Button for Leaving Full-Screen Mode

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 21, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Marilyn wrote about a missing button that she normally sees when using word in full-screen mode. The button allows her to exit full-screen mode and start using Word, once again, in normal mode.

This button is actually on a special toolbar that appears only when Word is operating in full-screen mode. You can try the following steps to get the toolbar back:

Go to full-screen mode.
Press Alt+V. Word displays the normal View menu.
Choose the Toolbars option.
Make sure the Full Screen option is selected. (This displays the Full-Screen toolbar.)

The toolbar, with its button, should now be visible. If it is not, it could be because the toolbar has somehow been moved "off screen" so it is no longer visible. In that case, you can run the following macro to get it back.

Sub ShowFullscreen()
    ActiveWindow.View.fullscreen = True
    With CommandBars("full screen")
        .Visible = True
        .Position = msoBarBottom
    End With
End Sub

Of course, many people don't even care about the Full-Screen toolbar. They consider the toolbar to be counter-productive to the purpose of full-screen mode since it occupies some of the available screen, usually in an area that obstructs what you want to see. These folks know that the easiest way to get out of full-screen mode is to bypass the button and simply press the Esc key.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (327) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Converting Numbers to Strings

When creating macros, it is often necessary to change from one type of data to another. Here's how you can change from a ...

Discover More

Backing Up Building Blocks

Got a lot of Building Blocks defined in Word? You can back them up rather easily, but first you need to figure out where ...

Discover More

Locked File Puzzle

What would you do if every time you opened a workbook Excel told you it was locked? Here's how you can try to recover ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Getting Context-Sensitive Help

Word employs what is called a context-sensitive help system. This means that the program tries to direct you to the ...

Discover More

Using Text Boundaries

Text boundaries can help you better visualize where text can appear in your document. The feature is easy to turn on and ...

Discover More

Understanding the At and Ln Indicators

Part of the helpful information that Word provides on the status bar is designated by the labels "At" and "Ln." Here's ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is nine minus 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

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.