Turning Off ScreenTips

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 21, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

ScreenTips are the small yellow boxes that appear as you position the mouse pointer over a toolbar button or over another control on the Excel program window. Some people find these ScreenTips distracting, so Microsoft provided a way for you to control whether they are displayed or not. To turn off ScreenTips, follow these steps:

  1. Choose the Customize option from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Customize dialog box.
  2. Click on the Options tab. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Options tab of the Customize dialog box.

  3. Make sure the Show ScreenTips on Toolbars option is not selected.
  4. Click on Close.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3390) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Continuing Your Numbering

If you have a couple of numbered lists separated by regular text paragraphs, you might want the secondary lists to be ...

Discover More

Turning Off Background Repagination

When you use Word, it normally performs several tasks in the background, while you are typing. One of those tasks is to ...

Discover More

Adding a Full-Width Line in a Macro

The AutoFormat feature in Word allows you to type special character sequences (such as three dashes or three underscores) ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Deleting Names

Excel allows you to associate names with cells or ranges of cells. If you ever want to delete those names, you'll need ...

Discover More

Arranging Workbook Windows

If you find yourself working with a number of different workbooks at the same time, you may want to arrange your desktop ...

Discover More

Maintaining Accuracy of Significant Digits

If you work in the sciences or mathematics, you know that significant digits are important. This tip answers questions ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

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 5 - 4?

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 Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, 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.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.