Getting Context-Sensitive Help

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 6, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Word includes a complete help system that you can use to answer most questions on how the program operates. This system is context-sensitive, meaning the help you receive will vary, depending on the context in which the help was requested. Word provides a fast way to ask for context-sensitive help. The ways in which you access this help varies, depending on your version of Word.

In some versions of Word, you can press Shift+F1 to display a question mark over the mouse cursor. Use the cursor to point to the item for which you need help. When you click on the left mouse button, the help system is displayed, with specific information about whatever you clicked on.

In other versions of Word, the Shift+F1 approach simply brings up the help system to whatever is appropriate for the context in which the shortcut is used. In still other versions, Shift+F1 will not work, but you can click the question-mark icon that appears in the upper-right corner of the dialog box in order to see the question-mark-enhanced cursor.

Regardless of the method used in your version of Word, the bottom line is that context-sensitive help is available, and you can access it through one or more of these methods. You should check out what is available to you, so that you can get the help you need when you need it.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1178) 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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Entering Characters with Diacritical Marks

Entering characters that use diacritical marks is easy as pie in Word and some other programs. Not so in Excel, it takes ...

Discover More

Placeholders for Stamps

Got a reply envelope you want to create? Why not put a placeholder for the stamp on the envelope? It's easy to do if you ...

Discover More

Adding Horizontal Lines at the Sides of a Word

Want to add a couple of horizontal lines at the sides of a word? It can be trickier than it sounds, but there are several ...

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)

Controlling Display of the Status Bar

The status bar is used to display all sorts of information about the document on which you are working. Depending on your ...

Discover More

Button for Leaving Full-Screen Mode

If you display your document in full-screen mode, there are a couple of ways you can get back to normal mode. One method ...

Discover More

Understanding the At and Ln Indicators

Part of the helpful information that Word provides on the status bar is designated by the labels "At" and "Ln." Here's ...

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 2 + 8?

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.