Do you find it easier sometimes to use your keyboard instead of your mouse? Most actions in Windows, Microsoft Office, and other desktop programs can be performed with different combinations of keyboard or mouse shortcuts. Choose the approach that works best for you.
Keep your hands on the keyboard and see how you like these mouseless shortcuts for working with software menus and dialog boxes:
- Windows Start Menu
- Quick shortcut menus
- Main menu without mouse
- dialog boxes
- drop down menus
Windows Start Menu (Windows 7 and Windows XP)
- [Ctrl] + [Esc] to display the Windows Start menu
- [Esc] Cancel
Easy shortcut menus
Many Microsoft Office and Windows commands are quickly found in context menus. Right-click on highlighted text in Microsoft Word, for example, and a context menu will appear with actions like Cut, Copy, Format, etc. As an alternative or if you don’t have the right mouse button gene, you can press a key to access the context menu.
Look in the bottom row of the keyboard to the right of the space bar between the [Alt] Y [Ctrl] Keys: Do you see a key with a vertical rectangular menu and horizontal lines? This is officially called the Application key: you can call it the key in the shortcut menu. To use the keyboard to display a context menu for the selected item/text/data:
- press the Application (Shortcut Menu), then use the arrow keys to move to the menu option and press [Enter]
- Alternate: [Shift] + [F10] activate the context menu
- Press [Esc] to cancel the menu
Main menu without mouse
To select a main command from most of the program’s main menus: Press [Alt] + underlined letter (like [Alt] +F for the File tab or menu; this also works with the Microsoft Office button in Office 2007).
To select a main ribbon tab in Microsoft Office 2010 or Office 2007: Press [Alt] to activate the Key Tip Badges (shortcuts). For example, press [Alt] then the letter H For him House tab.
Dialog Box Options
From an open dialog, to focus options: Press [Alt] + underlined letter (like [Alt] + S for Size in the Font dialog box).
drop down menus
To display the options of an active dropdown menu: [Alt] + [Down].
Change options with increments (such as inches for Margins): [Up Arrow] Prayed [Down Arrow]
Mouse? Keyboard? There is no right or wrong choice. Simply choose the combination or shortcut that makes it easy for you to get the results you want.
