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Weekend open mic – Share your one hand Excel shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts - 53 comments
At Chandoo.org, we are big believers of keyboard shortcuts. There are several posts (1,2,3,4, more and even more) discussing useful Excel shortcuts. Today I want to introduce a new kind of keyboard shortcuts. One hand shortcuts.
One hand shortcuts – Half the work, double the fun
The idea is simple. When you can use only one hand to complete the shortcut key presses, it is called as a one hand shortcut.
Why bother? Well, many reasons.
- They are convenient
- You can use the other hand to control mouse
- You could use the other hand to drive 😉
Share your one hand shortcuts
This is a open mic post. So go ahead and share your one hand shortcuts.
Hello Awesome...
My name is Chandoo. Thanks for dropping by. My mission is to make you awesome in Excel & your work. I live in Wellington, New Zealand. When I am not F9ing my formulas, I cycle, cook or play lego with my kids. Know more about me.
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At Chandoo.org, I have one goal, "to make you awesome in Excel & Power BI". I started this website in 2007 and today it has 1,000+ articles and tutorials on data analysis, visualization, reporting and automation using Excel and Power BI. 
53 Responses to “Weekend open mic – Share your one hand Excel shortcuts”
Create an Excel Graph using just 1 keystroke.
1. Click anywhere in your Excel sheet that has data.
2. Press F11 on your keyboard.
Amaze your friends ????
Simply superb
Hi...
The shortcuts are;
Cntrl+S - Save
Cntrl+C - Copy
Cntrl+V - Paste
Cntrl+D - Copy data from above cell
Cntrl+R - Copy data from left cell
Cntrl+A - Select All
Cntrl+X - cut
Cntrl+B - Makes the letters bold
Cntrl+u- Underline all the selected letters
Cntrl+G - Go to
Cntrl+F - Find
Cntrl+Z - Undo
useful shortcut
http://www.excel2013.info/flashfill/
Alt + F4 - Close Excel and go home!
My personal fave!
Alt+1 .. Alt+9, Alt+09 .. Alt+01, Alt+0A .. Alt+0P
yes, I have 34 icons in the QAT, but only use about half of them
I'm a huge fan of adding frequent actions, including macros to the quick access toolbar, and then using Alt + to use them.
Example: paste special -> values is the first icon on the quick access bar. When I need it, I just hit Alt + 1. I have a personal macro that auto-fits column widths on the sheet - it's Alt + 4.
It's a great way to turn almost anything into a one-hand shortcut.
You can auto-fit columns using the following shortcuts - One Handed
Auto-fit Width - Alt+H+O+I
Auto-fit Height - Alt+H+O+A
Thanks
CTRL + C followed by CTRL + V will unmerge cells
Woah! I never knew that one! Just tried it!
Great, Must find a practical use of it
great !!!
Wonderful, thanks for share it.
Awesome new trick.
Ctrl + Tab - cycle forward through open workbooks
Ctrl + Shift + Tab - cycle backward through open workbooks
alt+E+S -> for paste special
a real time saver if you learn how to go deeper i.e:
alt+E+S+L -> paste links
alt+E+S+V -> paste values
alt+E+S+F -> paste formula
alt+E+S+T -> paste formats
etc
alt+E+G+S -> go to special
alt + A + T -> filter
Alt + D + E -> text to columns
F4 - That's all I need to repeat action
F4 - Repeat last action. Huge time saver.
Control + Alt + v gets you to the paste special menu... I use that one ALL THE TIME!
So simple, yet unknown! I really like this one. Beats the ALT+e+s+v with ease. Since that one is language sensitive. f.e. in a Dutch Excel, the shortcut is ALT+r+v+n. Yet, CTRL+ALT+v keeps working.
Alt + e+s+v : Paste Special - Value
and a lot more just can't enumerate in a single post
Quick sum -- ALT + =
Formatting -- Ctrl + 1
Great topic!
