split bar at the top of the scroll bar.
To fit a document to the width of your screen, click the Zoom Control box, and then click Page Width. You should never dive into murky waters. To display paragraph marks, tab characters, spaces, and hidden text, click the Show/Hide button.
To apply the Normal style to a selected paragraph, press CTRL+SHIFT+N. To change the case of selected text, press SHIFT+F3 until the text is capitalized the way you want it. To insert page numbers at the outside margin, click Page Numbers on the Insert menu, and then click Outside in the Alignment box.
To start page numbers with any number, click Page Numbers on the Insert menu, and then click Format. To automatically save documents as you work, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Save tab. To create an online, "fill-in-the-blanks" form with "form fields," click Form Field on the Insert menu.
To use different units of measurement, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the General tab. To convert a table to text, select the table, and then click Convert Table To Text on the Table menu. To convert existing text to a table, select the text, and then click the Insert Table button.
To base new documents on templates, click New on the File menu, and then click a template. To display a menu of toolbars, point to a toolbar and click the right mouse button. To move a toolbar, click between the toolbar buttons and drag.
To check the spelling of a document, press F7. To switch to another open application, press ALT+TAB until the application you want appears on the screen. To open the Go To dialog box, double-click the page-number area on the status bar.
To expand abbreviations such as "asap" for "as soon as possible," click AutoCorrect on the Tools menu. If you do your best, whatever happens will be for the best. To learn about any menu command, choose What's This? from the Help menu, and then click on the command.
To create a multilevel list, click Bullets And Numbering on the Format menu, and then click the Multilevel tab. To sort dates, numbers, and other text in ascending or descending order, click Sort Text on the Table menu. To add rows or columns to a table, select as many as you want to add, and then click the Insert Table button.
To move to the next cell in a table, press TAB. To move to the previous cell, press SHIFT+TAB. To view a comment, point to the comment's reference mark.
To delete a comment, right-click on the comment reference mark and choose Delete Comment. To customize the Word window, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the View tab. To create form letters, click Mail Merge on the Tools menu.
To keep a record of changes to a document, click Track Changes on the Tools menu. To review or incorporate tracked changes, click Track Changes on the Tools menu, and then click Accept or Reject Changes. To edit a document while the Find or Replace dialog box is visible, click in the document window.
To repeat the last Find command, press SHIFT+F4. To restore a graphic to its original size, click Picture on the Format menu, and then click the Reset button. To draw a perfect circle or square, press SHIFT while you drag an ellipse or rectangle from the Drawing toolbar.
To add a row at the end of a table, click in the last cell and press TAB. To save boilerplate text, select the text, click AutoText on the Insert menu, choose New, and then type a name for the text. To insert a table of information from a database, click Database on the Insert menu.
It's never too late to learn to play the piano. To clear the contents of a table, select the table and press DELETE. To delete a table and its contents, select the table, and then click Delete Rows on the Table menu.
To add borders to paragraphs and tables, click the Borders button. To insert a page break, press CTRL+ENTER. Macros, AutoText entries, styles, customized toolbars, menus, and shortcut keys are stored in templates.
To display Help for WordPerfect users, double-click "WPH" on the status bar. To track changes, double-click "TRK" on the status bar. To add a "gutter" to the inside margin, click Page Setup on the File menu, and then click the Margins tab.
To set margins, the number of columns, and other formatting in parts of a document, divide the document into "sections. "To move text or a graphic anywhere on a page, enclose the item in a textbox. Select the item and click TextBox on the Insert menu.
To merge table cells to make a table title, select the cells, and then click Merge Cells on the Table menu. To insert a tab character in a table cell, press CTRL+TAB. To cancel the current print job, double-click the Print Status icon on the status bar.
To use a bookmark to mark your place, click Bookmark on the Insert menu, and then type a name for the bookmark. To find and replace nonprinting characters, click Find or Replace on the Edit menu, and then click the Special button. To set margins, drag the margin boundaries on the rulers.
To create columns of unequal width, click Columns on the Format menu, and then click a column layout. To control how Word breaks text across pages, click Paragraph on the Format menu, and then click the Text Flow tab. To select a line of text, click in the space to the left of the text.
Double-click to select a paragraph. To open formatting dialog boxes, double-click markers on the rulers. To preserve formatting when you move or copy a paragraph, include the paragraph mark.
To restore an imported graphic to its original size, press CTRL and double-click the graphic. To resize an imported graphic and keep its original proportions, drag a corner handle. To resize an imported graphic and change its proportions, drag a middle handle.
To hide the status bar, scroll bars, and other items, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the View tab. To speed up scrolling, click Options on the Tools menu, click the View tab, and then select the Draft Font check box. To line up columns of text, use tables instead of spaces.
If you use spaces, your text might not line up when printed. To copy styles between documents, click Style on the Format menu, and then click Organizer. To see who edited the document with track changes on, click Track Changes on the Tools menu, and then click Accept or Reject Changes.
To add a tab stop, click the ruler where you want to set the stop. To delete a tab stop, drag it off the ruler. To move to the previous or next word, press CTRL+LEFT ARROW or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW.
