Changing How Links are Activated

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 22, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


2

Fay has two documents linked to each other—a form linked to an information document. On her work PC when she hovers the mouse pointer over the link, it shows as a "pointer hand." On her PC at home she doesn't get the hand but can right-click and select to open the link. Fay is wondering why the behavior is different on the two systems and what she can do to fix her home PC.

The behavior difference that Fay notes is actually controlled by a configuration setting within Word. In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options. Click Advanced and display the Editing Options portion of the options. (These are the options at the very top of the Advanced options.) (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Advanced options of the Word Options dialog box.

Pay attention to the setting named Use CTRL+Click to Follow Hyperlink. If this check box is selected, then Word requires the use of the Ctrl key to activate the link. (Or, as Fay did, right-clicking the link and selecting to open it.) If the check box is unselected, then you'll get the "pointer hand" and be able to simply click on a link to follow 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 (6052) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

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

Deleting All Headers and Footers

Headers and footers add a finishing touch to documents, but sometimes they can be bothersome. You may need to remove them ...

Discover More

Printing Multiple Worksheets on a Single Page

Got a bunch of worksheets and you want to save paper by printing multiple worksheets on a single piece of paper? There ...

Discover More

Disabling Moving Between Worksheets

If you want someone to not be able to move from one worksheet to another in a workbook, you've got your work cut out for ...

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 (ribbon)

Pasting a Hyperlink

When you paste information into a document, you can specify that it be inserted as a hyperlink rather than as normal ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message

When you add a hyperlink to a document, you can later click that link to display whatever is linked to. Well, you ...

Discover More

Creating a Hyperlink to a Specific Page

Most people add hyperlinks in a document to reference pages on the Web. You can, however, create hyperlinks to other Word ...

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 five minus 0?

2024-01-22 17:12:13

Jim

Great tip. I never knew the "pointer hand" was available in Word.
Also, the tip says "In Word 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options."
I have Word 2019 and I have to display the File tab of the ribbon, click More and then click Options.


2020-06-03 01:57:41

Sally

Great tip, thanks!


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu 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.