This shortcut is new in Windows XP; it wasn’t available on Windows 2000. So back on 2000, one annoying alternative for Windows+L would be to press Ctrl+Alt+Del, then press Enter (because Lock is usually the default button selected) or K (the mnemonic).

As a bonus, Ctrl+Y (redo) also works in text fields, although it is not documented.

And it doesn’t work in programs like Notepad, Wordpad, Paint, Calculator, Command Prompt, …

So with the Shift+Delete method, you don’t run the risk of this happening.

Alt+Shift+F10 only works for the smart tags — double underline in Word, lightning bolt in Excel.

What you’re using is the “shortcut menu” or “context menu,” which we covered previously:
http://www.zeigen.com/shortcuts/2007/03/01/shortcut-menu/

I find, though, that the alt-shift-f10 doesn’t work for me, but shift-f10 does. Anyone else? This was tested on Word 2007.

BTW, the same tip works when using Firefox and you get a spelling error indicated while filling in a text area. It would also work on the desktop, when you want to right-click to change screen resolution, or on a browser page when you want to access the menu that lets you see the HTML source for a web page, etc.

Finally, there’s yet another key–a single keystroke–to effect all the above. For those with a “windows keyboard” (where you have the “windows” key down next to the left Alt key, typically), you may notice another curious key, which has a picture of a menu with an arrow on it. On mine it’s next to the PrntScrn key. Called by some the “context key”, it’s used for the same thing as discussed in this tip: to pull up the context menu for wherever the cursor is currently located.

Hope that’s helpful. Keep up the good work!

Chris, you’re right, and I’m wrong. It looks like Ctrl+U doesn’t work in any version of IE past version 4, so I’ve edited the article accordingly.

The only keyboard method in recent version of IE is to press Alt+V to open the View menu, then C to select the Source command.

Alex, sorry, no idea about what might have disabled it. Glad the reboot fixed it though. (Josh, try rebooting?)

You might see if Ctrl+Alt+B works on that web page for Bold, since that keystroke does nothing in Firefox.

cporche, I think this is going to depend on your keyboard. Perhaps you’ve hit the Fn lock key on your laptop?

Kevin, sure, but I hate using the mouse!

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/underline-keyboard-shortcuts-and-access-keys-in-windows-vista/

Love the keyboard shortcut tips. Whether “daily” or not, it’s all good. Keep up the good work!

However, this feature quit working for me in Word 2007. As one of the previous posters indicated, the F-Lock key will disable the feature. I know that from past experience and it was one of the first things I investigated, but that is not what is causing the problem in my case. I suspect that I disabled it accidentally by changing the configuration of the AutoCorrect settings, or by some similar goof up, but so far I have not been able to figure out what I did to turn it off.

PS - Your website is so helpful to this newbie!!

windows key plus U key plus uparrow plus enter

or ctl esc instead of windows key.

“Windows? You up?” or

|

For a “Blind Shutdown”.

ahhh

The time may come when this keystroke shortcut is useful for you.

Heck, even if you’re saving just one thing and don’t want to right-click, try Alt+Enter.

Right-click anywhere on the screen (or for the keyboard-savvy you can use the context menu key) and download every linked file of any type to wherever location you specify. You can batch-rename files as you go and filter file types, file names, etc. with pre-defined categories and/or wild card characters.

Sorry dude, but I’m not going to repeat the same keystroke combination of Tab, Alt+Enter, Alt+F4, Tab, Alt+Enter, Alt+F4…especially when that combination presupposes a simply formatted HTML page with sequential links that you want to download.

You can check out updates about my family over at my main blog, http://www.zeigen.com/blog/ but in short, she’s doing great! Starting to eat solid food, and taunt us with the possibility of someday sleeping through the night.

Now the August 17th post talks about how Ctrl+J opens up the downloads window.

Thanks for catching that!

Hans, on many computers, you can configure the power button (on the laptop or desktop) to be a stand by button. Failing that, try Ctrl+Alt+Del, then press S to Shut Down, use the up and down arrows until you find Hibernate, then press Enter.

I appreciate the suggestions — I actually have a few dozen ideas, just not the time to write them up. The application coverage is right on — when I get back on track, I have several weeks for Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access and a few others.

what is the windows shortcut key for “Stand by”?

Thanks,

Hans

I appreciate your blog. They are useful.

As for more topics: You could expand the application coverage, like talk about VMWare/VirtualPC, etc.You could do a “best of” series, or a cheat sheet linking post. You could also talk about how to define your own keyboard shortcuts using various built-in and add-on programs. Or you can start advocating keyboard over mouse like Coding Horror.

Oh wait, is this April Fools? It is in my time zone. :-]

:)

I recently bought a dell laptop (XPS m1730) and sadly enough it has no Menu Key and I’ve been looking every where for a way to make a shortcut for it, not knowing it was already there. Actually I love KB short cuts and I hardly ever use the mouse.

Thanx again man!

HA.

So friggin’ glad you’re back.

