Using hotkeys on laptops
To begin with, it should be said that hot keys are called various keyboard shortcuts, by pressing which you will perform various functions, avoiding unnecessary manipulations on the touchpad. There are a number of similar combinations on laptops, which are mainly designed to make it easier to work in any environment.
The reason for this need for such keys on a laptop is that it is a portable computer, and therefore it is understood that it will be used not only within the home, but also in the most diverse places. But, for example, if you are on a bus, plane, train, crowded places (subway or train station), it may not always be convenient to perform operations on a laptop using only the touchpad, not to mention the mouse. Just as an alternative to their use, they use a variety of keyboard shortcuts.
Using the "Fn" key
When you look at the laptop keyboard with special attention, you can see certain differences from the simple keyboard of a desktop computer. In particular, there are no buttons, for example, a block with numbers. At the same time, the laptop has one key that cannot be found on any simple computer - this key is labeled "Fn". On its own, it does not perform a single function, but in combination with other buttons, it is able to perform a huge number of operations. Instructions that may come with laptop models very often contain explanations on this matter. In addition, specific keys that can be used in combination with "Fn" include additional symbols, most often all very often highlighted in a different color. In addition, today's laptops have a huge number of hotkeys without using the "Fn" key. Their main purpose is to work with folders, shortcuts, files, system and perform other necessary tasks. These hotkeys are also used on regular computers, but only on laptops they play a rather significant role.
Keyboard shortcuts for working with File Explorer
Very often, to work with files and folders, it becomes necessary to access Windows Explorer. In order to call it, you do not need to go to the Start menu - you can do this much easier and faster using the Windows + E keyboard shortcut. In order to move from one to the second Explorer zone, you can only press the F6 key or the Tab button. The Backspace key can also greatly facilitate the work, which will return you to the folder in which this document or file is located. In addition, you can view the first and last elements of an open window using the Home and End keys. When there is a need to see the contents of a given folder or file, you can do this using the Alt + Enter key combination. Calling the context menu of the right mouse button is replaced by the combination Shift + F10. In order to view the list of address lines in the explorer window, use the F4 key. Navigating through the elements of the list is easy to do with the arrow keys.
Hot keys can also help in the case of working with files and folders. So, in order to select all the folders and files that are located in the window, you should press the combination Ctrl + A. If there is a need to select only a couple of folders and files that are located in different places in the window, then you should press the Ctrl key and, while holding it, press the left button of the touchpad on the desired documents. In order to select a group of existing files next to them, press and hold the Shift key, and then left-click the touchpad on the first and last file from the list you need. If you hold down the F2 key and select a folder or document, you can change their names. When, in addition to this, a group of objects is also selected, then the name change will be only in the first of them.
When a folder or file should be moved to the trash, then after selecting them, click "Delete". To liquidate a file bypassing the recycle bin, use the Shift+Delete key combination.
The simplest keyboard shortcut, which is used not only by owners of laptops, but also by ordinary home computers, is Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, respectively, denoting “copy” and “paste”. Of course, after copying, the original copied file will also remain in its place. If they should be cut out from there, then a different key combination is used - Ctrl + X. After that, using the Ctrl + V combination, the file can be put in a new location.
Also, Ctrl + O is considered a fairly popular key combination, after pressing which the “open” window will be visible on the screen, where you can select the following document. Often, keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + F12 or Alt + Ctrl + F2 are used for this.
How to take a screenshot
There is a pretty useful PrtSc key on a laptop. When it is pressed, a screenshot is left in the laptop's memory, which was taken at the time of pressing. If you open a graphics editor and press Ctrl+V, you can leave the snapshot in the form of an image. This is quite handy when you need to show a second person, for example, the kind of dialog box that appears when there are problems in order to ask for advice on eliminating them. If you need to take a snapshot of only one window, which will be active at the current moment, then you can use the Alt + Print combination.
Almost all laptop models allow the user to assign specific sets of keys to a variety of dialog boxes that automatically appear when they are pressed. This is quite convenient, especially when working with a fairly large number of windows at the same time. But the user needs to keep all such combinations in his head all the time, therefore it is not recommended to assign quite a lot of such combinations.
The above hotkeys usually do not require additional settings. They function automatically after installing the operating system on the laptop. However, combinations that use the Fn key only function when the laptop has the operating system specified by the manufacturer. One function that requires additional settings is the automatic opening of windows by pressing one or another key combination. This is done quite simply - for the selected program, you need to create a shortcut in some place, and then specific hotkeys are assigned to it. After forming the shortcut, right-click on it and go to "Properties" in the drop-down menu. A dialog box will open with a shortcut box. Enter the desired keyboard shortcut in this field, and then save all settings. Usually the system can offer a combination of Ctrl+Alt+any other key. Just this combination is worth sticking with.
