For questions related to the use of the alt keyboard meta-key
The Alternate, ALT or ⎇ keyboard key is a metakey used to access various keyboard shortcuts on Windows, Linux and other operating systems.
For the Macintosh equivalent, please see:
Questions tagged [alt]
40 questions
95
votes
5 answers
Altgr randomly stops working on windows 8
usually AltGr Works fine on my computer but latelly it stops working. I can still use Ctrl+Alt but it's a pain as I need it to write {} and I'm a c# programmer :S
Any idea on what can happen? If I reboot the laptop everything Works fine. It's not a…
Ignacio Soler Garcia
- 2,095
24
votes
0 answers
Why are the keys named Ctrl & Alt?
Possible Duplicate:
What are the origins of the control and alt keys?
I use these keys often as modifiers for shortcuts including the infamous copy and paste and some tab-switching but I don't understand why they're named Ctrl and Alt.
Why are…
Gio Borje
- 395
24
votes
4 answers
Use ALT to move windows in Windows like in Linux
In most Linux window managers, one can use the Alt key while clicking and dragging to rearrange windows. This is one of my favorite features of Linux window managers.
Is there a way to do this in Windows 7?
Corey D
- 437
19
votes
3 answers
What are the origins of the control and alt keys?
Crtl and alt have become common place on just about any computer keyboard sold anywhere in the world (I even saw a picture of them on a typewriter...). But what were these sacred modifier keys first used for? What's the difference between them and…
Gordon Gustafson
- 2,217
11
votes
3 answers
How to use the ALT key in a Virtual Box guest session?
I'm running a Virtualbox session of Windows XP (guest) from a Sabayon GNU/Linux system (host).
I'm doing projects with Adobe Illustrator CS2 and some of the functionallity is accessed with left mouse click and the ALT key.
But it seems the ALT key…
q9f
- 1,192
11
votes
7 answers
Why does the Alt+Space keyboard shorcut not work on Windows 10 to open system menu?
From Windows 3.1 (probably earlier) all the way to Windows 8.1, when I'm in a program, if I press Alt+Space, I get the system menu (the menu popup which has menu items like Restore, Move, Size, Maximize, Minimize).
Now, after 25+ years using…
anjanbacchu
- 1,457
9
votes
4 answers
How to type alt codes with no numpad?
I have a laptop (Windows 10) with no numpad, so cannot use alt codes to type special characters. I purchased a bluetooth numpad, but it does not seem to work either.
How do I make this work?
Michael Duncan
- 151
7
votes
1 answer
How to bindkey alt+key in OSX
I am using oh-my-zsh configuration which has some handy bindkey condiguration. For example: "^[B" backward-word. On Linux I can use it with ease, but on OSX when I press alt-B i get some chars instead moving cursor. Can I configure somehow shortcuts…
Sebastian
- 173
4
votes
4 answers
Disable alt-menu in Windows 8
On the keyboard when you press the "Alt" in the active window there appears an alternate menu:
Can you please tell me how to disable this feature without disable the key, because it is used to switch the language, and a few functions?
SomeNameDub
- 41
3
votes
1 answer
MATE: Alt key focusing application's menu
One of things I like in Windows is that in almost every app I can press Alt, and app's main menu becomes focused. Unfortunately this doesn't work in MATE. (I use Linux Mint 13, if that matters).
I know that I can press Alt+ (say, Alt+F to…
Dmitry Frank
- 1,134
3
votes
0 answers
Send Alt-F1 and Alt-F2 keystrokes from PuTTY
I've set up an Bitvise SSH server in Windows 7 and it works well except I can't control FAR Manager from PuTTY by sending Alt-F1 and Alf-F2 keystrokes. What to do?
Paul
- 986
2
votes
1 answer
Make Firefox act like other browsers: keep AltGr as Alt for default shortcuts no matter the keyboard layout
I have realized this is happening in Windows 10 as well as Linux, so I'm posting here.
I need to use AltGr in Firefox mainly as shortcut with back and forward arrows — for previous and forward page/address, something which is default in Firefox as…
cipricus
- 1,479
2
votes
1 answer
On long Windows 7 uptimes, Alt-Gr loses functions
I have very long Windows 7 uptimes - many weeks. I would have them much longer - I need it for my workflows.
The only trouble which forces me to restart: Alt-Gr loses its function, and then I can't have signs like @ or €. After rebooting the OS,…
Evgeniy
- 226
2
votes
1 answer
Pressing right alt causes shutdown
I have an issue with almost* clean installation of Windows 10 Pro (version 1607) on Lenovo Thinkpad T420 which is in our domain.
Issue is if I press right alt for more than (about) 0.5s the laptop starts shutting down! (But if you have open some…
1
vote
1 answer
Why are my Alt codes in Windows 11 showing the wrong character?
I tried to do Alt+255 in Windows 11 laptop to make an invisible character for my file name, but it results in ÿ. Why is it doing this? How?
All my other stuff are fine, like Alt+0146 for ’ instead of '(apostrophe), 0145 for ‘(backwards tilted…
