Using ALT key to select a block (Word 2000 )

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OK it’s not something I do a lot. However, in all previous versions of Word I have found the block select really useful. Alas I recently tried it in Windows 2000 and nothing! . I hold down ALT and then select with mouse or arrow keys. The help menu indicates that I should be able to do this. Does anyone know what is going on?
TIA
Brian

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Unless I misunderstand, it’s not the ALT key, but the SHIFT key. Otherwise, could you explain WHERE in the help file it says you should be able to do this?

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No, actually it is the ALT key, and if you hold this down while you click at the top left of a block of text and drag to the bottom right, it will highlight the rectangle encompassed by the two points, not just all the text on the lines between start and end. Very useful for highlighting a tabbed column and moving/removing it without affecting the columns either side.

However, I am worried to hear it’s not in W2k – I shall be checking this as soon as I get home tonight (we use W97 here)!

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It most assuredly is in Word 2000. I just used it a minute ago. What ticks me off is that it doesn’t work in the VBA editor.

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Now you’ve got me What could you possibly do in the VBA editor that this function would be useful for?? Taking part of several lines of text and pasting them there would cause all sorts of errors!

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How about:

Selecting a list of Properties or variables in your code without highlighting their values, in order to copy and paste the list somewhere else, then type in the values you want to set or assign.

Selecting blocks of code skipping the comments, depending on how the code has been layed out.

FWIW

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Sometimes I grab a chunk of code out of the quoted section of a newsgroup post, and it has > signs all down the left margin. My newsreader doesn’t support block select, so the code still has that garbage when I paste it into the VBA editor. Instant mass syntax error!

It’s fairly easy to get rid of the junk with F&R, but block select would be quicker and easier.

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Ah, I see! I must admit that one was confusing me!

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I have always used ctrl+alt while dragging. This works in XP, too.

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NO the ALT key is the one, and it works exactly as Beryl mentions. Quite a handy little highlighting feature that is documented in Word in Help, look for the topic: Select text and graphics by using the mouse.

There you will find at the bottom:
A vertical block of text (except within a table cell)
Hold down ALT, and then drag over the text.

Works Great!

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Hi
It is indeed the Alt key. I meant the vertical block select (I also said Windows 2000 instead of Word 2000 – – oops). Its a wee gem when you want to select just a rectangle anywhere on the page and you can apply special formatting etc. However, mine doesn’t work and I’m trying to track it down. The help file for Word 2000 definitely says I should be able to do this.
Cheers
Brian

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Does the Alt block select functionality not work with either Alt key?
If it works with one and not the other, consider keyboard replacement.

Good luck
Bob_D

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Hi Bob_D
Neither ALT key works for this feature. I ran through and printed out all the possible key assignments in Word and other programs but I cannot find any that would be using the ALT key (plus mouse or direction arrow) exclusively. All the other ALT + features are working as far as I’ve tried so this is a bit of a mystery.
Cheers
Brian

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I have had this problem as well (Word 2K) – but it is usually traceable to whether I hold down the mouse button or the ALT key first – you might try experimenting there

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Good point.
On some days (the ones where your hands feel like they have boxing gloves on) that may well have been the case. Alas this was not hapening here as I tried about every possible key combination. No matter! The problem is now solved thanks to BAM.
Thanks for your input though
Cheers Brian

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Thanks for your suggestion. Ctrl + Shift + F8 definitely locks the cursor bar (i.e. it stops blinking) but using the mouse or arrow keys in every which way only gives the usual highlighted block and not the rectangle I wanted. I tried the other 4 PCs in the office and the Alt select works on them all. Something must have been changed on mine or some program is interfering. I will just have to try and track it down . Where to begin though?
Cheers Brian

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Thanks. Winword /a did the business. Once loaded the new session of Word worked as it should. I can now select blocks all over the place. I can now use ALt+ mouse, Alt+ arrows and Ctrl+Shift+F8. I assume one or more of my customisations has altered the normal keyboard mapping. I will try and find the cause unless you have a likely suggestion.
Once again I appreciate your help in solving this small but interesting problem. It seems like a lot of other folks got something out of it too!
Cheers
Brian

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That’s what I do, too. But if block select worked in the VBE, I wouldn’t have to do a two-step shuffle. Surely MS knows that programmers are the laziest folk on the face of the planet — we’ll work all day to avoid two extra keystrokes!

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Many thanks for your reply. Here are the results of your various pointers.

Global Templates and Add Ins

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I did the same thing with my home PC (ie merging the ‘corrupt’ registry key) but everything still worked normally.
The day I discovered the add-in I don’t think I rebooted so that may well have been the answer.
Anyway I suppose I should now tie a knot in this long thread. Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.
Cheers
Brian

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