What's the cursor that looks like a compass?

[christophercbrewster via OfficeKB.com]

Every so often my cursor changes to a symbol that has a round dot surrounded
by 4 pointers. It doesn't do quite what a normal cursor does and I don't see
how to get the normal one back. What is this other cursor for, and why do I
get it randomly?

--
Christopher Brewster
Lockheed Martin, Eagan MN

Message posted via OfficeKB.com
http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/ms-word-general/201003/1

 

[Yves Dhondt]

You can see that cursor in a lot of places:
- top-left corner of tables
- shapes
- figures
- smart art

Normally the cursor changes back to normal when you leave those objects.
Could it be that you selected one of those objects? Or that you have a page
sized object?

Yves

 

[Terry Farrell]

Possibly this is the AutoScroll function usually triggered by clicking the
scroll wheel on your mouse. In a long document, if you trigger the
AutoScroll function. you get the 'compass-like' cursor symbol. If you move
the mouse up or down, the pages will start scrolling up or down: the further
you move it from its 'start' point (that's the point where the mouse pointer
was at the time you clicked the scroll button), the faster it will scroll.
If your mouse supports sideways scrolling, you can scroll across a large
spreadsheet as well as up and down.

The usual reason for accidental triggering is your mouse is knackered and
the scroll wheel 'click' function has become weak so that it clicks when you
only want to scroll.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

If it is accidental AutoScroll, then pressing the Esc key turns it off. If
you're using IntelliPoint, you can change the assignment to the wheel click
in your Mouse settings (control panel).

Here... I see something similar when the wheel click is assigned to the
AutoScroll function, but I see only two arrows (up/down), rather than four.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Herb

You only get 4 arrows if your mouse supports sideways scrolling and the
option is enables in Intellipoint.

Terry

 

[christophercbrewster via OfficeKB.com]

The Escape key is what I'd expect to work, but it didn't get rid of the
scrolling cursor. I even resorted to rebooting to get rid of it. Is there any
other way to get rid of it?

If it is accidental AutoScroll, then pressing the Esc key turns it off. If
you're using IntelliPoint, you can change the assignment to the wheel click
in your Mouse settings (control panel).

Here... I see something similar when the wheel click is assigned to the
AutoScroll function, but I see only two arrows (up/down), rather than four.

Possibly this is the AutoScroll function usually triggered by clicking the
scroll wheel on your mouse. In a long document, if you trigger the

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

--
Christopher Brewster
Lockheed Martin, Eagan MN

Message posted via OfficeKB.com
http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/ms-word-general/201003/1

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Does clicking the mouse wheel toggle it off?

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word Bible
Blog: http://word.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

The Escape key is what I'd expect to work, but it didn't get rid of the
scrolling cursor. I even resorted to rebooting to get rid of it. Is there
any
other way to get rid of it?

If it is accidental AutoScroll, then pressing the Esc key turns it off. If
you're using IntelliPoint, you can change the assignment to the wheel
click
in your Mouse settings (control panel).

Here... I see something similar when the wheel click is assigned to the
AutoScroll function, but I see only two arrows (up/down), rather than
four.

Possibly this is the AutoScroll function usually triggered by clicking
the
scroll wheel on your mouse. In a long document, if you trigger the

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

I
get it randomly?

--
Christopher Brewster
Lockheed Martin, Eagan MN

Message posted via OfficeKB.com
http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/ms-word-general/201003/1

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Terry -- Horizontal scrolling is enabled--and it works in other contexts.
But, when I toggle AutoScroll, I still see only the vertical arrows. I just
verified this on two different computers.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word Bible
Blog: http://word.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

 

[christophercbrewster via OfficeKB.com]

Clicking the mouse wheel gets rid of the two-pointed version (which I also
got by clicking the mouse wheel). I hope it works when the four-pointed kind
appears again. Thanks to all who clued me in about this.

Does clicking the mouse wheel toggle it off?

The Escape key is what I'd expect to work, but it didn't get rid of the
scrolling cursor. I even resorted to rebooting to get rid of it. Is there

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

--
Christopher Brewster
Lockheed Martin, Eagan MN

Message posted via OfficeKB.com
http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/ms-word-general/201003/1

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

It turns out that I can get the 4-pointed cursor, too... but not in Word. It
does show up in Excel (where it's of more use), but wouldn't be very useful
for me in Word, since I typically don't have Word documents that are that
wide. I'm now wondering just what circumstance one would need for it to work
in a Word document. Creating a very wide document didn't do it.

In any case, I'm glad you have a way out--but I'm surprised that Escape
doesn't do it. I also find that pressing any key--backspace, space, Ctrl,
Shift, a letter, Enter, etc.--also turns off AutoScroll here. So does
clicking any of the other mouse buttons.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word Bible
Blog: http://word.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

Clicking the mouse wheel gets rid of the two-pointed version (which I also
got by clicking the mouse wheel). I hope it works when the four-pointed
kind
appears again. Thanks to all who clued me in about this.

Does clicking the mouse wheel toggle it off?

The Escape key is what I'd expect to work, but it didn't get rid of the
scrolling cursor. I even resorted to rebooting to get rid of it. Is
there

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

I
get it randomly?

--
Christopher Brewster
Lockheed Martin, Eagan MN

Message posted via OfficeKB.com
http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/ms-word-general/201003/1

 

[Terry Farrell]

Herb

Thanks. I haven't got an 'Intellipoint' mouse to test this. Obviously, my
memory of the AutoScroll pointer is about par!

Terry

 

[Terry Farrell]

Herb

That explains where I've seen it then: in Excel!

Terry