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

AutoFitting Tables

Need to adjust the width of a bunch of table columns according to what is in the columns? Word provides a tool to do ...

Discover More

Changing AutoFormatting Rules

The AutoFormat feature of Word can be configured to make changes to a variety of conditions in your document. Here's how ...

Discover More

Making a List of Words Italic

You can use Find and Replace to change the attributes of text in your document. When you want to make changes to lots and ...

Discover More

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!

More WordTips (menu)

Embedding Your Phone Number in a Document

One way you can designate your responsibility for a document is to add your phone number to it. There is no need to add ...

Discover More

Understanding Unicode Characters

Unicode is a character-encoding scheme that works with a huge variety of characters. This tip explains what Unicode is ...

Discover More

Fonts Missing in Word

What are you to do if you find that you have no fonts available in Word, but they are available in other programs? There ...

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 seven more than 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.