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 Word in Microsoft 365

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 Word in Microsoft 365.

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...

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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!

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