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Shortcut for Full-Screen Mode

Summary: Want to get rid of almost everything on the screen except your document? Here's how to easily maximize what you see. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Shortcut for Full Screen Reading View.)

Word includes a full-screen mode that minimizes the extraneous information (tools, menus, etc.) displayed on the screen. The normal way of switching to full-screen mode is to choose View | Full Screen. You exit the mode by either clicking the Close Full Screen button or by pressing Esc.

If you'd like to use a keyboard shortcut to enter full-screen mode, one method is to press Alt+V, then U. (These are the keystrokes to activate the proper menu choices.) To create your own shortcut, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Customize from the Tools menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  2. Click the Keyboard button. Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. In the list of Categories, choose View.
  4. In the list of Commands, choose ToggleFull.
  5. Place the insertion point in the Press New Shortcut Key box.
  6. Press the shortcut key you want to use, such as Alt+S.
  7. Click Assign.
  8. Close the dialog boxes.

One interesting thing is that when you assign they shortcut in this manner, the same key is used to switch to and from full-screen mode. This is possible because the command you assign to the shortcut is actually a toggle.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (102) applies to the following Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Shortcut for Full Screen Reading View.

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