Changing the Insertion Point Cursor

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 4, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


5

Depending on your preferences in programs, you might find Word's blinking "insertion point" cursor to be bothersome. For instance, you might prefer that the insertion point actually blink at a different rate, or not at all.

There is no way within Word to control the insertion point in this way. However, you can affect its behavior by making some changes directly within Windows. Try following these steps if you are using Windows 7:

  1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel. You'll see the familiar Control Panel dialog box.
  2. Click Hardware and Sound.
  3. Click Ease of Access.
  4. Click Ease of Access Center. (You may hear your computer talk to you for just a moment.)
  5. Click Make the Keyboard Easier to Use.
  6. Click Keyboard Settings. (This option is near the very bottom of the dialog box.) Windows displays the Keyboard Properties dialog box.
  7. Make sure the Speed tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  8. Figure 1. The Speed tab of the Keyboard Properties dialog box.

  9. At the bottom of the dialog box is a place to control the Cursor Blink Rate. Adjust the blink rate, as desired.
  10. Click on OK.

If you are using Windows XP, follow these much simpler steps instead:

  1. Choose Settings from the Start menu, and then choose Control Panel. Windows displays the Control Panel.
  2. Double-click on the Keyboard applet. Windows displays the Keyboard Properties dialog box.
  3. At the bottom of the dialog box is a place to control the Cursor Blink Rate. Adjust the blink rate, as desired.
  4. Click on OK.

Depending on your system, you may need to restart Windows in order for the change to take effect.

It should be noted that the above instructions will not work with all versions of Windows or with all keyboards. Different versions of Windows, for instance, have different steps you follow to display the Control Panel. (That should be obvious from comparing the Windows 7 instructions to the Windows XP instructions.) In addition, some non-standard keyboards may have their own setup programs that differ from the one used by my keyboard. In any event, if you are able to display the configuration program for your keyboard, it should have settings that allow you to control the blink rate of the cursor, as described above.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1521) 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

Using the IRR Function

When working with finances, you often need to know the rate of return on a given investment. The most common type of ...

Discover More

Reversing Integer Values

Do you need to reverse a series of integer values, such as 5 becomes 1, 4 becomes 2, etc.? There are several ways you can ...

Discover More

Changing What Follows a Footnote Number

Word makes it easy to insert footnotes in your document. It doesn't, however, make it easy to change the format in which ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Changing Measurement Units

When working in Word's dialog boxes, most people understand that you should enter measurements using inches. If you don't ...

Discover More

Displaying ScreenTips

ScreenTips are those small, yellow boxes that appear when you hover over different objects in Word. You have complete ...

Discover More

Unchanging Toolbars

Create a macro to return Toolbars to the default settings.

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 6 - 0?

2021-01-28 00:40:28

Nargiz

It helped thanks a lot! Not from the first time though, but eventually I got this!


2019-02-13 13:58:14

V.S.Rawat

There are some MS Office cursors

https://i.imgur.com/nzaVmZV.jpg

I found there here - http://www.sussex.ac.uk/its/help/faq?faqid=1144

I don't know how to change them. where are they location in MS office and how can I put any new cursors in MS office in place of the above, please tell.

Thanks.


2019-02-13 13:37:56

V.S.Rawat

This only changes the width and blink rate.

Can we change MS office cursors altogether to put some ranbow-color-animated cursors, like the ones available here:

http://www.rw-designer.com/cursor-set/rainbow-18

These are windows cursor and I have been using them for several years and found them very helpful, I can't fail to notice them even on the most crowded screens.

There are several other cursors that are used in Word (say, the double arrow when we want to show hide space between pages in print view) and in excel (say, white wide + (plus) (like the medical sign) that point to a cell), can we also change them?

After all MS Office must be storing them somewhere and editing that, we should be able to change that.

Thanks.


2019-01-17 13:45:00

Charlotte Smith

I'm using Word 2016 and all of a sudden I no longer have a blinking cursor after opening a new Word document.

How can I get that back again?

Please email your response to SmithCharlotte960@gmail.com




Thank you.


2018-08-02 16:48:52

Patricia Hogan

Prior to last week, the cursor for my Microsoft Word was a thin vertical line that I could place wherever I wanted - including between letters. For some reason, the cursor has changed, and is now wide, (approx the width of a typed letter), and I honestly cannot tell where I am placing it! As a result, I keep erasing letters that I do not want to, or putting spaces in the wrong place! I am trying to find a way to return to the previous cursor.


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.