Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 11, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Barbara has a problem on her system: The Ruler seems to be divided into points, but she needs it to display inches. She went through the usual approach of choosing Tools | Options | General tab to change the measurement units, but that wouldn't change things for her.
What Barbara is experiencing is a glitch in Word related to the Ruler. What she is seeing is not points, but character units, which are used when Word is working with Asian languages. This problem is described, along with a fix, at the following Knowledge Base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299339
As the article says, this problem sometimes occurs when upgrading to Word 2003, but there have also been reports of it happening spontaneously in other versions of Word. As the article describes, there are two possible solutions.
One solution is to delete the data settings key in the Registry. This, of course, may also delete other configuration settings you don't want to lose in Word. (How to delete the data settings key, besides being described in the Knowledge Base article, is also described in other issues of WordTips.) Because of this drawback, it's best to try the other solution first:
Options.UseCharacterUnit=False
That's it; the character units should be gone, and your Ruler will use whatever setting you've made in Tools | Options | General tab.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (240) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Do you want the Properties dialog box to appear when you first save a Word document? You can configure Word so that it ...
Discover MoreWord uses lots of dialog boxes as a way of setting configuration options and gathering information from users. When ...
Discover MoreOne way to insert the current date into your document is to use the Date and Time dialog box. The Default button in the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2025-07-17 03:28:04
Hale
Oh, that is cool!
Options.UseCharacterUnit=False
I just wonder how many morons in the net keep reposting that cr@p about options, which obviously NEVER works, and people are coming there only when they face this problem... I just wonder how MS office dept manages to keep against Google Docs when this child deciese keeps appering 22 years after the engine was released; and was never fixed.
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments