Tips: Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Word (Part I)
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Finding and using keyboard shortcuts
For keyboard shortcuts in which you press two or more keys at the same time, the keys to press are separated by a plus sign (+) in Microsoft Word 2010 Help. For keyboard shortcuts in which you press one key immediately followed by another key, the keys to press are separated by a comma (,).
Use the keyboard to expand sections
- To expand all sections of the article, press TAB until Show all is selected, and then press ENTER. Press ENTER again to collapse all sections.
- To expand just one section of the article, press TAB until that section heading and plus sign are selected, and then press ENTER. Press ENTER again to collapse the section.
Search this article
IMPORTANT Before you start to search, press TAB until Show All is selected, and then press ENTER.
- Press CTRL+F.
The Search dialog box opens, with the cursor ready for you to type.
- Type the search text in the box.
- Press ENTER.
Print this article
To print this topic, press TAB until Show All is selected, press ENTER, and then press CTRL+P.
Microsoft Office basics
>> Display and use windows
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Switch to the next window: | ALT+TAB |
| Switch to the next window: | ALT+SHIFT+TAB |
| Switch to the previous window: | CTRL+W or CTRL+F4 |
| Restore the size of the active window after you maximize it: | ALT+F5 |
| Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window (clockwise direction). You may need to press F6 more than once: | F6 |
| Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window (counterclockwise direction): | SHIFT+F6 |
| When more than one window is open, switch to the next window: | CTRL+F6 |
| Switch to the previous window: | CTRL+SHIFT+F6 |
| Maximize or restore a selected window: | CTRL+F10 |
| Copy a picture of the screen to the Clipboard: | PRINT SCREEN |
| Copy a picture of the selected window to the Clipboard: | ALT+PRINT SCREEN |
>> Use dialog boxes
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Move to the next option or option group: | TAB |
| Move to the previous option or option group: | SHIFT+TAB |
| Switch to the next tab in a dialog box: | CTRL+TAB |
| Switch to the previous tab in a dialog box: | CTRL+SHIFT+TAB |
| Move between options in an open drop-down list, or between options in a group of options: | Arrow keys |
| Perform the action assigned to the selected button; select or clear the selected check box: | SPACEBAR |
| Select an option; select or clear a check box: | ALT+ the letter underlined in an option |
| Open a selected drop-down list: | ALT+DOWN ARROW |
| Select an option from a drop-down list: | First letter of an option in a drop-down list |
| Close a selected drop-down list; cancel a command and close a dialog box: | ESC |
| Run the selected command: | ENTER |
>> Use edit boxes within dialog boxes
An edit box is a blank in which you type or paste an entry, such as your user name or the path of a folder.
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Move to the beginning of the entry: | HOME |
| Move to the end of the entry: | END |
| Move one character to the left or right: | LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW |
| Move one word to the left: | CTRL+LEFT ARROW |
| Move one word to the right: | CTRL+RIGHT ARROW |
| Select or unselect one character to the left: | SHIFT+LEFT ARROW |
| Select or unselect one character to the right: | SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW |
| Select or unselect one word to the left.: | CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW |
| Select or unselect one word to the right: | CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW |
| Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the entry: | SHIFT+HOME |
| Select from the insertion point to the end of the entry: | SHIFT+END |
>> Use the Open and Save As dialog boxes
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Display the Open dialog box: | CTRL+F12 or CTRL+O |
| Display the Save As dialog box: | F12 |
| Open the selected folder or file: | ENTER |
| Open the folder one level above the selected folder: | BACKSPACE |
| Delete the selected folder or file: | DELETE |
| Display a shortcut menu for a selected item such as a folder or file: | SHIFT+F10 |
| Move forward through options: | TAB |
| Move back through options: | SHIFT+TAB |
| Open the Look in list: | F4 or ALT+I |
>> Undo and redo actions
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Cancel an action: | ESC |
| Undo an action: | CTRL+Z |
| Redo or repeat an action: | CTRL+Y |
>> Access and use task panes and galleries
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window. (You may need to press F6 more than once.): | F6 |
| When a menu is active, move to a task pane. (You may need to press CTRL+TAB more than once.): | CTRL+TAB |
| When a task pane is active, select the next or previous option in the task pane: | TAB or SHIFT+TAB |
| Display the full set of commands on the task pane menu: | CTRL+SPACEBAR |
| Perform the action assigned to the selected button: | SPACEBAR or ENTER |
| Open a drop-down menu for the selected gallery item: | SHIFT+F10 |
| Select the first or last item in a gallery: | HOME or END |
| Scroll up or down in the selected gallery list: | PAGE UP or PAG |
Close a task pane
- Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.
- Press CTRL+SPACEBAR.
- Use the arrow keys to select Close, and then press ENTER.
Move a task pane
- Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.
- Press CTRL+SPACEBAR.
- Use the arrow keys to select Move, and then press ENTER.
- Use the arrow keys to move the task pane, and then press ENTER.
Resize a task pane
- Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.
- Press CTRL+SPACEBAR.
- Use the arrow keys to select Size, and then press ENTER.
- Use the arrow keys to resize the task pane, and then press ENTER.
>> Access and use available actions
| TO DO THIS | PRESS |
|---|---|
| Display the shortcut menu for the selected item: | SHIFT+F10 |
| Display the menu or message for an available action or for the AutoCorrect Options button or the Paste options button. If more than one action is present, switch to the next action and display its menu or message: | ALT+SHIFT+F10 |
| Move between options in a menu of available actions: | Arrow keys |
| Perform the action for the selected item on a menu of available actions: | ENTER |
| Close the available actions menu or message: | ESC |
Tips
- You can ask to be notified by a sound whenever an action is available (not available in Word Starter). To hear audio cues, you must have a sound card. You must also have Microsoft Office Sounds installed on your computer.
- If you have access to the Internet, you can download Microsoft Office Sounds from Office.com. After you install the sound files, do the following:
- Press ALT+F, T to open Word Options.
- Press A to select Advanced, and then press TAB to move to theAdvanced Options for working with Word .
- Press ALT+S twice to move to the Provide feedback with soundcheck box, which is under General, and then press SPACEBAR.
- Press TAB repeatedly to select OK, and then press ENTER.
NOTE When you select or clear this check box, the setting affects all Office programs that support sound.
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Source: microsoft
