DON’T BE A MOUSE
POTATO!
Most computer users can’t imagine working
without a mouse. Think about the time you spend:
• Removing your hand from the keyboard, placing it on the mouse
• Refocusing on the screen and navigating where you want to position the mouse to click it
• Removing your hand from the mouse, replacing it on the keyboard
• Refocusing on the screen and performing the action.
Instead, let’s take a look at the time you
can save with Alt key shortcuts.
Office 97-2003
Press the Alt key in Office 2003 and earlier
versions and notice that a box appears around the word File. Do you also notice
the underline under the letter F in File? All you have to do to drop down the
menu is type the letter F. So, press the Alt key and then type F to drop down the
File (or W to drop down Window or O for Format). Now, without the Alt key, type
any letter in the menu. So, when you type Alt, F, O you get the Open dialog
box. Switch files easily by typing Alt W and then 1, 2 or 3 to select the open file
you want.
Office 2007-10
Don’t the menus disappear in 2007/2010? Yes,
they do. But here is the great part about the Alt key shortcuts: Almost all of
them will still work in the newer versions. For example, if you learn the Alt,
E, S, V (Edit, Paste Special, Values) keyboard shortcuts in 2003, the same Alt
key sequence works in 2007 and 2010, too. Here’s one more Alt key shortcut to
try: Just tap the Alt key and notice what happens to the Ribbon. You’ll see a
letter pop up over each tab and over each button in your Quick Access Toolbar.
Now, tap one of the letter keys indicated over a tab, like the W over the View
tab. Notice that now all buttons in the View tab have letters, as well. Just
type the letter to perform this function.
