Keyboard shortcuts and the Ribbon
Keyboard shortcuts called access keys relate directly to the tabs, commands, and
other things that you see on the screen. You use access keys by pressing the ALT
key followed by another key or a sequence of other keys.
Every single command on the Ribbon, the Microsoft Office Button menu, and the
Quick Access Toolbar has an access key, and every access key is assigned a Key
Tip.
How to use Key Tips
Press the ALT key. Badges showing the Key Tips appear.
Press the key for the tab or Quick Access Toolbar command you want.
If you press a Quick Access Toolbar command Key Tip, the command is executed. If
you press a tab Key Tip (e.g. H for Home), you see the Key Tips for every command
on that tab.
P
ress the key (or keys) for the tab command you want.
Depending on what command you choose, an action may be executed or a gallery or
menu may open; in the latter case you can choose another Key Tip.
Note: If the Key Tip badge shows two letters, press them one after the other.
Other ways to navigate the Ribbon
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You can also move around the Ribbon by using the ARROW or TAB keys.
Press the ALT key to move the focus to the Ribbon.
Move around the Ribbon:
Move left, right, up, or down by pressing the relevant ARROW key.
Move from command to command within a group, then on to the next group, by
pressing the TAB key. Press SHIFT+TAB to move backwards through commands
and groups.
Use Microsoft Office 2003 access keys
Most Office 2003 menu access keys still work. However, you'll need to know the full
shortcut from memory. There are no on-screen reminders of what keys you need to
press.
In previous versions of Office, you pressed ALT+E to open the Edit menu, and then
you pressed an underlined letter to execute a command. In the 2007 Office system
Ribbon programs, when you press ALT and then one of the old menu keys, you
won't open a menu. Instead, you'll see a message telling you that you're using an
Office 2003 access key and to press ESC to cancel. If you know the key sequence
you want, you can just carry on and initiate the command. Otherwise, do as the box
says and press ESC to see the Key Tip badges.
Note: You can also move the pointer around the screen without the mouse by using
the MouseKeys. These enable the ARROWs on the numeric keypad on your
keyboard to move the pointer around. For further information about MouseKeys, see
Microsoft Windows Help.
Combination keyboard shortcuts
A key combination keyboard shortcut is a set of keystrokes that, when pressed
together, initiate an action. You can find the key combination for a command by
resting the mouse pointer over it. If you're not using a mouse, there are no on-screen
reminders of the key combinations - you have to memorize the keys. Practically all of
these shortcuts work in exactly the same way as they did in previous versions of
Microsoft Office.
Other helpful keyboard tips and tricks
Use the TAB key and ARROW keys to navigate a dialogue box.
Activate a command by pressing ENTER. In some cases, this opens a gallery or
menu so you can choose what you want and then activate it by pressing ENTER
again. For some commands, like the Font box, use the ARROW keys to scroll
through lists. Once you've got what you want, press ENTER.
CTRL+TAB cycles through the tabs in a dialogue box.
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SPACE selects and clears check boxes.
SHIFT+F10 opens the shortcut menu, which opens when you right-click an item.
ESC closes an open dialogue box or shortcut menu. If nothing is open, it takes the
focus away from the Ribbon and back to the main document.
To close a task pane, first press CTRL+SPACE to open the task pane menu. Then
press C to select Close on the menu.
ALT+F4 (pressed simultaneously) closes the active window.
F1 opens the Help window.
The following keyboard shortcuts are available throughout Microsoft Office 2007.
Keys for displaying and using windows.
Shortcut keys for windows
To do this:
Press this:
Switch to the next window.
ALT+TAB
Switch to the previous window.
ALT+SHIFT+TAB
Close the active window.
CTRL+W or
CTRL+F4
Restore the size of the active window after you've
maximized 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 pane from another pane in the program window
(anticlockwise 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
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Shortcut keys for windows
To do this:
Press this:
Copy a picture of the screen to the Clipboard.
PRINT SCREEN
Copy a picture of the selected window to the Clipboard.
