Automatic Scrolling

Summary: One of Word's undocumented commands is the really cool AutoScroll command. This tip explains how to add it to your toolbar and then how to use it to navigate quickly through a document. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)

Microsoft and various other vendors, for some time now, have been offering mice with a special little wheel or lever between the two buttons. The purpose of the wheel or lever is to scroll quickly through a long document. If you do not have such a mouse you can still get the benefits of automatic scrolling through an undocumented Word command. Simply follow these steps:

Choose the Customize option from the Tools menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.
Click on the Commands tab. A list of Word commands appears. (Click here to see a related figure.)
In the left side of the dialog box, select the All Commands option.
In the right side of the dialog box, select the AutoScroll option.
Drag the AutoScroll option to some place on one of your toolbars. When you release the mouse button, a button named Auto Scroll should appear on the toolbar.
Click on Close to close the Customize dialog box.

To use your new command, simply click on the new toolbar button. When you do, the vertical scroll bar at the right side of your screen changes. A new double arrow appears in it. As you move the arrow up and down along the scroll bar, you control how fast the document scrolls either up or down. To exit the scrolling mode, you can either press the Esc key or click the mouse button.

Tip #1168 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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