The horizontal scroll bar - why does it keep reappearing?

[Bert Coules]

I'm using Word 2000 under Windows XP Pro SP2.

Is there a foolproof way of making the horizontal scroll bar go away for
good? However many times I've de-selected it under Tools/Options/View it
always reappears sooner or later - sometimes the very next time I open Word,
sometimes after a few weeks of daily use. The vertical scroll bar, on the
other hand, has remained decently invisible ever since I first turned it off
a year or so ago.

It's not, I realise, a particularly big deal - and it's easily dealt with,
temporarily, at least - but it is infuriating...

Many thanks,

Bert

 

[Beth Melton]

What you are encountering is a bug. The reason it reappears after you turn
it off is caused by switching to Print Preview, which is why it happens
"sooner or later".

I believe the problem is that the horizontal scrollbar appears in
Print Preview even though you have turned it off in Tools/Options. Now
most don't mind it appearing in Preview, however the fact that it
*does* appear is what I think is making it reappear at a later time.

To duplicate, switch to Print Preview, Close and then when you change
to another view the scrollbar returns. There can be a delay between
changing to another view. Even if you restart Word, the next time you
change to another view the scrollbar will return.
So the key is to remove the scrollbar from Print Preview. The
following macro does just that and you would use it place of the
built-in Preview command.


Sub PreviewView()
ActiveDocument.PrintPreview
With ActiveWindow
.DisplayHorizontalScrollBar = False
End With
End Sub


In Word, use <Alt F11> to open the Visual Basic Editor. On the left
make sure you have Normal selected. If you do not see a module window
on the right, use Insert/Module to create one. Then Copy/Paste the
macro.


To run the macro, you can replace the built-in Print Preview on the toolbar.
To do so, go to Tools/Customize and select the Commands tab. In the
Categories list, scroll down to Macros. On the right you should see the
macro, drag/drop it next to the default Print Preview.

To change the appearance, right-click the macro button and select
"Default Style". Then right-click the built-in Preview and select
"Copy Button Image", right-click the macro button and "Paste Button
Image". Then drag the built-in Preview off the toolbar. If you use
Print Preview from the File menu then just add the macro to the File
Menu using the same steps. You would need to add one more step and
that is changing the name of the menu.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Bert Coules]

I believe the problem is that the horizontal scrollbar appears in
Print Preview even though you have turned it off in Tools/Options.
To duplicate, switch to Print Preview, Close and then when you change
to another view the scrollbar returns.

I just tried this. I went from my normal Print Layout screen to Print
Preview (by pressing Alt-F, Alt -V) and then back again (by pressing Esc).
The horizontal scroll bar didn't reappear. Experimentally I tried switching
to Normal View and back again - still no scroll bar. And then to Web View
and back - still no scrollbar.

So it looks as though I can't *make* it come back - it just does it when it
feels like it.

However, I might still try your macro - thanks very much for it, and the
instructions.

Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk

 

[Beth Melton]

I think depending on the version the trigger is creating a new document
after you use the steps I provided. It's been awhile and I'm currently using
Word 2007 so I'm going by memory. The issue still occurs there but it's not
the same. It will redisplay after closing Print Preview, BUT in Word 2007
the horizontal scroll bar will only display if necessary, only if your page
width exceeds the width of the screen, which is what most of us want anyway.

In any event, this has happened to several folks and the macro method worked
for them. Hopefully it will work for you too.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Bert Coules]

In any event, this has happened to several
folks and the macro method worked for them. Hopefully it will work for you
too.

I'll certainly give it a go. Thanks very much indeed.

Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk