Using the Function Key Display Toolbar

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 29, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2000, 2002, and 2003

One of the hidden features of Word is a handy toolbar that lets you know what's what on the function keys. This is officially known as the Function Key Display Toolbar. You can display the toolbar, if you are using Word 2000 or 2002, by following these instructions:

Choose Customize from the Tools menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.
Make sure the Toolbars tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Toolbars tab of the Customize dialog box.

In the list of available toolbars, select the Function Key Display toolbar. There should be a check mark next to the toolbar, and it should appear at the bottom of the screen.
Click on Close to make the dialog box disappear. The toolbar should remain.

Notice that the toolbar occupies only a single line at the bottom of your screen. It would be more helpful if you detached the toolbar into its own dialog box. Simply use the mouse to grab the vertical bar at the left side of the toolbar, and then drag it up and away from the bottom of the window. Note that when you press some modifier key (Ctrl, Alt, or Shift), the keys shown in the Function Key Display toolbar all change. This makes the toolbar a great help in learning how to use the function keys.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1805) applies to Microsoft Word 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. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Resetting Default Character Formatting

If you need to remove any explicit character formatting from some text, you'll want to commit the shortcut in this tip to ...

Discover More

Shading Table Rows

Need 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 More

Leap Years and Fiscal Periods

Need to figure out when a fiscal year ends when that period does not correspond to the calendar year? Here are some ways ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (menu)

Increasing the Size of the Draft Font

When looking at your document in Draft view, you may want Word to use a larger font than what it normally does. Here's ...

Discover More

Displaying Toolbars

How to display the variety of toolbars in Word.

Discover More

Direction Arrows Confused

What do you do if you open a document, only to find that the arrow keys don't work the way that they should? The first ...

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is one more than 3?

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.