Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message.

Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 1, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

Other issues of WordTips have explained how to use the ScreenTips feature in Word to create pop-up screen help in a document. In some of the later versions of Word, when you move the mouse pointer over a hyperlink, you end up with a message that says �'Use Ctrl+Click to Follow Link,�" which can detract from the use to which you want to put your ScreenTips. You can "get rid" of the Ctrl+Click message, but when you do, it is simply replaced by a different, somewhat shorter message. Essentially, all Word allows you to do is to eliminate the need to press Ctrl in order to follow a link. If you want to make this change, here's how you do it:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
At the left side of the dialog box, click Advanced. (See Figure 1.)

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

In the Editing Options section of the dialog box, clear the Use Ctrl+Click to Follow Hyperlink check box.
Click on OK.

Note that when you make this change, it only takes a simple click (or tap) to follow a link. Plus, a message still displays when you move the mouse pointer over the link, a message that says "Click or tap to follow link."

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10839) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message.

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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What is nine minus 4?

2023-07-03 10:10:21

April Ellis

This is a terrific tip - thank you!

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