My one-handers are all left-handers, since I prefer keeping my right hand on the mouse. This is an obsession of mine, hence the long list:
Alt/Ribbon shortcuts:
Alt-F-R to open Recent files
Alt-F-A to Save As (2010)
Alt-F-A-B to Save As (2013)
Alt-F-D-A to Save & Send (Excel 2010)
Alt-F-X to Exit Excel (faster than Alt-F4)
Alt-A-T to add a Filter
Alt-A-C to Clear Filter
Alt-A-E for Text To Columns
Alt-E-A-C to Clear Contents
Alt-E-A-A to Clear All (including formats)
Alt-E-A-F to Clear Formats
Alt-E-D to Delete
Alt-W-F-F to Freeze Panes
Alt-W-W to Switch Windows
Alt-A-S-A to Sort Ascending
Alt-A-S-D to Sort Descending
Alt-R-C for New Comment
Alt-R-T to Edit Comment
Alt-R-D to Delete Comment
Alt-R-A to Show All Comments
Other:
Ctrl+1 to Format Cells
Ctrl+C/X/V for Copy, Cut & Paste
Ctrl+F for Find
Ctrl+B/I/U for Bold/Italic/Underline
Ctrl+Z/Y for Undo/Redo
Ctrl+W to Close Workbook
Ctrl+D to Copy Down
F2 Edit cell
F4 Lock references
Tab & Ctrl+Tab to navigate dialog boxes
Ctrl+F1 to hide/unhide ribbon
Alt+F1 for New Chart on Same Tab
F11 for New Chart on New Tab (right-hander)
Ctrl+A to Select All
Ctrl+G to Go To specific cell (or F5)
Alt-Tab or Alt-Tab-Tab to Switch Windows (can be tricky)
Plus you can customize your QAT and get some easy Alt shortcuts. The icons on the left will be Alt-1, Alt-2, Alt-3, etc. Put frequently used icons there.
I also recommend the following "hybrid" shortcuts that combine the mouse and left hand -- they're just as easy/fast as one-handed shortcuts. "RC" stands for Right-Click:
RC-F for Format Cells (a little faster than Ctrl+1)
RC-D for Delete
RC-E to Insert Copied Cells
Hybrid Paste Special shortcuts (after you've copied something):
RC-V to Paste Values
RC-R to Paste Formatting
RC-S for first Paste Special Sub-Menu
RC-S-S for second Paste Special Sub-Menu (the pop-up) (or use Alt-E-S)
RC-S-T to Transpose
RC-S-S-V-D- to Add Zero to convert text to numbers (after copying blank cell)
RC-F-Spacebar to Paste Formulas
Oops, strike the following off the list (they take two hands): Ctrl+I for Italics, Ctrl+U for Underline. Ctrl+Y for Redo can be done slowly with the left hand.
Hey Terp,
Have to say your short cuts rock!
YOU CAN USE FOLLOWING FOR SAVE AS
-----" F12 " -----
Thats It tadaaaa
Apart from Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+S and Ctrl+1.
Ctrl+F3 - Open Name Manager to create a named range of selected cells
F3 - to select a named range for data validation list.
F5 = Go to
F1 = Help
F2 = Active current cell
F4 = repeat the last action
I cannot live without ALT TAB to toggle between open programs.
CTRL + 1 - To change formatting
SHIFT + Spacebar - To highlight entire row
CTRL + Spacebar - To highlight entire column
CTRL + - - To delete highlighted items.
Paste Values stores as ALT + 1 (Very helpful)
CTRL + Page up/down - Jump through different worksheets.
Finally
CTRL + HOME - to find myself back at A1
To create more left-handed shortcuts, I have taped a number pad to the left side of my keyboard. This allows me to do Ctrl+Home/End/PgUp/PgDn/Arrow keys -- all with my left hand. I tried several left-handed keyboards, but the number pad was too close and I kept hitting the wrong keys.
To create even more, you can reprogram your keyboard (e.g., keys like Caps Lock). Then, if you have taped a number pad to the left like me, you have all kinds of possibilities. You can turn any key on that number pad into any other key -- and combine it with the Ctrl key on the bottom left of your keyboard. You can do this with utilities like Sharp Keys (you can Google to find more utilities).
Best is
Ctrl+C (Copy)
Alt+E+S+V (for paste special)
and One of the best F4 (repeat)
By default, i name my data tables dataset. I can type it all with my left hand. Does that count?
@Bob
Why not name them d or D?
Zoom in or out using CTRL and your mouse wheel.
