Short cut Keys and Function keys

[Richard Buttrey]

Hi,

I've used Excel in the PC Windows world for ages, and am just getting to grips
with Excel on the Mac.


I'm finding it frustrating that I can't use short cut keys.

For instance in Windows I can use Ctrl C to copy a range, and then Alt E S V
for Edit Pastespecial Values. With my Macbook there doesn't appear to be any
way of doing this. Am I missing something.

Similarly the F keys, like F5 was a Goto key in Windows. With my Mac the F5
simply changes the speaker volume. Is there an equivalent to achieve the same
thing.

Usual TIA

 

[JG]

Hi Richard,

Wish I could help you but I'm in the same boat, and interested in
hearing replies to this. My new employers (a little consulting firm)
handed me a Macbook Pro to work remotely with; I work on
spreadsheets/large data sets quite a bit, and am having a hard time
adjusting my workflow due to small inconsistencies like what you
described.

To add to your list, the two things that are nagging me at the moment

- in Windows, Ctrl+Scrollwheel would allow me to zoom/shrink the
spreadsheet WITHIN the application window, controlling the
"75%/100%/125%/150%"-type drop down. In Mac, Ctrl+Scroll controls the
Global Zoom (universal access), which magnifies the entire screen -
losing the toolbars and distorting the resolution of the screen... it's
just not functional for the same purpose. The same zoom in Excel was
functional in Word and PPT as well, so this problem is particularly
annoying. I've been told that you can deactivate the Global Zoom -
which is all well and good - but no one has shown anywhere where I can
remap the quick keys to achieve the functionality in Office apps that
was standard in Windows.

- In excel only - "Find" dialogue in Windows also had a "Find All"
feature that would search the sheet and provide a list of 'links' to
all the found cells. You could do simultaneous edits to the entire
bunch of cells of you so chose (like color or delete or cut), no matter
how spread out over the sheet they were. Amazingly useful when you
want to tag things, or highlight different kinds of results. In Mac,
it's just 'Find'. One at a time. When you've got thousands of cells
with a given value (like 'True') - the loss of this function is
particularly time wasting...

Any response to either issue much appreciated.

Yours,

JG

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

You CAN use shortcut keys on the Macintosh,but there are many differences..
Search help for for "shorcut keys" for the complete list. Cut and paste are
the same, use the apple key instead of control. F5 is indeed the same on the
Mac along with F9 and most of the F keys. Check to be sure you do not have
some other Macintosh program or haxie trapping the keys.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I've used Excel in the PC Windows world for ages, and am just getting to grips
with Excel on the Mac.


I'm finding it frustrating that I can't use short cut keys.

Yeah, I can sympathize. I found it EXTREMELY frustrating when Microsoft
chose those new short cut keys when they ported XL from the Mac to
Windows!

For instance in Windows I can use Ctrl C to copy a range, and then Alt E S V
for Edit Pastespecial Values. With my Macbook there doesn't appear to be any
way of doing this. Am I missing something.

Not missing. You can use Universal Access (System Preferences/Keyboard &
Mouse/Keyboard Shortcuts) to do something similar, but it's clunky.

On the other hand, unlike in WinXL, you can assign your own shortcut
keys to commands, using Tools/Customize/Customize Keyboard...

I use CMD-OPT-V for Paste Values. Shorter, and doesn't require
memorizing menu positions.

Similarly the F keys, like F5 was a Goto key in Windows. With my Mac the F5
simply changes the speaker volume. Is there an equivalent to achieve the same
thing.

Look in XL Help ("Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts").

You'll find that CMD-g is the Goto combo. But you can change (or add) F5
to the command if you want (I did, but I don't use it as often as CMD-g).

 

[JE McGimpsey]

To add to your list, the two things that are nagging me at the moment

- in Windows, Ctrl+Scrollwheel would allow me to zoom/shrink the
spreadsheet WITHIN the application window, controlling the
"75%/100%/125%/150%"-type drop down. In Mac, Ctrl+Scroll controls the
Global Zoom (universal access), which magnifies the entire screen -
losing the toolbars and distorting the resolution of the screen... it's
just not functional for the same purpose. The same zoom in Excel was
functional in Word and PPT as well, so this problem is particularly
annoying.

In MacXL, try CTRL-OPT-scrollwheel.

I've been told that you can deactivate the Global Zoom -
which is all well and good - but no one has shown anywhere where I can
remap the quick keys to achieve the functionality in Office apps that
was standard in Windows.

System Preferences/Keyboard & Mouse/Keyboard Shortcuts is where you can
remap shortcut keys either globally, or for any Mac application.

In MacOffice, you can use Tools/Customize/Customize Keyboard... to
reassign or add keyboard shortcuts. You can read more about it in Word
or XL Help ("Customize shortcut key assignments")

- In excel only - "Find" dialogue in Windows also had a "Find All"
feature that would search the sheet and provide a list of 'links' to
all the found cells. You could do simultaneous edits to the entire
bunch of cells of you so chose (like color or delete or cut), no matter
how spread out over the sheet they were. Amazingly useful when you
want to tag things, or highlight different kinds of results. In Mac,
it's just 'Find'. One at a time. When you've got thousands of cells
with a given value (like 'True') - the loss of this function is
particularly time wasting...

That was added to WinXL02, but never implemented in MacXL. Take a look
at the FlexFind add-in by Jan Karel Pieterse that you can find at Steven
Bullen's site:

http://www.bmsltd.ie/MVP/MVPPage.asp

 

[Ron Kaplan]

Hi,

I've used Excel in the PC Windows world for ages, and am just getting to grips
with Excel on the Mac.


I'm finding it frustrating that I can't use short cut keys.

For instance in Windows I can use Ctrl C to copy a range, and then Alt E S V
for Edit Pastespecial Values. With my Macbook there doesn't appear to be any
way of doing this. Am I missing something.

Similarly the F keys, like F5 was a Goto key in Windows. With my Mac the F5
simply changes the speaker volume. Is there an equivalent to achieve the same
thing.

Usual TIA

In general, the Mac shortcut keys are command key chords instead of control
chords. So, Control-C is Command-C and so on. Control-U is the same as F2 in
Windows Excel. The F2 is not the same in Mac Excel, but Command-U is the
same as Control-U. So, it is a matter of using the same old Control chords
from Windows by using Command chords in Mac. Hope this helps.