How to repair a laptop when hotkeys do not work.
In order to be able to configure the rest of the hotkeys, you should install special operating system utilities on laptops, which are commonly called hotkey managers. With the help of these programs, keyboard shortcuts and functions that will be performed after they are clicked can be set. Usually, the following possible actions are provided: opening specific windows and documents, launching various programs, launching web pages, inserting specific template text, sound, monitor settings, turning off the computer, restarting it. Also, using managers, you have the opportunity to decide the action of hotkeys in a certain situation, for example, when playing on a computer in full screen mode.
Often there may be situations when pressing the keys does not perform this function. In this case, there may be some reasons. The most common of them is a large number of viruses on a laptop. Sometimes at the same time there are malfunctions in the work of other programs and applications. In these cases, to restore the optimal functioning of the laptop, you need to clean the system from viruses using a high-quality antivirus, and if this does not solve the problem, you need to reinstall the system after formatting the hard drive.
The cause of the problem with hotkeys when the Fn key is used can often be the installation of an operating system and drivers that are different from those that were purchased with the laptop. In this case, the installation of the original system and all drivers, or a slight adjustment of the new system, should occur. When this is not possible, then you should install a key manager in which you assign most of them manually.
Hot keys are called various keyboard shortcuts, by pressing which you can perform various functions, avoiding unnecessary manipulations on the touchpad. There are a number of such combinations on laptops, which are primarily designed for the convenience of the user in any conditions.
The reason for such a need for hot keys on a laptop is that it is a mobile computer, that is, it is understood that it will be used not only at home, but also in a wide variety of places. But, for example, while on a bus, train, plane, crowded places (station) it is not always convenient to perform operations on a laptop using only a touchpad, not to mention a mouse. It is as an alternative to using them that various keyboard shortcuts are used.
Secrets of the "Fn" key
If you look closely at the keyboard of any laptop, you will notice some differences from the usual stationary computer keyboard. In particular, some buttons are missing here, for example, a block with numbers. But the laptop has one key that cannot be found on any ordinary computer - this is the key labeled "Fn". By itself, it does not perform any function, but combined with other buttons, it is capable of performing many operations. The instructions that come with all laptop models most often contain explanations on this matter. In addition, some keys that can be used in combination with "Fn" contain additional symbols, most often highlighted in a different color. Also on modern laptops, there are a large number of hot keys without using the Fn key. They are designed to work with folders, files, shortcuts, system settings and many other tasks. These hotkeys are also used on desktop computers, but on laptops they play a very important role.
Hot keys for working with explorer
Often, to work with folders and files, it becomes necessary to access Windows Explorer. To call it, you do not have to go to the Start menu - this can be done much easier and faster using the Windows + E keyboard shortcut. In order to move from one Explorer zone to another, you can simply press the F6 or Tab key. The Backspace key can also be of great help, which returns to the folder in which the given document or file is located. The first and last active elements of the open window can be viewed, respectively, using the Home and End keys. If there is a need to view the contents of the selected folder or file, you can do this using the Alt + Enter key combination. Clicking the right mouse button can be replaced with a combination of Shift + F10. To view the list of address lines in the Explorer window, use the F4 key. Moving through the elements of the list is easily done with the arrow keys.
Hot keys help a lot when working with folders and files. So, to select all folders and files located in the window, you must press the key combination Ctrl + A. If there is a need to select several folders and files located in different places of the window, then you need to press the Ctrl key and, while holding it, click the left button of the touchpad on the necessary documents. To select a group of adjacent files, the Shift key is pressed and held, and then the left touchpad button is pressed on the first and last file from the required list. By holding the F2 key and highlighting a folder or document, you can change its name. If you select a group of objects, then the very first of them will be renamed.
If a folder or file needs to be moved to the trash, then after selecting it, you need to press the "Delete" key. To delete a file, bypassing the trash, use the Shift + Delete combination.
The simplest keyboard shortcut, which is used not only by owners of laptops, but also by desktop computers, is Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V - respectively, “copy” and “paste”. Naturally, after copying, the original file or folder will also remain in its original place. If it is necessary to cut them out from there, then another key combination is used - Ctrl + X. After that, using the Ctrl + V combination, the file is inserted to a new location.
Also a very common key combination is Ctrl + O, after pressing which an “open” window appears on the screen, where you can select the desired document. Sometimes Ctrl+F12 or Alt+Ctrl+F2 are used for this.
