Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2002 and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message.

Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 29, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2002 and 2003


Other issues of WordTips have explained how to use the ScreenTips feature in Word to create pop-up screen help in a document. In some of the later versions of Word, when you move the mouse pointer over a hyperlink, you end up with a message that says "Use Ctrl+Click to Follow Link", which can detract from the use to which you want to put your ScreenTips.

This Ctrl+Click message was added to Word beginning with Word 2002. So how do you get rid of the message? It's really quite easy if you are using Word 2002 or Word 2003:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. You'll see the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Edit tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Edit tab of the Options dialog box.

  4. Clear the Use Ctrl+Click to Follow Hyperlink check box.
  5. Click on OK.

There is a drawback to clearing this option in Word: Not only is the Ctrl+Click message removed, but so is the need to Ctrl+Click. All it takes is a single click on the hyperlink to do the jump.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (444) applies to Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Counting a Particular Word

Need to know how many times a particular word appears in a document? Here's a handy trick that will tell you the count, ...

Discover More

Anchoring Objects by Default

When you position objects (such as text boxes or graphics) on a page, one of the things you can do is to anchor the ...

Discover More

Understanding Cell Indenting

Formatting a cell could, if you desire, also include the indentation of information within the cell. This tip examines ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (menu)

Weird Hyperlink Behavior

When you insert a hyperlink, you expect it to look like, well, a hyperlink. But what if it really looks like some strange ...

Discover More

Creating Hyperlinks from E-mail Addresses

Got a document that has a whole raft of e-mail address in it? You can easily convert all of them to clickable hyperlinks ...

Discover More

Creating a Hyperlink to a Specific Page

Most people add hyperlinks in a document to reference pages on the Web. You can, however, create hyperlinks to other Word ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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.

What is 7 + 9?

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.

Videos
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.