tech question for Word 2010 users--need answer quickly

[LizW65]

OK, this is probably really dumb, but how do I change the length/size of the tab indent at the beginning of a paragraph?  I need to reduce it from 8 spaces to 3 and would like to do it to an entire text without having to go through the entire thing and do it manually.  I managed to do it once but can't figure out how I did it.  (I don't want to change the margin size.)  Thanks!

[Lash Dresden]

I'm working in Word 2007, and I tend not to know the easiest ways to do things, but I would highlight all of the text I want it to apply to and then drag the tab stop to where you want it in the ruler bar.  There may well be an easier way to do it in 2010 (may even be an easier way in 2007), but it should still work.

[LizW65]

Yeah, well, that's why I said I didn't want to move the margin.   The tab stop on the ruler is at the margin in my manuscript, not on the tab, or else it would work the way you describe.  I know there's another way to do this, as I did it once before....

[Lash Dresden]

You can't click on the tab icon to the far left of the ruler bar and select what type of tab you want, then click where you want it on the ruler bar?  (When I learned Word I learned on 2010, but I've always actually used 2007, so I still get confused as to which version works which way.)  Good luck with it!

[Shecky]

... never mind, I thought I had already updated to 2010 but I hadn't. Try Help and search for "set tab" or "change tab" or "edit tab".

[Lash Dresden]

OK, I'm on a different computer now, so I'm looking at Word 2010, and if you double-click on the tab stop icon on the ruler bar it brings up a little "Tabs" window and you can do whatever you want with the tabs.  (And it also works as I said above, to click on the tab icon at the far left then click in the ruler where you want the tab stop to be.)

[LizW65]

Ah, OK, the double-clicky thing worked.  Thank you so much!

[Lash Dresden]

Glad I could help.