Making a screenshot
The PrtSc key is also useful on a laptop. When it is pressed, a screenshot taken at the time of pressing is saved in the laptop's memory. By opening the graphic editor and pressing the Ctrl + V combination, you can save the snapshot as an image. This is very useful when you need to show another person, for example, the view of the dialog box that appears when there are problems in order to ask for advice on how to fix them. If you need to take a snapshot of only one window, which is currently active, then you can use the Alt + Print combination.
Almost all laptop models allow the user to assign certain sets of keys to a wide variety of dialog boxes that automatically appear when they are pressed. This is very convenient, especially when working with a very large number of windows at the same time. But the user constantly has to keep all such combinations in his head, so it is not recommended to assign too many such combinations.
The above standard hotkeys most often do not need additional settings. They work automatically immediately after installing the operating system on the laptop. However, most often, combinations in which the Fn key takes part only work if the operating system recommended by the manufacturer is installed on the laptop. The only function that needs settings is the automatic opening of windows when you press one or another combination of buttons. This is done quite simply - a shortcut is created for the selected program in some place, and then certain hot keys are assigned to it. After creating the shortcut, you need to right-click on it and go to the "Properties" item in the drop-down menu. A dialog box will open with a shortcut box. In this field, you must enter the desired keyboard shortcut, and then save the settings. Most often, the system offers a combination of Ctrl + Alt + any other key. It is this combination that is recommended to adhere to.
Laptop repair when hotkeys don't work
In order to be able to configure other hotkeys, you need to install special utilities for your operating system on your computer, which are called hotkey managers. With these programs, you can set keyboard shortcuts and functions that will be performed after they are pressed. The most commonly provided options are: opening certain windows and documents, launching programs, opening web pages, inserting certain template text, adjusting the sound, adjusting the monitor, shutting down and restarting the computer. Also, with the help of managers, you can enable hotkeys in a certain situation, for example, when playing in full screen mode.
Sometimes there are situations when pressing hotkeys does not execute the corresponding function. There may be several reasons for this. The most common of them is the infection of a laptop with viruses. Most often, this causes malfunctions in the operation of other programs and applications. In such cases, to restore the normal functioning of the laptop, it is necessary to clean the system of viruses with a good antivirus, and if this does not help, you should reinstall the system after formatting the hard drive.
The cause of hotkeys not working when the Fn key is pressed is often the installation of an operating system and drivers on the laptop that are different from those that were purchased with the laptop. In this case, it is necessary to install the original OS with drivers or fine-tune the new system. If this is not possible, then you need to install a hotkey manager, in which you can assign many of them manually.
In general, you have to resort to such utilities quite often, since the hot keys available in the Windows system often temporarily or completely stop working, due to the peculiarities of this operating system. Also, be aware that hotkeys may not work in some older versions of applications. In this case, you just need to install a new version or update an existing one.
In this article, I will explain why the Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V key combinations do not work for you and how to fix this problem. The Windows operating system makes extensive use of keyboard shortcuts that allow you to perform certain operations faster. One such operation is copying and pasting text and files. They are most often performed using combinations Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Similar is the "Cut" command, which combines copying with deletion and is performed by pressing Ctrl + X.
Sometimes these combinations are disabled. The reason why Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V stopped working is most often infection of the PC with virus programs that intercept keystrokes, physical keyboard failure and user errors. How to fix this crash?
How to enable combinations in Microsoft Word?
Most often, copying and pasting with Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V stops working in text editors - Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, etc. This happens for two main reasons:
- the corresponding settings in the parameters of keyboard shortcuts inside the program are disabled;
- these combinations are assigned to macros.
At the same time, alternative shortcuts remain functional (Ctrl+Ins for copying, Shift+Ins for pasting, and Shift+Del for cutting).
Personal keyboard shortcut settings are available in all versions of Word and open in much the same way. If you are using Microsoft Office 2013, you can check them as follows:
- Open the program options through the "File" menu.
- Go to the "Customize Ribbon" section.
- Click the "Customize" button next to the words "Keyboard Shortcuts".
- In the window that appears, select "All commands" from the list on the left.
- In the list on the right, find the commands Edit Copy and Edit Paste. It is easier to do this if you click on the list and quickly type part of the word “Edit” on the keyboard.
If Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V are not in the Current Keyboard Shortcuts window, you can assign them yourself. To do this, click on the "New Combination" line, press the necessary buttons and click on the "Assign" button. Then the settings are saved.
Important! After making changes, you should check your PC for viruses so that the problem does not occur again.
