Unable to modify shortcut keys

You MUST install a printer driver and set it as the Windows default. Word
will not work correctly without a printer driver. That will resolve your
problems.

Terry

"tomincnj" wrote in message
...
Terry,

Justed tested in SAFE MODE.....same problem. But I just retested in Normal
and found that the Special Character Shortcut keys are all ok....can
change
them and it then shows two keys...deleted the change and still working ok.
What ever the problem it within the Symbols. No printer driver installed.

"Terry Farrell" wrote:

Ummmm! Have you got a printer driver installed? Is this the only anomaly
you
are experiencing with Word? If you start Word in Safe Mode, is the
problem
still the same. From Start | Run, type in

winword /a

and press enter. Test the Symbol shortcuts and editing the shortcuts now.

Terry

"tomincnj" wrote in message
news
Terry,

Tks for your response...I hope this helps to better explain my problem.

I have an IBM X40 Notepad, XP Operating System & runing either
Microsoft
Word or Microsoft Excel 2002(10.6854.6854)SP3.

After launching either Word or Excel, I am able to insert symbols from
the
symbol menu (font, subset) with out a problem.

My two problems a

(1)Default shortcut keys do not work, (2) Unable to change default
shortcut
keys.

Regarding Changes:

Once I have the Symbol Menu Window open, no matter which Symbol, Font,
or
Subset I select, the correct default shortcut key for that Symbol
appears
next to the “Shortcut Key:� display line directly to the Right of the
“Shortcut Key…� button. Also, the “Character code:� field appears
correct
as
well.

But when I attempt to change any Shortcut Key by clicking the “Shortcut
Key…� button, the “Customize Keyboard Menu appears but the “Current
Key�
box
is empty and I’m unable to enter any changes to the “Press new shortcut
key:�
field.

As an example:

Font: Arial
Subset: General Punctuation
Symbol Displayed: BULLET
Recently used symbols: BULLET
Character code: 2022 from Unicode (hex)
Shortcut ket: Alt+0149

When I click the “Shortcut key… “ button to make a change, the “Current
keys� field is empty but the BULLET symbol is displayed to the right of
the
“Symbol� Field directly beneath the “Press New Shortcut Key� Field.


"Terry Farrell" wrote:

Are you entering the 0149 using the Number Pad with it toggled ON?
Alt+0149
only works from the NumPad and not from the standard number keys.

Have you got as printer driver installed set as the Windows Default
and
is
it selected in Word?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"tomincnj" wrote in message
...
I'm running Microsoft Word 2002 with XP...when I open a new or old
document
and then click "Insert", "Symbol" the "Symbol" character map menu
opens.
If
I then click any font/subset the symbol is displayed along with its
shortcut
key. If I then click the shortcut key for any symbol....the shortcut
menu
opens but it doesn't display the shortcut key nor am I able to
change
the
shortcut key.

I've tried running repair but it didn't fix the shortcut key
problem.
Also,
unable to insert and any symbol using so called displayed shortcut
key....ie
"Bullet" symbol is displayed as ALT + 0149 but it doesn't work.

What do you suggest doing at this point?

Tks,

Tom

Terry,

Tks for your reply.

Last night I also tried System Restore. Used a restore point from March….no
change. System appears to be running ok…Windows Defender and Norton 360 are
always current and scans are clean except for normal cookies detected and
removed.

I borrowed a Cannon Bubble Jet BJ-10e and installed it using the accompaning
disk. The install was uneventful and the printer is working fine across all
applications…ie Word, Excel, Notepad & IE.

Still having the shortcut key problem. It appears that in Excel 2002, you
can insert symbols and special characters in to your workbooks/spreadsheets
only by using the insert button. No option exists for shortcut keys. So as
far as Excel is concerned the problem I reported isn’t a problem after all.

