Notification when Caps Lock is Active

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 16, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Debbie asked if there was a way to change the background color of the screen whenever the Caps Lock key is on. She periodically hits the key without realizing it, and would like some sort of notification.

There is no way to tie the Caps Lock key to a background color that we've been able to locate. For most people this wouldn't really help that much, since looking at the screen to notice the background color would also allow the user to notice when typing was being done in ALL CAPS. Most people want some sort of audible notification of when the key has been activated. Some folks use some sort of third-party program like FirstCap, available free at http://www.falsinsoft.cjb.net.

You don't have to rely on a third-party program, however. You can use the accessibility features of Windows to audibly notify you when you've pressed the Caps Lock key. Follow these steps:

Display the Control Panel.
Double-click the Accessibility Options applet. The Accessibility Options dialog box opens.
Make sure the Keyboard tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Keyboard tab of the Accessibility Options dialog box.

Choose the Use ToggleKeys check box.
Display the General tab. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The General tab of the Accessibility Options dialog box.

Make sure the Turn Off Accessibility Features After Idle check box is not selected.
Click OK.
Close the Control Panel.

The ToggleKeys feature, when turned on, will beep whenever the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock keys are pressed.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (336) 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

Printing Return Address Labels

Want an easy way to create your own return address labels? Word provides the tool as a feature of the program.

Discover More

Understanding Precedence

Formulas created in a macro have a specific order in which operations are performed. This is known as precedence, as ...

Discover More

Resizing Table Columns with the Mouse

Once a table is inserted in your document, you can use the mouse to adjust the width of columns. The effect the mouse ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Displaying a Single Page

When displaying the information in your document, Word is rather flexible. It can, if you so choose, display multiple ...

Discover More

Status Bar Icons

Near the center of the status bar Word displays a number of different icons. This tip describes the meaning of each ...

Discover More

Word Abnormally Ends when Maximizing Program Window

If Word crashes when you maximize a previously minimized instance of the program, it is a sure sign that there is ...

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 three less than 4?

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.