Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 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: Turning Off ScreenTips.

Turning Off ScreenTips

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 14, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


ScreenTips are the small yellow boxes that appear as you position the mouse pointer over a toolbar button or over another control on the Word program window. Some people find these ScreenTips distracting, so Microsoft provided a way for you to control whether they are displayed or not. To turn off ScreenTips, follow these steps:

  1. Choose the Customize option from the Tools menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.
  2. Click on the Options tab. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Options tab of the Customize dialog box.

  4. Make sure the Show ScreenTips on Toolbars option is not selected.
  5. Click on Close.

Despite what the option in the dialog box implies, this setting turns off ScreenTips for controls other than toolbars, as well. For instance, ScreenTips normally appear as you position the mouse pointer over the different areas of the Status Bar. With the Show ScreenTips on Toolbars option turned off, the ScreenTips don't appear for Status Bar options, either.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (645) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Turning Off ScreenTips.

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. ...

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