MS Word Tip: Utilize Those Function Keys!

Posted by accountingweb on Jan 8 2002 81 printer friendly

Like millions of other computer users, I look at my keyboard each and every day and don't really know what to do with all those function keys across the top. I've got my way of navigating - one that I am comfortable with.

But the folks at Microsoft have created dozens of shortcuts for computer use and imbedded these shortcuts in the function keys in the keyboard.

You may not ever learn them all, but there might be a few of these handy shortcuts that you'll pick up on and save yourself some time during the day. If you use Microsoft Word as a word processor, these are some shortcuts worth knowing.

From Microsoft's Function Key's Page, here are the shortcuts:

Function key

Press	To
F1	Get online Help or the Office Assistant
F2	Move text or graphics
F3	Insert an AutoText entry (after Word displays the entry)
F4	Repeat the last action
F5	Choose the Go To command (Edit menu)
F6	Go to next pane or frame
F7	Choose the Spelling command (Tools menu)
F8	Extend a selection
F9	Update selected fields
F10	Activate the menu bar
F11	Go to the next field
F12	Choose the Save As command (File menu)

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SHIFT+Function key

Press	To
SHIFT+F1	Start context-sensitive Help or reveal formatting
SHIFT+F2	Copy text
SHIFT+F3	Change the case of letters
SHIFT+F4	Repeat a Find or Go To action
SHIFT+F5	Move to a previous revision
SHIFT+F6	Go to the previous pane or frame
SHIFT+F7	Choose the Thesaurus command (Tools menu, Language submenu)
SHIFT+F8	Shrink a selection
SHIFT+F9	Switch between a field code and its result
SHIFT+F10	Display a shortcut menu
SHIFT+F11	Go to the previous field
SHIFT+F12	Choose the Save command (File menu)

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CTRL+Function key

Press	To
CTRL+F2	Choose the Print Preview command (File menu)
CTRL+F3	Cut to the Spike
CTRL+F4	Close the window
CTRL+F5	Restore the document window size
CTRL+F6	Go to the next window
CTRL+F7	Choose the Move command (Control menu)
CTRL+F8	Choose the Size command (document Control menu)
CTRL+F9	Insert an empty field
CTRL+F10	Maximize the document window
CTRL+F11	Lock a field
CTRL+F12	Choose the Open command (File menu)

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CTRL+SHIFT+Function key

Press	To
CTRL+SHIFT+F3	Insert the contents of the Spike
CTRL+SHIFT+F5	Edit a bookmark
CTRL+SHIFT+F6	Go to the previous window
CTRL+SHIFT+F7	Update linked information in a Word source document
CTRL+SHIFT+F8	Extend a selection or block (then press an arrow key)
CTRL+SHIFT+F9	Unlink a field
CTRL+SHIFT+F10	Activate the ruler
CTRL+SHIFT+F11	Unlock a field
CTRL+SHIFT+F12	Choose the Print command (File menu)

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ALT+Function key

Press	To
ALT+F1	Go to the next field
ALT+F3	Create an AutoText entry
ALT+F4	Quit Word
ALT+F5	Restore the program window size
ALT+F7	Find the next misspelling or grammatical error. The Check spelling as you type check box must be selected (Tools menu, Options dialog box, Spelling & Grammar tab).
ALT+F8	Run a macro
ALT+F9	Switch between all field codes and their results
ALT+F10	Maximize the program window
ALT+F11	Display Microsoft Visual Basic code

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ALT+SHIFT+Function key

Press	To
ALT+SHIFT+F1	Go to the previous field
ALT+SHIFT+F2	Choose the Save command (File menu)
ALT+SHIFT+F9	Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from the field that displays the field results
ALT+SHIFT+F11	Display Microsoft Visual Studio code

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CTRL+ALT+Function key

To	Press
CTRL+ALT+F1	Display Microsoft System Information
CTRL+ALT+F2	Open command (File menu)

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