Mouse Pointer is dark horizonatal line!? I want the arrow back, pl

I am using Microsoft Word 2003 on XP. My mouse pointer has turned into a
dark horizonal line. I have no idea how this happened. How can I get the
mouse pointer back to be the little arrow?

Problem is solved, but, I still don't know what happened. I clicked on a
button on the toolbar with my strange new horizontal line pointer and I got a
message saying that the "Menu could not be found" and then my mouse turned
back into the little arrow.

Anyone have any idea what happened?


"flowers_on_the_wall" wrote:

I am using Microsoft Word 2003 on XP. My mouse pointer has turned into a
dark horizonal line. I have no idea how this happened. How can I get the
mouse pointer back to be the little arrow?

You accidentally pressed Ctrl+Alt+hyphen, which activated the
"destructive cursor". This cursor deletes whatever menu item you click
on. Fortunately, you didn't click on a menu item. Press the Escape key
to turn off the destructive cursor.

flowers_on_the_wall wrote:

Problem is solved, but, I still don't know what happened. I clicked on a
button on the toolbar with my strange new horizontal line pointer and I got a
message saying that the "Menu could not be found" and then my mouse turned
back into the little arrow.

Anyone have any idea what happened?


"flowers_on_the_wall" wrote:


I am using Microsoft Word 2003 on XP. My mouse pointer has turned into a
dark horizonal line. I have no idea how this happened. How can I get the
mouse pointer back to be the little arrow?

Wow! Scary! Thank you!

"garfield-n-odie" wrote:

You accidentally pressed Ctrl+Alt+hyphen, which activated the
"destructive cursor". This cursor deletes whatever menu item you click
on. Fortunately, you didn't click on a menu item. Press the Escape key
to turn off the destructive cursor.

flowers_on_the_wall wrote:

Problem is solved, but, I still don't know what happened. I clicked on a
button on the toolbar with my strange new horizontal line pointer and I got a
message saying that the "Menu could not be found" and then my mouse turned
back into the little arrow.

Anyone have any idea what happened?


"flowers_on_the_wall" wrote:


I am using Microsoft Word 2003 on XP. My mouse pointer has turned into a
dark horizonal line. I have no idea how this happened. How can I get the
mouse pointer back to be the little arrow?

So, one could say the cursor is literally a "curse-er" ha ha!

Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!



"garfield-n-odie" wrote:

You accidentally pressed Ctrl+Alt+hyphen, which activated the
"destructive cursor". This cursor deletes whatever menu item you click
on. Fortunately, you didn't click on a menu item. Press the Escape key
to turn off the destructive cursor.

flowers_on_the_wall wrote:

Problem is solved, but, I still don't know what happened. I clicked on a
button on the toolbar with my strange new horizontal line pointer and I got a
message saying that the "Menu could not be found" and then my mouse turned
back into the little arrow.

Anyone have any idea what happened?


"flowers_on_the_wall" wrote:


I am using Microsoft Word 2003 on XP. My mouse pointer has turned into a
dark horizonal line. I have no idea how this happened. How can I get the
mouse pointer back to be the little arrow?

that's a good one! :-)

flowers_on_the_wall wrote:
So, one could say the cursor is literally a "curse-er" ha ha!

Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!



"garfield-n-odie" wrote:


You accidentally pressed Ctrl+Alt+hyphen, which activated the
"destructive cursor". This cursor deletes whatever menu item you click
on. Fortunately, you didn't click on a menu item. Press the Escape key
to turn off the destructive cursor.

flowers_on_the_wall wrote:


Problem is solved, but, I still don't know what happened. I clicked on a
button on the toolbar with my strange new horizontal line pointer and I got a
message saying that the "Menu could not be found" and then my mouse turned
back into the little arrow.

Anyone have any idea what happened?


"flowers_on_the_wall" wrote:



I am using Microsoft Word 2003 on XP. My mouse pointer has turned into a
dark horizonal line. I have no idea how this happened. How can I get the
mouse pointer back to be the little arrow?