F Something
By MoeLucie
@moelucie
There are these mysterious keys at the top of our keyboard. You have to stretch out your fingers a little bit more to get to them. However, could they hold the key to efficiency?
These functional keys have hidden powers!
The first one we will pick on is the F1 key. He is not all that exciting though. He is the universal help key. Press him in any application or file and he will give you a dialog box of helpful hints.
Next!
F2 proves to be a little more diverse. He is able to edit a cell in Excel.
Have you ever been navigating through Excel and wanting to edit a cell without clearing the contents? F2 to the rescue.
Just find the cell you want to edit and press F2.
F2 also likes to join his keyboard friends to maximize his abilities.
He is truly a team player.
Highlight a desired file, folder or icon and press Control F2.
This allows you to rename the folder, file or icon.
F2 befriends Control in Microsoft Office programs to open the print preview screen.
They both join alt in Microsoft Office to open the open dialog box.
F3 takes it up a notch!
On the Window’s desktop press F3 to launch the search dialog box
If you see him with control in Excel they will launch the Name Manager Dialog box.
They partner with alt to provide the new name dialog box in Excel.
They really stir up some amazing things in word as well.
Say you have some text that you want to make all capital, or maybe you were typing and forgot you had caps lock on.
Is there a quick and easy way to change that text on the fly?
Yes, F3 and shift make a powerful duo in Microsoft Word.
Just select the text you want to change and press shift F3.
Depending on what state your text is in you may have to press this a few times.
If you are using a screen reader it will announce the changes audibly.
In Outlook, F3 joins the Windows key to provide an advanced find dialog box.
Get more with F4
Most screen reader users use alt F4 to close programs all the time.
However, F4 can do much more!
Press F4 in Internet Explorer and it puts you in the address box.
It is getting chilly in here!
Call on Control plus F4 to close the open window!
These are not an exhaustive list of the F keys and their functions in Window’s. In addition, depending on what version of Window’s and Office you are using; some of these key combinations may be different. Look for future blogs to come to see what the rest of the F keys can do!
Find me on Twitter @moelucie and on Audio Boom. Check us out on www.blindabilities.com.
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