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Handy Access 2013 Keyboard Shortcuts

Handy Access 2013 Keyboard Shortcuts
Access, like all Windows applications, is meant to be used with the mouse. The mouse is assumed to be your main way of communicating with the software — clicking Ribbon tabs, buttons, and drop-down lists, and making choices in dialog boxes to use things like the Report Wizard and the Access Options dialog box discussed in the previous sections of this chapter.

You can left-click to make standard choices from onscreen tools and rightclick to access pop-up menus — also known as context-sensitive menus because the menu choices vary depending on what was right-clicked. If you right-click a Ribbon tab or button, you get choices for customizing toolbars and buttons. If you right-click a database component tab (say, the Table tab while that table is open), you get choices related to the table.

Not a big fan of the mouse? Check out the Cheat Sheet for this blog. It’s full of powerful keyboard shortcuts.

Keystroke Function
F1 Opens the Help window.
Alt+f Opens the File tab.
Ctrl+n Creates a new blank database.
Ctrl+o Opens an existing database.
Ctrl+p Opens the Print dialog box.
F11 Shows/hides the Navigation pane.
F6 Cycles different areas of the program window.
Alt+h Displays Home tab on the Ribbon.
Alt+c Displays the Create tab on the Ribbon.
Alt+x Displays the External Data tab on the Ribbon.
Ctrl+s Saves the current object in Design mode.
Ctrl+c Copies selection to the clipboard.
Ctrl+v Pastes selection from the clipboard.
F12 Opens the Save As dialog box.
Ctrl+F4 Closes the active document window.
Alt+F4 Closes the active application window.
Ctrl+z Undoes the last operation.
Ctrl+; Inserts the current date.
Ctrl+: Inserts the current time.
Ctrl+’ Copies same field data from previous record.
F2 Toggles selecting all data in the field or placing cursor in
edit mode.
F9 Recalculates fields on a form or refreshes a lookup combo or
list box list.
Ctrl+Enter Inserts a line break in Datasheet and Form view.
Ctrl+Enter Opens selected object from Navigation pane in Design view.
Ctrl+Shift++ Inserts a new record.
Ctrl+Shift+- Deletes current record.
Right Arrow Moves selected control to the right in Design or Layout
view.
Left Arrow Moves selected control to the left in Design or Layout
view.
Down Arrow Moves selected control down in Design or Layout view.
Up Arrow Moves selected control up in Design or Layout view.
Shift+Right Arrow Increases selected control width in Design or Layout view.
Shift+Left Arrow Decreases selected control width in Design or Layout view.
Shift+Down Arrow Increases selected control height in Design or Layout
view.
Shift+Up Arrow Decreases selected control height in Design or Layout
view.
F4 Toggles property sheet window in Design view.
Shift+F2 Zooms in on current field in Datasheet and Form view.

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