For left hand
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V is no doubt the most used ones
Ctrl+1 to format a cell or object
Ctrl+A to select all
For right hand
Ctrl+page up/ down to go to next / previous sheet
Alt+Enter to get auto sum
Ctrl+Y
Undo the undo!
For some reason I use F4 to repeat my last action when formatting, but I'm programmed to press Ctrl+Y to undo my Ctrl+Z
Ctrl + Shift + L to apply filters to data.
or Use Alt + D , F , F..
CTRL + I = Italicize selected text
CTRL + Z = Undo
CTRL + Y = Redo
CTRL + X = Cut
CTRL + C = Copy
CTRL + V = Paste
(Most common ones only, you can get more if you follow the link below)
http://www.aboutonehandtyping.com/shortcuts.html
CTRL + T = Creates Table from the selected data range.
CTRL + ` = Show Formulas
CTRL + SHIFT + ` / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 = Different format options
F9 = Calculate Now
F9 = Evaluate a selected part of formula
CTRL + H = Find & replace
Hi m favorite shortcuts;
ALT + H + V Paste in Values
ALT + H + F Paste Formls
ALT + H + T Transpose
ALT + H + S Paste Special
I do not really like the ALT-sequence short cuts, because they are language sensitive.
Ok, admitting that at work most of us are using an English version, though I have colleagues using French, Spanish or German Office installations. And then they ask for help... Then I cry a little bit...
And really, why do you all hate mice?
GraH, I agree -- I love my mouse. I'm able to keep my right hand on the mouse 95% of the time, yet still use a lot of shortcuts. How? I've found alternatives to most of the critical shortcuts that require the right hand on the keyboard For example, for Paste Values, instead of Alt-H-V-S (which requires the right hand on the keyboard), I do Right-Click-V (right hand stays on the mouse). I call that a "hybrid" shortcut since it uses the mouse and the keyboard. It works because V is the underlined hot key for Values. I posted a lot of my favorite left-handed and hybrid shortcuts above. They all allow you to keep your right hand on the mouse. Typically, I only put my right hand on the keyboard for navigation and selection -- for example, Ctrl+Home, Ctrl+Arrow, etc.
Hi Terp, I'm a lefty, so I should invert your logic. 🙂
I think Ctrl+Y for redo is a waste of time, so I now use it to highlight a cell in yellow with this macro:
Sub HighlightPaleYellowFormat()
' FormatHighlightPaleYellow Macro
' Shortcut key Ctrl+Y
' Equivalent to menu: Format | Borders & Shading | Shading | Pale Yellow, or NoFill
If Selection.Font.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor wdColorLightYellow Then '= wdColorAutomatic
Selection.Range.HighlightColorIndex = wdNoHighlight
Selection.Font.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorLightYellow
ElseIf Selection.Font.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorLightYellow Then
Selection.Font.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorAutomatic
End If
End Sub
'NB There is some difference between Range.HighlightColorIndex (for wdNoHighlight & wdYellow) for a range and
' BackgroundPatternColor (wdColorLightYellow & wdColorAutomatic), which is part of Shading object. Can be any valid WdColor constant or a value returned by the RGB function
' Don't know what the difference is.
Alt+I+R Insert row
Interesting. I wonder if I will use it instead of Shift+Space & Ctrl++, which is more intuitive together with Ctrl+-
Selfmade shortcut for Ctrl+Alt+W.
Pressing it once, wraps the cell contents in selection. Twice -> unwraps and autofits the column.
Sub WrapText()
Selection.WrapText = Not ActiveCell.WrapText
If ActiveCell.WrapText = False Then Selection.Columns.AutoFit
End Sub
In addition to the others...
Alt W F F - Freeze Panes
Alt E S T - paste formatting
At the risk of shameless self-promotion, I just published an Excel Shortcuts book on Amazon -- The Excel Shortcut bible: https://www.amazon.com/Excel-Shortcut-Bible-Powerful-Shortcuts-ebook/dp/B01N767G7Z
It is free through this Wednesday.
I thought it would be useful to the shortcut-lovers on this post.
@Terp
I have posted this in the Forums also
http://forum.chandoo.org/threads/free-excel-shortcut-book.32175/