Tip, tricks, and updates for Windows & MS Office
Excel Shift Key Tips
Hey there and happy Monday! For those of you in the midst of celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas, I hope the weekend was not too hectic for you and that you are enjoying all the wonder of this season. Today’s tip comes from reader Gayle Larson, who is always generous with her oh-so-rocking insights. Gayle writes:
Want quick options for copying that picture in Excel?
Applies to versions through 2003…
The SHFT key (known as one of the booster keys) can change the behavior of some commands on the Menu Bar
Here’s a trick for a quick Copy Picture command in Excel:
Click on the graphic. Hold SHFT key and click on Edit on the Menu Bar. The Copy command now says Copy Picture…
Release SHFT key and click the command to display a mini dialog box that lets you copy it as a picture or bitmap and as shown on screen or as it prints...
Make desired selections. Click OK. Click on destination cell. Use desired method to Paste. (If you need more options than this, use the Edit | Paste Special instead.)
More tricks with the SHFT key:
Holding SHFT key when clicking on File in Menu Bar displays Close All command instead of just Close. This allows for closing multiple files but leaves the Excel program open. (In MS Word, both Save All and Close All commands display on the File Menu).
Holding SHFT while clicking certain icons on the toolbar(s) will reverse a command, i.e., SHFT Open icon actually saves; SHFT Save actually opens; SHFT Print = Print Preview; SHFT Print Preview prints your spreadsheet. This can be handy if you are missing icons or just want to use a minimum of icons to accomplish normal tasks.
One that works in all versions of Excel: Make a formula Absolute in the Address Bar. You may already know that pressing the F4 function key repeats your last action but the behavior changes if you are in the Address Bar in a cell with a formula. Click in a cell reference part of the formula (in the Address Bar) and press F4…Presto—instant Absolute $$! Press F4 three more times and cycle through making just the row$ or column$ Absolute, then back to Relative cell addressing.
Thanks, Gayle, for the impressive tips. And thanks to all of you for reading!
Tricia Goss, Editor
tricia@officeusers.org
Your Office Answers are Here!
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