But it is a problem within Word. I’m wondering why is it that when I:
Open Word,
Right Click “Insert�
Right Click “Symbol�…opens the Symbol Character Map Popup
Right Click “Shortcut key..� botton [located on the lower line of the Symbol
Tab adj to Autocorrect button]

I examine each and every character listed. The only four that are working
correctly are Ñ, ñ, Û, û, I set these up about 4 weeks ago so that I can type
in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines.

Ñ was defined as Ctrl+Shift+N
ñ was defined as Ctrl+n.
Û was defined as Ctrl+Shift+U
û was defined as Ctrl+u.

But when If I attempt to change these or any other…..the “Assign� button
isn’t highlighted. Why isn’t it?

The characters Ñ, ñ, Û, û….show up in the “Current Keys� field and if I
click the key…the “Remove� button is highlighted. So I guess that feature is
ok.

If I attempt to change one….can’t type anything in the input field under
“press new shortcut key�.

The "Close" button is working fine.

Could my Normal.dot file be bad? I ran detect and repair twice but nothing
has changed. I understand that Word will create a new Normal.dot if it is
missing. Is it possible to download a new Normal.dot and see if that makes a
difference.

I followed your procedure and didn't have any problem with any
inability to go to the "Press new shortcut key" box and enter a
keyboard combination. I was able to create ALT-B for a bullet, and
others as well. (It's a much easier way than I had been using -
another new feature I learned about Word from hanging around here!)
So FWIW, I see your problem and no, it shouldn't be happening.

Try renaming normal.dot to normal-old.dot then load Word, which will
create a new, unadorned normal.dot. Your old assignments should be
gone but see if you can create new ones. If that doesn't work you can
close Word, delete the new one and rename the old one back to
normal.dot. If it does work then you'll spend the next several hours
or days restoring all those Word tweaks you built up over the years,
but at least the problem will be solved. If not, maybe you can get an
expert to chime in with some other suggestions.

Oh, another thing - have you tried the old standard tech support "blow
off" (which I'm surprised that no one has yet suggested because it is
a legitimate call here) - uninstall and reinstall Word? (That's
after you've copied your normal.dot and any other necessary files to a
back-up folder.) Uninstall/Reinstall is not a high-percentage play,
but when it works, it really works!

Finally, from the Really Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel Department:
Is your Word part of an MS Office Suite installation? If so, might
there be a missing or corrupt Office file that's causing this
mischief? I admit that I'm way out on a limb over thin ice here, so
please, no laughter from the peanut gallery. And if I'm right, only a
complete uninstall/reinstall of the entire suite would get at it, so
take it for what it's worth: strictly a WAG on my part..


"tomincnj" wrote in message
...
Terry,

Tks for your reply.

Last night I also tried System Restore. Used a restore point from
March..no
change. System appears to be running ok.Windows Defender and Norton
360 are
always current and scans are clean except for normal cookies
detected and
removed.

I borrowed a Cannon Bubble Jet BJ-10e and installed it using the
accompaning
disk. The install was uneventful and the printer is working fine
across all
applications.ie Word, Excel, Notepad & IE.

Still having the shortcut key problem. It appears that in Excel
2002, you
can insert symbols and special characters in to your
workbooks/spreadsheets
only by using the insert button. No option exists for shortcut keys.
So as
far as Excel is concerned the problem I reported isn't a problem
after all.

But it is a problem within Word. I'm wondering why is it that when
I:
Open Word,
Right Click "Insert"
Right Click "Symbol".opens the Symbol Character Map Popup
Right Click "Shortcut key.." botton [located on the lower line of
the Symbol
Tab adj to Autocorrect button]

I examine each and every character listed. The only four that are
working
correctly are Ñ, ñ, Û, û, I set these up about 4 weeks ago so that I
can type
in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines.

Ñ was defined as Ctrl+Shift+N
ñ was defined as Ctrl+n.
Û was defined as Ctrl+Shift+U
û was defined as Ctrl+u.

But when If I attempt to change these or any other...the "Assign"
button
isn't highlighted. Why isn't it?

