An EXCEL shortcut key has been overridden by another application

[Tricia Clewett]

I tried using Ctrl+F1 to open/close the Task Pane in Excel. Instead, an
accessory programme which came with my machine (a Fujitsu DVD window player)
opened. When I look at the properties of this program, there is apparently no
keyboard shortcut assigned. How can I 1) Restore my Excel shortcuts to their
proper settings 2) View what the keyboard shortcuts associated with my
keyboard are 3) Re-program them?

 

[Stephen Knapp]

Tricia:

Go to Excel's Help, the Content tab, locate a section entitled
"Shortcut keys" and do some reading. You'll find instructions for printing
out all of the Excel hotkey assignments. Under Excel 2000, I could not find
any assignment for Ctrl-F1. So, I'm guessing that the Ctrl-F1 shortcut is
being assigned at the operating system level, typically via a desktop icon
(possibly a shortcut). I do this often to hotkey my way to certain software
packages that I use often. Look on the desktop for a shortcut to the DVD
window player. Right-click, select properties, select the shortcut tab and
determine if the Ctrl-F1 hotkey combination has been assigned to this icon.
If yes, then that is your problem. If Ctrl-F1 isn't being used in Excel, the
operating system will take over and use any hotkey assignments placed on
shortcuts on the desktop.
You can override hotkeys within Excel, typically by assigning them to
macros. Otherwise, you cannot re-program the built-in key assignments.

(To properly maintain the Newsgroup, click the YES or NO button on your
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issue with this correspondence thread.)

Steve in Ohio

 

[TC Liverpool]

Thanks, Stephen, but I've tried all those things already. CTRL+ F1 is a new
system shortcut in Excel 2003. As I said, I've already looked at the
properties of the accessory and it doesn't show any shortcut key. i think the
problem is at a lower level!