If you've ever found yourself having to stop in the middle of typing something to use the mouse to highlight text or change it to bold or italic, you know that sometimes it's quicker to use the keyboard instead of reaching for the mouse.
There are many reasons why you might use the keyboard rather than the mouse. From accessing the menus and toolbars to actually completing an action, you can use keystrokes to do just about anything in an Office program.
Some people are unable to use the mouse for a physical reason. They might not be able to see the pointer on the screen, or they have mobility limitations; perhaps they have repetitive strain injuries and prefer to avoid the mouse to cause less damage to themselves.
Others like to use the keyboard for speed and ease of use. For example, did you know that CTRL+P opens the Print dialog box? There is a complete list of keyboard shortcuts in each program's Help.
| Shortcut | Description | Shortcut | Description |
| CTRL+SPACEBAR | Select the entire column. | CTRL+SHIFT+O (the letter O) | Select all cells that contain comments |
| SHIFT+SPACEBAR | Select the entire row | CTRL+SHIFT+* (asterisk) | Select the current region around the active cell |
| CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR | With an object selected, select all objects on a sheet. | CTRL+[ (opening bracket) | Select all cells directly referenced by formulas in the selection. |
| CTRL+SHIFT+HOME | Extend the selection to the beginning of the worksheet. | CTRL+SHIFT+{ (opening brace) | Select all cells directly or indirectly referenced by formulas in the selection |
| CTRL+SHIFT+END | Extend the selection to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner) | CTRL+] | Select cells that contain formulas that directly reference the active cell. |
| CTRL+W or CTRL+F4 | Close the selected workbook window | CTRL+SHIFT+} (closing brace) | Select cells that contain formulas that directly or indirectly reference the active cell |
| CTRL+D | Fill down | CTRL+; (semicolon) | Enter the date |
| CTRL+R | Fill to the right. | CTRL+SHIFT+: (colon) | Enter the time. |
| ALT+0162 | Enters the cent character ¢. | ALT+0163 | Enters the pound sterling character £. |
| ALT+0165 | Enters the yen symbol ¥. | ALT+0128 | Enters the euro symbol €. |
| CTRL+SHIFT+~ | Apply the General number format. | F5 | GOTO |
| CTRL+SHIFT+& | Apply the outline border to the selected cells. | SHIFT+ENTER | Move from bottom to top within the selected range. |
| CTRL+SHIFT+_ | Remove the outline border from the selected cells. | SHIFT+TAB | Move from right to left within the selected range. If cells in a single column are selected, move up. |
| END+ENTER | Move to the rightmost nonblank cell in the current row. | CTRL+HOME | Move to the beginning of the worksheet. |
| END+HOME | Move to the last cell on the worksheet, in the bottom-most used row of the rightmost used column. | CTRL+END | Move to the last cell on the worksheet, in the bottom-most used row of the rightmost used column. |
| SHIFT+CTRL+PAGE DOWN | Select the current and next sheet. To cancel selection of multiple sheets, press CTRL+PAGE DOWN or, to select a different sheet, press CTRL+PAGE UP. | SHIFT+F11 or ALT+SHIFT+F1 | Insert a new worksheet. |
| SHIFT+F2 | Edit a cell comment | CTRL+PAGE DOWN | Move to the next sheet in the workbook. |
| ALT +EL | Delete a worksheet |