The characters Ñ, ñ, Û, û..show up in the "Current Keys" field and
if I
click the key.the "Remove" button is highlighted. So I guess that
feature is
ok.

If I attempt to change one..can't type anything in the input field
under
"press new shortcut key".

The "Close" button is working fine.

Could my Normal.dot file be bad? I ran detect and repair twice but
nothing
has changed. I understand that Word will create a new Normal.dot if
it is
missing. Is it possible to download a new Normal.dot and see if that
makes a
difference.

mazorj,

Tks for the reply and for taking the time to run through the procedures.

I've tried renaming Normal.dot to oldNormal.dot....but when I restarted
Word....still couldn't chage the keys. Thus my question about downloading a
Normal.dot file.

If I had the original disks for my OFFICE SUITE I would have re-installed
it....but after 4 moves in the past 8 yrs....latest one to and from the
Philippines...I haven't been able to locate the disks yet.

I haven't tried any of the other sites....might just purchase a new laptop
new week and then purchase the latest Office package from best-buy.

The shortcut key problem isn't a showstopper but it's a PIA..lol. Lucky for
me that I was able to create a 7,500+ Tagalog word/vocabulary list before
having any problems. Gives me some time before I need to expand the list.

Will post my final solution to the problem once I've made a decision. Maybe
I'll get lucky and find the disks.

Tks again!

Unless you are left-handed and have your mouse setup reversed, you should
not be right-clicking any of these menus, buttons, etc. And note that you
don't have to have a physical printer in order to install a printer driver;
you can pick just any Windows driver for a common printer (usually a
LaserJet is suggested).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

"tomincnj" wrote in message
...
Terry,

Tks for your reply.

Last night I also tried System Restore. Used a restore point from
March….no
change. System appears to be running ok…Windows Defender and Norton 360
are
always current and scans are clean except for normal cookies detected and
removed.

I borrowed a Cannon Bubble Jet BJ-10e and installed it using the
accompaning
disk. The install was uneventful and the printer is working fine across
all
applications…ie Word, Excel, Notepad & IE.

Still having the shortcut key problem. It appears that in Excel 2002, you
can insert symbols and special characters in to your
workbooks/spreadsheets
only by using the insert button. No option exists for shortcut keys. So as
far as Excel is concerned the problem I reported isn’t a problem after
all.

But it is a problem within Word. I’m wondering why is it that when I:
Open Word,
Right Click “Insert�
Right Click “Symbol�…opens the Symbol Character Map Popup
Right Click “Shortcut key..� botton [located on the lower line of the
Symbol
Tab adj to Autocorrect button]

I examine each and every character listed. The only four that are working
correctly are Ñ, ñ, Û, û, I set these up about 4 weeks ago so that I can
type
in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines.

Ñ was defined as Ctrl+Shift+N
ñ was defined as Ctrl+n.
Û was defined as Ctrl+Shift+U
û was defined as Ctrl+u.

But when If I attempt to change these or any other…..the “Assign� button
isn’t highlighted. Why isn’t it?

The characters Ñ, ñ, Û, û….show up in the “Current Keys� field and if I
click the key…the “Remove� button is highlighted. So I guess that feature
is
ok.

If I attempt to change one….can’t type anything in the input field under
“press new shortcut key�.

The "Close" button is working fine.

Could my Normal.dot file be bad? I ran detect and repair twice but nothing
has changed. I understand that Word will create a new Normal.dot if it is
missing. Is it possible to download a new Normal.dot and see if that makes
a
difference.

FWIW, uninstalling and reinstalling rarely accomplishes anything because it
does not change Normal.dot, the Registry, add-ins, or the printer driver. It
seems you have investigated everything with the possible exception of
add-ins; see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...sInstalled.htm

Also, if you are using a non-English version of Office, this might be a
factor.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

"tomincnj" wrote in message
...
mazorj,

Tks for the reply and for taking the time to run through the procedures.

I've tried renaming Normal.dot to oldNormal.dot....but when I restarted
Word....still couldn't chage the keys. Thus my question about downloading
a
Normal.dot file.

