Windows Custom Shortcut Keys Not Working

November 9th, 2007
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On any shortcut, if you right-click, you can set the properties for a shortcut key. Type Shift+Alt+anyletter and assign that shortcut. But when you type Shift+Alt+thatkey it does nothing. What am I missing?- Greg N.

Greg, it sounds like you created your shortcut in the wrong place. Shortcut keys can only be assigned to shortcuts that exist on your desktop.

Furthermore, they will quit working if you move the shortcut from the desktop after creating them.

You should also note that creating a shortcut key combination before moving a shortcut to the desktop will also result in failure.

Finally, if you create an invalid shortcut key combination, be sure to clear it before attempting to recreate it correctly.

If you still have problems, it could be a problem with your Start menu settings.

  1. Right-click your Start menu and choose Properties… to open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
  2. On the Start Menu tab, be sure that the Start menu radio button is selected and then click the Customize… button to open the Customize Start Menu dialog.
  3. At the bottom of the Advanced tab, be sure that the List my most recently opened documents option is enabled.

The same issue can arise if you have set the Remove Frequently-Used Programs List from Start Menu Policy Setting.

This occurs as the result of a code dependency between shortcut keys and the Start menu MRUs. This is a known issue and a support fix was included in Service Pack 2. Be sure that you have the latest service packs installed to avoid this problem.

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2 Responses to “Windows Custom Shortcut Keys Not Working”

  1. TooCrooked Says:

    i’ve always wondered why this is. there should have been a LOT MORE documentation and help information regarding shortcuts. MS fails yet again.

  2. Nilpo Says:

    That’s pretty typical of Microsoft. They’ve got their hands in so many different areas that they never have enough time to thoroughly document everything.

    Not to worry though. That’s why there’s Nilpo.com.

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