WD: Color Command Fails to Apply Font Color, or Removes Color

• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you add the Color command to a menu, Word automatically adds the Auto Color command. When you use this command to apply a color to selected text, the color of the text is unchanged, or text that was previously colored is changed to black.

CAUSE

The Auto Color command uses the font color that you specify on the Appearance tab of the Display Properties dialog box (double-click the Display icon in the Windows Control Panel). The default font color is Auto, or black. Unless you change the font color in the Windows Control Panel, clicking Auto Color applies the color black to selected text.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use the following steps:

1. Select the text you want to format with a color.

2. On the Format menu, click Font.

3. Under Color, select the desired color, and click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The Color command does not appear when you click Macro on the Tools menu and click Word Commands in the Macros Available in box.

To add a command to a Word menu, use the following steps:

Word 97

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.

2. Click the Commands tab.

3. Select the menu you want to customize. For example, click Tools on the menu bar.

4. In the Categories list box in the Customize dialog box, click the category you want to add. For example, click All Commands.

5. In the Commands list box, click the command you want to add to the menu. For example, click Color.

6. Drag the command to the menu. Release the mouse button when you see a bar indicating the location on the menu where the command will be inserted.

7. Click Close.

Word 6.x, 7.x

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.

2. Click the Menus tab.

3. In the Commands list, click the command you want to add.

4. In the Change What Menu list, click the menu to change.

5. Click Add, and then click Close.