About this use of / in FF, this is interesting. I notice that this is different from Ctrl-F in a couple of ways. First, it doesn’t let you do a next/prev (as the other find does). Instead, once it finds, it stops. If you hit enter, it doesn’t repeat the find (as in Ctrl-F). Also, hitting / again doesn’t repeat the find, and unlike Ctrl-F, it doesn’t show in the find field the value last used, so you have to type it again. Finally, curiously, even if you do type the text again, it doesn’t find the “next” value. It finds the same value just found (if any). It’s as if it doesn’t advance the cursor beyond the found text.

None of these are annoyances, just differences that may have advantages if you understand them. For instance, since it “just stops” and can’t be repeated, then if what is found is text in a hyperlink, the find with / actually selects the hyperlink, so you can just hit enter to execute the link. Using Ctrl-F, you’d have to hit escape first (to remove the option for doing next/prev).

Naturally, another difference is that the / naturally won’t work while typing in a text field, so you have to use Ctrl-F in that case.

.qp.

However I have tried the Ctrl+ and seems to me it doesn’t work. At least not in the Outlook 2003. If anybody knows why please just leave me a note here..

Anyway the first option is perfect

Thanx.
.qp.

what could be happened?

I press Win + Pause, and nothing happens

I have a hp dv 6338, any idea?

As far as I’m aware, there’s no way to turn it on and off without some other application being installed.

Thanks!

We recently had several presenters use the ’slide number then enter’ keyboard short cut. For some presentations it worked perfectly, for others it never worked. Some presentations seemed fixated on one slide and no matter what number we selected, followed by enter, it would always return to that ‘favourite’ slide. For others the selection seemed to be random.

This drove us mad. What were we doing wrong, and what could we have done to fix it on the spot? Or was the fault in the file? And what could we have done about that? Was it something to do with the version of PowerPoint used?

I’d certainly appreciate a reply.

DisableLockWorkstation REG_DWORD 0×0000000x(x)

where x is either 1 or 0.

There is a way how to enable/disable shortcuts functionality via windows registry. You need to go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
If this key does not exist, create it.(There will be already key explorer in key Policies, so create key System)
Then you need to add a value type DWORD, with value
0 - enable Win+L shortcut
1 - disable Win+L shortcut

Should work for both XP and Vista.

However, it may not work on some PCs… not sure why, though…

AND THEN PICK UP THE MOUSE

to send it

YEEEEEEUGH — and other similar screams

Short of contacting Microsoft for help, my only suggestion is to use Ctrl+Alt+Delete, Enter in the meantime.

I wanted a shortcut for this. As it is said here the ” Windows(key) +l” combination. this doesnot work on my machine.

Is there anything on the comp wherein we can enable or disable these shortcuts? If there is any please do let me know.

Thanks a lot for all your help.

Do you see the appropriate “Computer Locked” dialog when you do that?

i do have a username and password to enter when i log in.

There’s no built-in way to do that.

You have two choices:
1. Get a programmable keyboard (such as this one), or
2. Get a macro program (such as this one)

I don’t endorse either of those examples, by the way — and I haven’t tried either one. I’m just including them as examples of what I have in mind.

Thanks so much.

What type of laptop do you have? There is quite possibly an application supplied by your vendor which can easily disable wireless. For example, on my Dell laptop, there’s a system tray icon for their wireless manager; I can right click on it (with a mouse, horrors!) to get a shortcut menu for wireless options that includes disabling wireless.

Another choice is to use the Network control panel:
Ctrl+Esc to open the Start Menu
S for Settings
N for Network Connections
Up Arrow to highlight the Wireless connection
Shift+F10 for the shortcut menu
B for Disable

please send me an e-mail if you know the answer …

http://www.keyxl.com

Thanks

Cheers to all!

TDP

PS: estephen, the two dead ones (jk & dc)

if you’re on a laptop, hold down the fn key as well (fn+shift+F3)

That’s not my experience. Try this and see if you get the same behavior:

1. Start Windows Explorer with Windows key + E.
2. Hit F6 to move to the address bar.
3. Type in a directory such as C:\WINDOWS and press Enter.
4. Type in a different directory such as C:\Documents and Settings and press Enter.
5. Press Backspace

By your description, you should be back in the C:\WINDOWS directory. But instead you end up in the C:\ directory, as I described.

My one disclaimer is that I’m using Windows XP; Vista may have changed the behavior.

We covered Ctrl+D: Bookmark on March 30th:
http://www.zeigen.com/shortcuts/2007/03/30/bookmark/

Ctrl+D can also mean Insert Duplicate Slide in PowerPoint:
http://www.zeigen.com/shortcuts/2007/07/05/duplicate-slide/

Ctrl+D can also mean Fill Down in Excel:
http://www.zeigen.com/shortcuts/2007/07/12/fill/

Ctrl+M can mean the same thing as pressing the Enter key in some apps, such as Notepad.

Surprise me(/us) with something.

They work in this editor too

Jon and humbug, I can cover a few more, but what more were you hoping to see?