What's new in keyboard shortcuts?

There are now two types of shortcut in Word 2007:

• Key Combination shortcuts
  
• Access Keys
  

They define keyboard shortcuts for you, but if you do not like the key combinations you are given, you can:

• Define or change a Key Combination Shortcut
  

Key Combination Shortcuts

Key Combination Shortcuts are mostly the same as those in Word 2003. They are a fast easy way to apply commands. If you have trouble remembering them you can set screen tips to display them when you run your cursor over a command. Most of these shortcuts use the CTRL key. You will find a full list of key combination shortcuts at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP101476261033.aspx.

Turn on screen tips

1. Click the Office button, Word Options to display the Word Options dialog box. Popular will be highlighted by default.
   
2. Click the More down arrow for the ScreenTip style field.
   
3. Select Show feature description in ScreenTips.
   After you close and re-open Word, you will have detailed screen tips when you run your cursor over a command.
   

Set shortcuts to display in screen tips

1. Click the Office button, Word Options. The Word Options dialog box displays.
   
2. On the Word Options dialog box, click Advanced.
   
3. Scroll down to Display.
   
4. Make sure Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips is ticked.
   
5. Click OK to save changes. After you close and re-open Word, you will see both Screen Tips and Shortcut Keys when you run your cursor over a command.
   

Define or change a Key Combination Shortcut

If some of the pre-defined shortcuts do not suit you, you can redefine them.

1. Go to Office, Word Options, Customize.
   
2. Click Keyboard shortcuts: Customize.
   
3. From the Categories box, identify the Menu, Tab or other location for the command you want.
   
4. From the Commands box, find and click your command.
   
5. In the Press new shortcut key field, press the key combination you require.
   
6. Specify the template or document to which you want to save it.
   
7. Click Assign, Close.
   

Access Keys

You can also use the new range of Access Key keyboard shortcuts. These take you through the Ribbon, Tabs, and the Office button to find a command. They use the Alt key, which gets you out of text entry mode and into command mode.

They can be tricky to use until you get used to them, but you will find them very useful if you have an issue with using a mouse, and also with remembering the vast number of Key Combination Shortcuts.

They give you access to every single command on:

• the Ribbon
  
• the Microsoft Office Button menu, and
  
• the Quick Access Toolbar
  

Explore Access Keys and the Ribbon

1. With your cursor anywhere in your document, press the ALT key to display letters and numbers called Key Tip Badges. For example there is an F over the Office Button and an H over the Home tab.
   
2. With the letters still visible:
   1. press the F key on your keyboard to be taken to the Office menu where there are more Key Tip Badges available.
      
   2. Press the O key. The New Document dialog box opens. To do this quickly you would press ALT+F+O.
      
   3. To exit, press Cancel to close the dialog box.
      
3. Press ALT to see the badges for all the tabs.
   
4. Press ALT + the displayed badge for any tab to display the second level badges for that tab.
   
5. You can even display contextual tabs this way, for example, press ALT + F + W + V to display the Print Preview tab.
   

Clearly some of these combinations are not user friendly, so if you are a user who remembers shortcuts, you may want to customise your Key Combination Shortcuts to suit.