ALT+PRINT SCREEN
Keys for working in the Help Window
Shortcut keys for the Help Window
To do this
Press
Open the Help window.
F1
Close the Help window.
ALT+F4
Switch between the Help window and the active
program.
ALT+TAB
Go back to Program Name Home.
ALT+HOME
Select the next item in the Help window.
TAB
Select the previous item in the Help window.
SHIFT+TAB
Perform the action for the selected item.
ENTER
In the Browse Program Name Help section of the
Help window, select the next or previous item,
respectively.
TAB or SHIFT+TAB
In the Browse Program Name Help section of the
Help window, expand or collapse the selected item.
ENTER
Select the next hidden text or hyperlink, including
Show All or Hide All at the top of a topic.
TAB
Select the previous hidden text or hyperlink.
SHIFT+TAB
Perform the action for the selected Show All, Hide All,
hidden text, or hyperlink.
ENTER
Move back to the previous Help topic (Back button).
ALT+LEFT ARROW or
BACKSPACE
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Shortcut keys for the Help Window
To do this
Press
Move forward to the next Help topic (Forward button).
ALT+RIGHT ARROW
Scroll small amounts up or down, respectively, within
the currently displayed Help topic.
UP ARROW or
DOWN ARROW
Scroll larger amounts up or down, respectively, within
the currently displayed Help topic.
PAGE UP or
PAGE DOWN
Change whether the Help window appears connected
to (tiled) or separate from (untiled) the active program.
ALT+U
Display a menu of commands for the Help window.
This requires that the Help window have the active
focus (click in the Help window).
SHIFT+F10
Stop the last action (Stop button).
ESC
Update the window (Refresh button).
F5
Print the current Help topic.
Note: If the cursor is not in the current Help topic,
press F6 and then press CTRL+P.
CTRL+P
Change the connection state.
F6, DOWN ARROW
Type text in the Type words to search for box.
F6, DOWN ARROW
Switch among areas in the Help window; for example,
switch between the toolbar, Type words to search for
box, and Search list.
F6
In a Table of Contents in tree view, select the next or
previous item, respectively.
DOWN ARROW or
UP ARROW
In a Table of Contents in tree view, expand or collapse
the selected item, respectively.
LEFT ARROW or
RIGHT ARROW
Use Dialogue boxes.
Shortcut keys for working in a dialogue box
In a dialogue box to do this:
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Press this key:
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Shortcut keys for working in a dialogue box
In a dialogue box to do this:
Press this key:
Move from an open dialogue box back to the
document, for dialogue boxes such as Find and
Replace that support this behavior.
ALT+F6
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 dialogue box.
CTRL+TAB
Switch to the previous tab in a dialogue box.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move between options in a selected drop-down list
box 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.
SPACE
Select an option from a drop-down list box.
The first letter of the option
name
Select an option; select or clear a check box.
ALT+the letter underlined in
the option name
Open a selected drop-down list box.
ALT+DOWN ARROW
Close a selected drop-down list box; cancel a
command and close a dialogue box.
ESC (the Escape key)
Perform the action assigned to a default button in a
dialogue box.
ENTER
Using an Edit Box within a dialogue box.
An edit box is a blank in which you type or paste an entry.
Shortcut keys for working in a text box
In a text box to do this:
Press this key:
Move to the beginning of the entry.
HOME
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Shortcut keys for working in a text box
In a text box to do this:
Press this key:
Move to the end of the entry.
END
Move one character to the left.
LEFT ARROW
Move one character to the right.
RIGHT ARROW
Move one word to the left.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move one word to the right.
CTRL+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.
Select or cancel the selection one character to
the left.
SHIFT+LEFT ARROW.
Select or cancel the selection one character to
the right.
SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.
Select or cancel the selection one word to the left.
CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW.
Select or cancel the selection one word to the
right.
CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.
Keys for working in the Open and Save As dialogue boxes.
The Open and Save As dialogue boxes support standard dialogue box keyboard
shortcuts. These dialogue boxes also support the shortcuts below.
