HOW TO: Configure a System Policy Setting to Disable a Predefined Shortcut Key in Office XP (309317)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office XP Professional
  • Microsoft Office XP Standard
  • Microsoft Office XP Developer
  • Microsoft Office XP Small Business
  • Microsoft Office XP Students and Teachers

This article was previously published under Q309317

SUMMARY

Many Office commands have corresponding shortcut keys. When you disable a specific menu command and toolbar button through a policy, users can still press the shortcut key to run the command. To make the option completely unavailable, you must also disable the shortcut key. This article describes how you can disable the shortcut key by configuring a system policy setting.

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Disable a Predefined Shortcut Key with a Policy Setting

In order to disable predefined (built-in) and custom shortcut keys for commands in Microsoft Office XP, you must know how to type the shortcut key ID into the System Policy Editor. Several built-in shortcut keys are listed in the Predefined category of most application policy templates.

To disable a predefined shortcut key with a policy:
  1. Start the System Policy Editor.
  2. Double-click the policy profile that you want to work with.
  3. Expand the Office application node (click the plus [+] sign, or double-click the application name) that contains the built-in shortcut key that you want to disable.
  4. Expand the Disable items in user interface node.
  5. Expand the Predefined node.
  6. Select the Disable shortcut keys check box.
  7. In the Settings for Disable shortcut keys work area, select the check box next to the shortcut key that you want to disable.

    For example, select the CTRL+K (Insert Hyperlink) check box to disable the shortcut key for the Hyperlink command (on the Insert menu) in Word.
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Troubleshooting

When you create this policy and place it on your domain controller, this means that when users log on, their logon process automatically enforces the settings that are found in the policy file to their computers. The information in the policy file is used to create the following string registry entry on users' computers:

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Excel\DisabledShortcutKeysCheckBoxes

Value name: InsertHyperlink

Data type: REG_SZ (string)

Value data: "<virtual key code>,<key code modifier>"

When Microsoft Excel starts, it examines this registry setting and verifies whether there is a value present. If the entry is "75,8", Excel turns off the hyperlink shortcut key. If the value is later changed to "0", Excel turns on the hyperlink shortcut key. You can use any value name in this registry key and supply an appropriate shortcut key code combination, and the shortcut key will be turned off.

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Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/3/2006
Keywords:kbHOWTOmaster KB309317 kbAudITPro