Microsoft Word: Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Contributed by shamanstears August 28, 2006  
Tagged: Microsoft Word

You can assign keyboard shortcuts to any of Microsoft Word’s commands (or change the existing keyboard shortcuts) or to your custom macros. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Select Tools then Customize (or right-click the toolbar and select Customize).

2. Click the Keyboard button to display the Customize Keyboard dialog box.

3. Use the Categories list to select the category that contains the command you want to work with.

4. Use the Commands list to select the command. If a shortcut key is already assigned to the command, it appears in the Current Keys list.

5. Click inside the Press New Shortcut Key textbox.

6. Press the key combination you want to use. Word displays the keypress in the textbox and tells you whether the key combination is already used. Using the Customize Keyboard dialog box, you can assign key combinations to any of Word’s commands.

7. Use the Save Changes In list to choose the document or template in which you want the new key combination stored.

8. If this is the key combination you want to use, click Assign. Otherwise, repeat step 6 until you find a key combination you want.

9. Repeat steps 3 through 8 to assign other key combinations.

10. When you’re done, click Close.