Tame your computer - all about F8

In her regular series for Cambridge Network members, software training expert Karen Roem offers handy tips to help you 'Tame your computer'. This week she asks: is F8 the new F4? (Word 2003-2010*)...

What I often hear from my course participants is that they came away with new tricks, tips and shortcuts that they never would have found on their own. This week’s favourite seemed tobe  F4. (Remember what it can do? No? Simply type F4 in the search box on http://www.roem.co.uk/hints.html and hit the ENTER key. Ok, Ok… F4 is the repeat key in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and simply repeats the last action you performed. It also finds text in an Outlook email message. And it switches between relative and absolute cell references in Excel. )

But how about the other F-keys on your keyboard? Well, did you know you can use the F8 key as a powerful text selection tool? Many, many moons ago (in November 2009) I told you most of what you can do to use F8 to select large chunks of text, but if you’re struggling to select a specific block of text this could be your life-saver.


Here’s how:


1.       Click the mouse at the start of the block of text you want to select and press F8.

2.       Click the mouse pointer at the end of the block of text you  want to select.


And here’s a recap of tip 290:

·         Click anywhere in a word and press F8 twice to select it. (Yes, I know you can double-click the word, but this is about F8 ;)

·         Click anywhere in a sentence and press F8 three times to select it.

·         Click anywhere in a paragraph and press F8 four times to select it.

·         Click anywhere in a document and press F8 five times to select it.


To switch off F8, simply press the Esc key.
 
By the way, if you use Word as the editor in Outlook, this tip obviously also works in Outlook.


* Unless stated otherwise, these tips were written for Microsoft Office 2007.  Most of what is covered however will also apply to earlier versions.


PS I'm committed to sharing the best of what I know with others so please don't keep these tips a secret. If  you enjoyed today's tip, please forward it to anyone you feel may benefit or reprint it (with full copyright  and subscription information) in your newsletters and message boards. Got a tip to share? Submit it by  emailing karen@roem.co.uk - if your tip is selected, I'll publish it along with your name; the bragging  rights will last a lifetime.


14 May 2012

Karen Roem offers software training and support through her company Roem Ltd.  Contact her by email  (Karen@roem.co.uk) or visit her website at http://www.roem.co.uk


_____________________________

 






Looking for something specific?