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Excel - keyboard combination 1

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kjmast

Instructor
Aug 8, 2003
23
US
Hi all

Does anyone know if there is a keyboard combination already assigned in Excel to activate manual calculation? Someone here activated it on a shared file but swears they did not go to Tools, Options...didn't know if they might have hit a combination of keys to accidentally activate it. Thanks for your help.....
 
Don't know of a keyboard shortcut for setting Manual Calculation.

However, one possibility to check out...
that the user created and forgot about a keyboard shortcut for a macro (example below) located in his/her PERSONAL.xls file.

Sub Manual_Calc()
Application.Calculation = xlManual
End Sub

Hope this helps.

Regards, Dale Watson
 
Thanks very much for the response Dale. I will check on that immediately to see if it exists.
 
After focusing on this, I suspect the above scenario could happen to others. So here's a little follow-up info.

If the macro has been activated (from the PERSONAL.xls Workbook), BEFORE opening an EXISTING workbook, it will NOT automatically change the Automatic Calculation of the newly opened Workbook to Manual.

However, AFTER opened, ***ALL OPEN Workbooks*** are at risk of having Calculation set to Manual IF and when the macro is accidentally activated.

*AND*... if the Workbooks are saved with Calculation set to Manual, the Manual setting will be "retained" - until the setting is re-set back to Automatic.

For anyone who needs to know how to check for such a macro in the PERSONAL.xls workbook, here are the steps:

1) From the menu, use: Window - UnHide, and unhide the PERSONAL.xls Workbook.

2) Use <Alt> <F8> (Hold down <Alt> key and hit <F8> key.
This will bring up the "Macro" window.

3) If macros exist, they will appear on the left-side.

4) Click on each of the macros, one-at-a-time, and as you do so, click on "Options" (bottom-right-corner).

5) In the "Macro Options" window, any shortcut key assigned will show under "Shortcut Key".

6) If you want to Delete the Shortcut, use the <Delete> key, and then click the "OK" button.

7) To finish-up, you'll probably want to re-hide the PERSONAL.xls Workbook.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Dale Watson
 
hmmm - unles you count alt+t o c alt+t as a keyboard shortcut I'd have to say no......

I'd be more inclined to think your user is lying ;-)
 
For clarification, the shortcut options via the <Alt> <F8> method, include using ANY character of the alphabet.

If the character is lowercase, one only needs to activate is by holding down <Ctrl> and hit the character.

If the character is UPPERCASE, then one only needs to activate it by holdown down BOTH <Ctrl> and <Shift> while hitting the character.

When considering use of the <Ctrl> key, however, it's IMPORTANT to note that use of any of the "regular" <Ctrl>+character functions should preferably NOT be used. For example, if you were to assign <Ctrl> c to a macro, it would then prevent you from using <Ctrl> c for copying. The same applies to other common ones like <Ctrl> v for pasting, <Ctrl> f for Find, <Ctrl> h for Replace, <Ctrl> b for Bold, i for Italics, u for Underline, etc. These are lowercase. You could use UPPERCASE without any conflict.

Yet another option for activation, is the use of the <Alt> key - but use of the <Alt> key only becomes possible once a user sets up a macro icon on a toolbar - and assigns a macro stored in the PERSONAL.xls file.

By changing the icon to "Text Only Always", and using the & character before the letter you wish to use to activate the macro, it's only matter of holding down <Alt> while you hit (accidentally or intentionally) the character. This method also allows for use of characters other than the alphabet.

Hope this helps clarify the situation.

Regards, Dale Watson
 
Hi kjmast,

I'm curious to know the results of your investigation - regarding whether "Manual Calculation" was accidentally activated with a Keyboard Shortcut from a macro in the PERSONAL.xls file.

Thanks, Dale Watson
 
Hi Dale

My apologies for the very late response. Did not find anything in the personal.xls file. I have to agree with the sentiment that the user just isn't being up front with me. But, thanks for your help...I've filed your suggestions away for future use.
 
If you have a workbook in the workspace with manual calculation, subsequent workbooks being opened will have their calculation modes set to manual too.

Cheers, Glenn.

Did you hear about the literalist show-jumper? He broke his nose jumping against the clock.
 
Just to clarify, it is the first workbook opened in an instance of Excel that determines the calculation status of subsequent workbooks opened in that instance, so if the user has any workbooks in an Excel start up directory, or perchance had somehow set their personal.xls to manual and then saved it like that (meaning it will be the first to open every time), then Excel will appear to always run in manual mode until changed.

See here also:-

Regards
Ken..............

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[peace]It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission[2thumbsup]
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Why thank you kind sir :)

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[peace]It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission[2thumbsup]
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