If I had the original disks for my OFFICE SUITE I would have re-installed
it....but after 4 moves in the past 8 yrs....latest one to and from the
Philippines...I haven't been able to locate the disks yet.

I haven't tried any of the other sites....might just purchase a new laptop
new week and then purchase the latest Office package from best-buy.

The shortcut key problem isn't a showstopper but it's a PIA..lol. Lucky
for
me that I was able to create a 7,500+ Tagalog word/vocabulary list before
having any problems. Gives me some time before I need to expand the list.

Will post my final solution to the problem once I've made a decision.
Maybe
I'll get lucky and find the disks.

Tks again!

"tomincnj" wrote in message
...
mazorj,

Tks for the reply and for taking the time to run through the
procedures.

I've tried renaming Normal.dot to oldNormal.dot....but when I
restarted
Word....still couldn't chage the keys. Thus my question about
downloading a
Normal.dot file.

I would think that a new bare-bones normal.dot created from scratch by
Word would eliminate your problem if it is based in normal.dot. It's
doubtful that someone else's normal.dot would fix it.

If I had the original disks for my OFFICE SUITE I would have
re-installed
it....but after 4 moves in the past 8 yrs....latest one to and from
the
Philippines...I haven't been able to locate the disks yet.

When I got my first computer, a CP/M machine, I made dupes of all the
5-1/4" program floppies and put them in my bank safe deposit box. :-D

I'm no longer quite that paranoid but I do have all my important
software disks in a plastic container labeled "Computer Essentials".
They have survived two moves. Having them all together also made it
easier the two times that I had to restore a PC to its original state.

I haven't tried any of the other sites....might just purchase a new
laptop
new week and then purchase the latest Office package from best-buy.

The shortcut key problem isn't a showstopper but it's a PIA..lol.
Lucky for
me that I was able to create a 7,500+ Tagalog word/vocabulary list
before
having any problems. Gives me some time before I need to expand the
list.

Will post my final solution to the problem once I've made a
decision. Maybe
I'll get lucky and find the disks.

Tks again!

It would be great if you can find them because I'll stick by my
suggestion to try an uninstall/reinstall, then before and after you
reload your old normal.dot, see if you can create the shortcut keys
using an out-of-the-box set-up of Word. You also now have a few
hopefully helpful additional suggestions from Suzanne S. Barnhill to
explore. Good luck.

Terry,

Just wanted to say that I’ve managed to resolve the shortcut key problem by
changing my IBM X40 keyboard device type from standard default….to IE and
back to default. When I changed to IE and tested Word…I was able to change
the shortcut keys with no problem. I decided to change back to default and it
also test ok at that point.

FYI…the missing printer wasn’t a problem. After installing the printer and
determining that it didn’t fix the problem….I removed the printer, software,
driver and registery entries.

It’s been over 24 hrs….and everything is working fine.

Tks for your input and service.

Tom

Mazorj,

Just wanted to say that I’ve managed to resolve the shortcut key problem by
changing my IBM X40 keyboard device type from standard default….to IE and
back to default. When I changed to IE and tested Word…I was able to change
the shortcut keys with no problem. I decided to change back to default and it
also test ok at that point.

FYI…the missing printer wasn’t a problem. After installing the printer and
determining that it didn’t fix the problem….I removed the printer, software,
driver and registery entries.

It’s been over 24 hrs….and everything is working fine.

Tks for your input and service .

Tom

Suzanne,

Just wanted to say that I’ve managed to resolve the shortcut key problem by
changing my IBM X40 keyboard device type from standard default….to IE and
back to default. When I changed to IE and tested Word…I was able to change
the shortcut keys with no problem. I decided to change back to default and it
also test ok at that point.

FYI…the missing printer wasn’t a problem. After installing the printer and
determining that it didn’t fix the problem….I removed the printer, software,
driver and registery entries.

It’s been over 24 hrs….and everything is working fine.

Tks for your input and service .

Tom