To move to the previous or next paragraph, press CTRL+UP ARROW or CTRL+DOWN ARROW. To display comments from a specific reviewer, click Comments on the View menu, and then click the reviewer's name in the Comments From box. To add a command to a menu, click Customize on the Tools menu, and then click the Commands tab.
To remove commands from menus, press ALT+CTRL+HYPHEN, and then click the command you want to remove. To adjust table columns, click the table, and then drag the column markers on the horizontal ruler. To indent a selected paragraph, press CTRL+M.
To remove the indent, press CTRL+SHIFT+M. To create a hanging indent, press CTRL+T. To start or stop recording a macro, double-click "REC" on the status bar.
To turn extend selection mode on or off, double-click "EXT" on the status bar. To add voice annotations, click Comment on the Insert menu, and then click the Insert Sound Object button. To change line spacing to single spacing. press CTRL+1. Press CTRL+5 for 1.5-line spacing, or CTRL+2 for double spacing.
To add numbered captions to figures and other items, click Caption on the Insert menu, and then click the AutoCaption button. To add a numbered caption to a selected item, click Caption on the Insert menu. To get information about tab stops, press ALT and click a tab stop on the ruler.
To create a cross-reference to any built-in heading, click Cross-reference on the Insert menu. When you've resized a graphic, you can see the percentage of the graphic's original height and width by choosing Picture from the Format menu. To view the organization of a document and jump to different sections, choose Document Map from the View menu.
To select a large block of text, click at the beginning of the text, press SHIFT, and then click at the end of the text. To add buttons to a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, click the Toolbars tab, and then drag any button or command onto a toolbar. To move the cursor to the beginning of the window, press ALT+CTRL+PAGE UP.
To move the cursor to the end of the window, press ALT+CTRL+PAGE DOWN. To go to the beginning of the previous screen, press PAGE UP. To go to the beginning of the next screen, press PAGE DOWN.
To indent paragraphs, click Paragraph on the Format menu, and then click the Indents And Spacing tab. To customize mailing labels, click Envelopes And Labels on the Tools menu, click the Labels tab, and then click the Options button. To add or remove 12 points of space before a paragraph, press CTRL+0 (zero).
To mark text so that the spelling checker won't correct it, select the text, click Language on the Tools menu, and then click No Proofing. To edit words in custom dictionaries, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Spelling tab. To go to the first or last cell in a row, press ALT+HOME or ALT+END.
To go to the top or bottom cell in a column, press ALT+PAGEUP or ALT+PAGEDOWN. To ensure consistent formatting, use character styles to emphasize words and phrases. To get additional templates, clipart, animated cursors, sound files, and other utilities, choose Microsoft on the Web from the Help menu, and then click Free Stuff.
To select drawing objects, click the Select Drawing Objects button on the Drawing toolbar, and then click the drawing object. To center a drawing object on the page, click the Draw button on the Drawing toolbar, and then click Align or Distribute. To display information that tells you how text is formatted, choose What's This? from the Help menu, and then click the text.
To get Help about an item in the Word window, choose What's This? from the Help menu, and then click the item. To add borders and shading to a table, click AutoFormat on the Table menu. To get Help for field codes, click in a field code and press F1.
To use field codes to insert barcodes, results of calculations, and summary information, click Field on the Insert menu. To compare an edited document to an original, click Track Changes on the Tools menu, and then click Compare Documents. To insert the current page number, press ALT+SHIFT+P.
To specify options for setting up and printing envelopes, click Envelopes And Labels on the Tools menu. To number rows or columns in a table, select the rows or columns, and then click the Numbering button. To select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document, press CTRL+SHIFT+END.
To select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document, press CTRL+SHIFT+HOME. To go to the next field, press F11. To go to the previous field, press SHIFT+F11.
To check the grammar in a document, click Spelling and Grammar on the Tools menu. To link a graphic in a document to its original graphic file, click Picture on the Insert menu, and then select the Link To File check box. To insert the date or time in a document, click Date And Time on the Insert menu.
To insert the current time, press ALT+SHIFT+T. To create a watermark that appears on every page in a document, insert a drawing object in a header or footer. Things that go away by themselves can come back by themselves.
To rearrange headings and text, see an overview of the document, or move to a particular location, click Outline on the View menu. To promote or demote headings or text in outline view, press ALT+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW or ALT+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW. To preview how Word will merge data, click the View Merged Data button on the Mail Merge toolbar.
To return to normal or page layout view from header/footer view, double-click the body text. To view the text of a footnote or endnote, double-click the note's reference mark. To wrap text around a graphic, right-click on the graphic, choose Format, and then click Wrapping.
To insert a trademark symbol, press ALT+CTRL+T. To insert a registered trademark symbol, press ALT+CTRL+R. To insert a copyright symbol, press ALT+CTRL+C.
Click a page number in the table of contents or table of figures to display that page. To view field codes and results at the same time, split the document window into panes, and then set view options for each pane. To turn overtype mode on or off, double-click "OVR" on the status bar.
To get Help for a Visual Basic statement, select a keyword in a macro and press F1.