Excel 2004 for Mac - Keyboard commands

[Cailin]

Only some of the keyboard commands work. When I go to Tools - Customize
is is not accessible for Adding or Removing but I can see that there
are keyboard commands assigned that will not work for me. Is there some
trick to activating all the assigned keyboard commands?

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Only some of the keyboard commands work. When I go to Tools - Customize
is is not accessible for Adding or Removing but I can see that there
are keyboard commands assigned that will not work for me. Is there some
trick to activating all the assigned keyboard commands?

You don't give any specifics, so it's rather hard to address your
question, but here's a few thoughts:

1) Some keyboard shortcuts are hard-coded. For instance, you can't
remove CMD-SHIFT-P from the Project Gallery command using the remove
button. However, if you assign that shortcut to another command, it will
no longer appear under, nor work for, Project Gallery. If you then
delete it from the other command, it reappears under Project Gallery.

2) Even when a custom/removable keyboard shortcut is assigned to a
command, the Remove button is disabled until you select a shortcut.

3) The Add button is always disabled until you enter a shortcut in the
textbox.

4) Some keyboard shortcuts are mandated by the System and can't be
assigned, e.g., CMD-H, which hides the application.

5) Some keyboard shortcuts are hijacked by the system, even if you
assign them in XL. Go to System Preferences/Keyboard and Mouse/Keyboard
Shortcuts. If a shortcut is assigned and active in this pane, XL will
never see the keypress. You can reassign or disable shortcuts in this
pane to restore XL's shortcuts.

6) A few commands can't have shortcuts assigned from the GUI. Many WinXL
users are used to using F2 to edit a cell, for example. You can't access
an EditCell command directly, but you can use a similar workaround using
the EditFormula control - see

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/macoffice/excel/f2.html


If these don't address your shortcut issues, post back with specific
questions/examples.

 

[Cailin]

You don't give any specifics, so it's rather hard to address your
question, but here's a few thoughts:

1) Some keyboard shortcuts are hard-coded. For instance, you can't
remove CMD-SHIFT-P from the Project Gallery command using the remove
button. However, if you assign that shortcut to another command, it will
no longer appear under, nor work for, Project Gallery. If you then
delete it from the other command, it reappears under Project Gallery.

2) Even when a custom/removable keyboard shortcut is assigned to a
command, the Remove button is disabled until you select a shortcut.

3) The Add button is always disabled until you enter a shortcut in the
textbox.

4) Some keyboard shortcuts are mandated by the System and can't be
assigned, e.g., CMD-H, which hides the application.

5) Some keyboard shortcuts are hijacked by the system, even if you
assign them in XL. Go to System Preferences/Keyboard and Mouse/Keyboard
Shortcuts. If a shortcut is assigned and active in this pane, XL will
never see the keypress. You can reassign or disable shortcuts in this
pane to restore XL's shortcuts.

6) A few commands can't have shortcuts assigned from the GUI. Many WinXL
users are used to using F2 to edit a cell, for example. You can't access
an EditCell command directly, but you can use a similar workaround using
the EditFormula control - see

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/macoffice/excel/f2.html


If these don't address your shortcut issues, post back with specific
questions/examples.

 

[Cailin]

Than ks JE

Specific - I tried to use Control D to copy iitems in a column. Doesn't
work.
Went to Tools/Customize/Customize Keyboard - Control D is the one of
the two options for this command. I can highlight it but I can nether
Remove or Add do not work . All of this is portion is gray instead of
black and not accessible.

Control R used to Edit/Fill/Right. Now it right justifies the cell
contents.Again I can not fix this in Tools/Customize/Customize Keyboard
because all I get is a bleep when I try to Add and I can not access the
Reove button as it is grayed out.

I tried the same key commands on my PC Excel 2003 and they work. They
also work on Office for Mac 98.

I am flummoxed.
Cailin

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Specific - I tried to use Control D to copy iitems in a column. Doesn't
work.
Went to Tools/Customize/Customize Keyboard - Control D is the one of
the two options for this command. I can highlight it but I can nether
Remove or Add do not work . All of this is portion is gray instead of
black and not accessible.

Control R used to Edit/Fill/Right. Now it right justifies the cell
contents.Again I can not fix this in Tools/Customize/Customize Keyboard
because all I get is a bleep when I try to Add and I can not access the
Reove button as it is grayed out.

I tried the same key commands on my PC Excel 2003 and they work. They
also work on Office for Mac 98.

OK. The two shortcuts you mention work for me, so there's something
about your system/setup.

As I said before, the Remove button being grayed out is perfectly
normal, expected behavior. The shortcut will disappear from the Down
command if you reassign it to something else. What happens if you
reassign CTRL-d to another command? Does it reassign successfully? Does
it invoke the command?

You should be able to add a shortcut, if you type a shortcut in the Add
textbox first. Does the Add button become active? ("doesn't work" is
rather ambiguous - did the assignment not work? or did the shortcut fail
to invoke the command? something else?)

Try, with Office apps closed, repairing disk permissions using the Disk
Utility (found in the HD:Applications:Utilities" folder).

Then trash the following file:

~:Libraryreferences:Microsoft:com.microsoft.Excel.prefs.plist

where ~ is your home directory. This is where custom keyboard shortcuts
are stored.

Empty the trash, then restart XL. Any difference?

 

[Cailin]

I can not add a shortcut. When I try to type one in I get a loud bleep
and no text appears. There is no way I can figure out to put test in
the Add box. I looks to me like this Tool is disabled.

i will try your suggestions over the weekend and e-mail you the
outcome.

Thanks so much for your guidance.

 

[Cailin]

Thanks for the help. For years I have used the Command key for
Microsoft keyboard shortcuts. Now with OS 10.4 I have to use the
Control key. I just didn't pay attention enough to know the change.
Cailin

 

[Cailin]

Thanks for the help. For years I have used the Command key for
Microsoft keyboard shortcuts. Now with OS 10.4 I have to use the
Control key. I just didn't pay attention enough to know the change.
Cailin