insert command

[tanner]

I had a key (alt i) assigned to open the insert command from my toolbar which
would give me drop-down choices like insert section break, new page, date,
etc. I think someone messed with my customize keyboard and now that certain
keystroke does not work. I can't seem to find how I originally assigned that
command - in looking online I see ways to assign each item separately but not
a way to just open "Insert" for all items. Can anyone help?

 

[Idaho Word Man]

What versions of Word and Windows are you using?

 

[Tanner]

MS Word 2003, Windows XP

What versions of Word and Windows are you using?

 

[Idaho Word Man]

Right click in your toolbar, and when the list of toolbars comes up, go to
the bottom and select "Customize." Then in the window that will open, select
the Commands tab and click Keyboard. Click on Insert in the left column and
scroll down to Insert Break. When it's selected, type alt-I, and that should
appear in the New keyboard shortcut window. If it doesn't, put your cursor
in the New keyboard shortcut window and try it again.

I hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Tanner]

that's kind of along the line of what I need, but what I want is for the
insert command to show all of the options like it does with a drop down list
- not just page break - somehow I had it set where it would bring up a list
of things to be inserted and then I would just click on the one item I wanted
inserted - page break, date & time, symbol, etc. It was like a shortcut to
the insert commands so I didn't have to keep clicking on the toolbar and then
select what I needed - I would just click "alt i" and it brought the
drop-down list with the 2 or 3 inserts I use the most at the top of the list.
This is so hard to explain because I know what I am trying to say, but
trying to explain it to someone else is the problem. Thanks anyway.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Tanner -

The use of Alt with a designated character (which is usually underscored) in
a Menu Topic is a standard convention of the Windows OS - there's no
customization required. IOW, in most programs Alt+F opens the File menu,
Alt+E opens the Edit menu, Alt+I opens the Insert menu, etc.

If that functionality isn't working I'd normally suggest that you go to
Tools> Customize - Toolbars, click the name of the Menu Bar, then click the
Reset button. That will often set things right. However, since you refer to
having "customized" I hesitate to suggest that because it will reset the
Menu to "factory specs" & you'll lose any customizations.

Can you provide a more accurate description of exactly what you're referring
to? I'm sure nobody wants to steer you wrong

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Tony Jollans]

There are two distinct types of shortcut keys: those assigned via
customization (as per Idaho's post) and those which invoke menu commands
(for example, the Alt+I that you have lost).

The ones that invoke menu commands are called Accelerators and exactly which
ones are in effect, and exactly what they do, depends on the menus you have
displayed. Accelerators are always Alt+(some key), the (some key) being the
underlined letter in the menu item. They can be overridden by
customization, but it is good behaviour, though not enforced, nor
enforceable, to not use Alt+(some key) for that.

If you have lost your Alt+I accelerator for the Insert Menu there are three
things that could have caused it:

1. You no longer have Insert available as an option on the menu. If this is
the case you can reinstate it via customization, in a few different ways,
the easiest being simply to reset the Menu Bar. Go to Tools > Customize >
Toolbars tab, scroll down and select Menu Bar and then press Reset. Do be
aware that this will also reset any other customizations that you have done
to the menu.

2. "I" is no longer set as the accelerator for the Insert menu (it is not
underlined). This is unlikely to have happened by accident but can be fixed
as per (1) above of you have no other customizations.

3. You have Alt+I set as a shortcut for some other command. This also seems
unlikely as you don't say something else is happening when you press Alt+I.
To check, press Ctrl+Alt+Num Plus: the cursor will turn to a cloverleaf
shape; now press Alt+I. If you have a customization set, the customize
keyboard dialog will show and you can then remove the assignment. If you
have a menu accelerator set, the menu will pop up; otherwise nothing will
happen - and pressing ESC should clear the cloverleaf cursor mode.

There is one other possibility - that you have multiple visible menu and/or
toolbar commands that could lay claim to the Alt+I accelerator. In this case
Insert (on the menu) will simply be highlighted rather than opened up. If
this is the case, repeatedly pressing Alt+I will scroll you through them and
you can identify - and do something about - the pretender - either close the
toolbar, or remove it from the toolbar, or unasign the accelerator from it.
To do this last, again select Tools > Customize, and while the dialog is
open, right click on the offending toolbar icon - there you wil be able to
change the label.