Shortcut keys for working in the Open and Save As dialogue boxes
To do this:
Press this key:
Display the Open dialogue box.
CTRL+F12 or
CTRL+O
Go to the previous folder (Back button).
ALT+1
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Shortcut keys for working in the Open and Save As dialogue boxes
To do this:
Press this key:
Open the folder up one level from the open folder (UP One
Level button).
ALT+2
Open your World Wide Web search page (Search the Web
button).
ALT+3
Delete button: Delete the selected folder or file.
DELETE
Create a new sub-folder in the open folder (Create New
Folder button).
ALT+4
Views button: Switch among available folder views.
ALT+5
Display a shortcut menu for a selected item such as a folder
or file.
SHIFT+F10
Move between options or areas in the dialogue box.
TAB
Open the Look in list.
F4 or ALT+I
Refresh the file list.
F5
Undo and Redo options.
Undo and Redo keyboard shortcuts
To do this:
Press this key:
Cancel an action
ESC
Undo an action
CTRL+Z
Redo or repeat an action
CTRL+Y
Access and use task panes and galleries
Task pane shortcut keys
To do this:
Move to a task pane from another pane in the program
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Press this:
F6
Task pane shortcut keys
To do this:
Press this:
window. (You may need to press F6 more than once.)
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+SPACE
Perform the action assigned to the selected button.
SPACE 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
PAGE DOWN
Task pane tasks
To do this:
Take these actions:
Close a task
pane
1. Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.
2. Press CTRL+SPACE.
3. Use the ARROW keys to select Close, and then press
ENTER.
Move a task
pane
1. Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.
2. Press CTRL+SPACE.
3. Use the ARROW keys to select Move, and then press
ENTER.
4. Use the ARROW keys to move the task pane, and then
press ENTER.
Resize a task
pane
1. Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.
2. Press CTRL+SPACE.
3. Use the ARROW keys to select Size, and then press
ENTER.
4. Use the ARROW keys to resize the task pane, and then
press ENTER.
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Access and use smart tags
Smart tag shortcut keys
To do this:
Press this:
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
SHIFT+F10
Display the menu or message for a smart tag or for the
AutoCorrect Options button or the Paste options button. If more
than one smart tag is present, switch to the next smart tag and
display its menu or message.
ALT+SHIFT+F10
Select the next item on a smart tag menu.
DOWN ARROW
Select the previous item on a smart tag menu.
UP ARROW
Perform the action for the selected item on the smart tage menu.
ENTER
Open a drop-down menu for the selected gallery item.
SHIFT+F10
Close the smart tag menu or message.
ESC
Keys for working with the ribbon.
Keys for working with the ribbon
To do this
Press
Select the active tab of the Ribbon and activate
the access keys.
ALT or F10. Press either of these
keys again to move back to the
document and cancel the access
keys.
Move to another tab of the Ribbon.
F10 to select the active tab, and
then LEFT ARROW or
RIGHT ARROW
Hide or show the Ribbon.
CTRL+F1
Display the shortcut menu for the selected
command.
SHIFT+F10
Move the focus to select each of the following
areas of the window:
F6

Active tab of the Ribbon,
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Keys for working with the ribbon
To do this



Press
Any open task panes,
Status bar at the bottom of the window,
Your document.
Move the focus to each command on the
Ribbon, forward or backward, respectively.
TAB or SHIFT+TAB
Move down, up, left, or right, respectively,
among the items on the Ribbon.
DOWN ARROW, UP ARROW,
LEFT ARROW, or
RIGHT ARROW
Activate the selected command or control on
the Ribbon.
SPACE or ENTER
Open the selected menu or gallery on the
Ribbon.
SPACE or ENTER
Activate a command or control on the Ribbon
so you can modify a value.
ENTER
Finish modifying a value in a control on the
Ribbon, and move focus back to the document.
ENTER
Get help on the selected command or control
on the Ribbon. (If no Help topic is associated
with the selected command, a general Help
topic about the program is shown instead.)
F1
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