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: Quickly Removing Table Borders.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 9, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
When you insert a table in Word, it automatically adds a border around the cells in the table. For many purposes, you may not want the borders. There are many different ways to get rid of the borders, but perhaps the simplest is to simply press Ctrl+Alt+U right after inserting the table. (After you insert the table, the insertion point is typically within a cell of the table. If it is not, you should make sure you place the insertion point within the table before pressing Ctrl+Alt+U.)
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (875) 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: Quickly Removing Table Borders.
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!
Need to make sure that your smaller tables stay on a single page? Here's a handy trick you can use to enforce this rule.
Discover MoreNeed to format the rows of a table so that your data is showcased better? Here are a few ways you can get the shading you ...
Discover MoreWhen you use a table to present numeric information, you may want to have Word align the numbers in the table. This can ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-02-11 17:49:36
Bryce
This doesn't work.
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments