This article explains how to change the color of the wavy underlines in Microsoft Word. You can change the color by using the Registry Options macro contained in the Support.dot template.

Accessibility and the Support Template

As an aid to accessibility and personal preference, Word 2002 allows you to set registry settings to specify the color that is used in wavy underlines. Wavy underlines are used to designate text marked for smart tags and for proofing errors, such as spelling errors. For example, the default spelling underline color is red, but you may want to use a different color to help you distinguish it from other wavy underline colors. The support template offers an easy way to modify these color settings without opening the registry.

How to Install the Support Template (Support.dot)

NOTE: The Support.dot template is not installed by default in a Typical or Upgrade Setup. If you performed a Complete Setup, the template is installed in the following folder: If the Support.dot template is not installed, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. In the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, double-click Microsoft Word 2002 or Microsoft Office XP in the list of installed programs.
4. In the Setup Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Add or Remove Features.
5. In the Microsoft Office 2000: Update Features dialog box, expand Microsoft Word for Windows, click the icon next to Wizards and Templates, and then click Run from My Computer.
6. Click Update Now.

For additional information about the Support.dot template, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to Use the Support Template to Change Wavy Underline Colors

To change the wavy underline color, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, click Browse.
3. Locate and click Winword.exe, and then click Open.
4. In the Open box (in the Run dialog box), place the insertion point after Winword.exe".
   
   NOTE: The path to Winword.exe is enclosed in quotation marks. Be sure to place the insertion point to the right of the closing quotation mark.
5. Type a space, and then type /a.
   
   The statement in the Open box should now resemble the following:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Winword.exe" /a
6. Click OK.
7. On the File menu, click Open. Locate the Support.dot template, and then click Open.
   
   The Support.dot template is located in the following folder, by default:
   drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Macros
8. Click Registry Options on the main Support.dot page to display the Set Registry Options dialog box, and then select one of the four following items, depending on the wavy underline that you want to change:
   • SpellingWavyUnderlineColor for spelling errors
   • GrammarWavyUndlineColor for grammatical errors
   • SmartTagUnderlineColor to label smart tags marked in the text
   • FormatConsistencyWavyUnderlineColor to designate inconsistent document formatting
9. Click Choose Color, select the color that you want to use, and then click OK.
10. Click Close, and then restart Word.