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V combinations not working due to macros
Macros- these are microprograms that allow you to execute a number of commands at once by pressing one or two buttons. Their settings are located on the "View" tab of the main Word menu. Depending on what is found in the settings, there are two ways to fix Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V:
- remove malicious macros;
- create your macros.
If any macros already exist, you need to check their functionality with the "Run" button. You should also click "Change" and see which keys are involved. If it's Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V - delete macros. To prevent the problem from occurring again, you should disable the execution of macros in the settings of the Trust Center in the Word Options.
Creating copy and paste macros is very simple:
- In the "Macros" menu of the "View" section, click "Record Macro".
- Select "Assign macro to keys" and set the combination.
- Click "Assign" - the recording will start. Copying should be done in any available way - for example, select the text (necessarily with the mouse so that the selection process is not recorded) and copy it with the Ctrl + Ins combination.
- Stop recording.
- In the same way, we create a macro for insertion.
After that, the combinations will work. This will not fix the cause of the problem, but it will now be possible to copy and paste.
What to do if combinations do not work in all programs?
If Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V do not function not only in a text editor, but in all programs at once, or do not do what they should (for example, open any files), it means that virus software or a user program has reassigned these combinations for your needs. You can fix this in several ways:
- check all recently installed programs - perhaps their settings use these keyboard shortcuts;
- check PC for viruses;
- uninstall the latest system updates through the "Control Panel" - "Programs and Features";
- roll back the system to an earlier restore point - for this, the creation of points must be enabled.
If the combinations Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V do not work in a particular program, you should reinstall it. When disabling combinations in the browser, extensions, especially antiviruses and firewalls, can also be to blame.
If nothing helps, it remains only to check the keyboard physically - whether the Ctrl key works at all, whether other buttons are stuck.
There are cases when the standard keyboard shortcuts (hot keys) do not work in the Microsoft Office software package.
Many users are accustomed to saving documents with Ctrl+S, copying text with Ctrl+C, pasting with Ctrl+V. Naturally, when these combinations don't work, it slows things down a lot.
There are two ways to fix the situation.
All of the following apply to Word 2010, 2013, and 2016:
Method one:
The first method will help you change keyboard shortcuts using the tools of Word itself.
I. Operation "Save"
For changing keyboard shortcuts for saving a document do the following:
1. Click " File»
2. Select " Parameters»
3. Then the sub-item " Ribbon customization»
4. Near the inscription " Keyboard shortcut» press the button « Setting»
5. In the appeared window « Keyboard customization", in the list " Categories» find the item « File tab» and click on it
6. On the right side, click on the item " FileSave»
7. In the field " New keyboard shortcut» enter ctrl+s(select with the mouse in this field, press the "Ctrl" key on the keyboard and, without releasing it, press the "S" key)
8. Click the " Appoint».
The figure clearly shows these eight steps.
II. Operations "Copy", "Cut", "Paste", "Select All"
For Change keyboard shortcuts for Copy, Cut, Paste, and Select All operations actions are similar.
In the same window Keyboard customization", in the list " Categories» find the item « Home tab", and on the right side, change the following:
- EditCopy - set Ctrl + C (Copy operation)
- EditCut - set Ctrl + X (Cut operation)
- EditPaste - set Ctrl + V (Paste operation)
- EditSelectAll - set Ctrl + A (Select All operation)
III. Operation Undo
For Change the keyboard shortcut for the Undo operation in the list " Categories» find the item « Commands not on the ribbon", and on the right side, select the item EditUndo and set the combination Ctrl + Z.
Method two:
The reason may be the "Normal.dot" template, if the first option does not work, try this one:
1. Close Microsoft Word (and all open documents in it)
2. Go to the "Templates" folder:
- On Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\Username \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates
- On Windows 7/8: C:\Users\Username \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\
- The easiest option is to paste this line into the address bar of the explorer %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates and press Enter
3. Rename the file Normal.dotm(or Normal.dot), for example, in Normal_BAK.dotm
4. Open Word and test the keyboard shortcuts.
I hope it worked out 🙂
Addition from the reader of the site Sergey:
There is one more subtlety. Word 2013 refused to save my settings. Only the following actions helped:
Settings - advanced - Block "Save" - checkmark "Request to save Normal.dotx" - OK
Then File - Close (exactly "Close", not exit!!!)
Next exit - a request to save Normal.dotx - Yes, while the settings are saved
Update from Anatoly:
Hello. Word 2007. Installed Math Type 6.
Insertion, printing, etc. stopped working. For all actions, it gave out that they say macros are disabled.
Demolished Math Type 6, everything was restored. Then I read your advice, but it was too late to try them out.
Maybe someone will come in handy.
Addition from Tural:
Everything worked on Word 2016 too!
