Microsoft KB Archive/131730

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Vertical Bars Appear in Table If Tab Exceeds Cell Width
Last reviewed: August 4, 1997

Article ID: Q131730

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
 * Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1

SYMPTOMS
A small vertical bar appears in a table when you press CTRL+TAB but disappears when you switch to print preview or scroll to another place in the document.

CAUSE
This behavior is by design in Word and occurs when the tab stop is set to a measurement that is wider than the column. For instance, if your column is 1 inch wide and you set a tab stop at 1.5 inches, when you press CTRL+TAB to insert a tab character in the table, you will see the small bar.

RESOLUTION
Change the tab stop to fit within the column.