Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies

From Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies by Greg Harvey

Microsoft Excel 2013 gives you access to hot key sequences that keyboard enthusiasts can use to greatly speed up the process of selecting program commands. The first thing to know is that you activate all the Excel 2013 hot keys by pressing the Alt key before you type the various sequences of mnemonic (or not-so-mnemonic) letters.

The great thing about the Ribbon interface is that as soon as you press the Alt key, Excel displays the letter choices on the various tabs and command buttons on the Ribbon to help you figure out what key to press next. Of course, to really save time, you’re better off remembering common hot key sequences and then typing the entire sequence while holding down the Alt key.

Hot Keys for Common Excel 2013 File Menu Commands

Excel 2013 hot keys give you quick access to menu commands when you press the Alt key and then a sequence of letters. The mnemonic letter is F (for File) for the commands on the Excel 2013 File menu in the new Backstage View. Therefore, all you have to remember in the following table is the second letter in the File menu hot key sequence. Unfortunately, not all of these second letters are as easy to associate and remember as Alt+F.

Hot Key	Excel Ribbon Command	Function
Alt+FI	File Menu→Info	Displays the Information screen in the Backstage View where you can see a preview along with statistics about the workbook as well as protect the workbook, check the file for compatibility issues, and manage different versions created by the AutoRecover feature
Alt+FN	File Menu→New	Displays the New screen in the Backstage View where you can open a blank workbook from one of the available templates
Alt+FO	File Menu→Open	Displays the Open screen in the Backstage view where you can select a new Excel workbook to open for editing or printing
Alt+FS	File Menu→Save	Saves changes to a workbook: When you first select this command for a new workbook, Excel displays the Save As screen in the Backstage view where you designate the place to save the file
Alt+FA	File Menu→Save As	Displays the Save As screen in the Backstage View where you designate the place to save the file followed by the Save As dialog box where you can modify the filename and format that the file is saved in
Alt+FP	File Menu→Print	Displays the Print screen in the Backstage View where you can preview the printout and change the print settings before sending the current worksheet, workbook, or cell selection to the printer
Alt+FH	File Menu→Share	Displays the Share screen in the Backstage View where you can invite people to share the workbook or a link to it (provided it has been saved to your SkyDrive), post the workbook to a social network site, e-mail a copy, or link to the file
Alt+FE	File Menu→Export	Displays the Export screen in the Backstage View where you can change the workbook file type or convert it to an Adobe PDF or Microsoft XPS document
Alt+FC	File Menu→Close	Closes the current workbook without exiting Excel
Alt+FD	File Menu→Account	Displays the Account screen in the Backstage View where you modify your user information, select a new background and theme for all Office 2013 programs, and check on and add connected services such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, as well as get statistical information on your version of Office 2013
Alt+FT	File Menu→Options	Displays the Excel Options dialog box in the regular worksheet view where you can change default program settings, modify the buttons on the Quick Access toolbar, and customize the Excel Ribbon

Hot Keys for Common Excel 2013 Editing Commands

If you can remember that H stands for Home, you can remember that Alt+H starts Excel 2013's hot key sequence for commands on the Ribbon's Home tab. The remaining letters in the hot key sequences are not as easy to remember as you might like. Fortunately, the most common editing commands (Cut, Copy, and Paste) still respond to the old Ctrl+key sequences (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V, respectively). If you already know and use the old standbys, you'll find them to be quicker than their Alt+H equivalents.

Hot Key	Excel Ribbon Command	Function
Alt+HVP	Home→Paste→Paste	Pastes the currently cut or copied cell selection or graphic objects in the worksheet
Alt+HX	Home→Cut	Cuts the cell selection or selected graphic objects out of the workbook and places them on the Windows Clipboard
Alt+HC	Home→Copy	Copies the cell selection or selected graphic objects to the Windows Clipboard
Alt+HFP	Home→Format Painter	Activates the Format Painter
Alt+HFO	Home→Clipboard Dialog Box Launcher	Displays and hides the Clipboard task pane
Alt+HII	Home→Insert→Insert Cells	Opens the Insert dialog box so you can indicate the direction in which to shift existing cells to make room for the ones being inserted
Alt+HIR	Home→Insert→Insert Sheet Rows	Inserts blank rows equal to the number of rows in the cell selection
Alt+HIC	Home→Insert→Insert Sheet Columns	Inserts blank columns equal to the number of columns in the cell selection
Alt+HIS	Home→Insert→Insert Sheet	Inserts a new worksheet in the workbook
Alt+HDD	Home→Delete→Delete Cells	Opens the Delete dialog box so you can indicate the direction in which to shift existing cells to replace the ones being deleted
Alt+HDR	Home→Delete→Sheet Rows	Deletes rows equal to the number of rows in the cell selection
Alt+HDC	Home→Delete→Sheet Columns	Deletes columns equal to the number of columns in the cell selection
Alt+HDS	Home→Delete→Sheet	Deletes the current worksheet after warning you of data loss if the sheet contains cell entries
Alt+HEA	Home→Clear→Clear All	Clears the contents, formatting, and comments from the cell selection
Alt+HEF	Home→Clear→Clear Formats	Clears the formatting of the cell selection without removing the contents and comments
Alt+HEC	Home→Clear→Clear Contents	Clears the contents of the cell selection without removing the formatting and comments
Alt+HEM	Home→Clear→Clear Comments	Clears all comments in the cell selection without removing the formatting and contents

Hot Keys for Common Excel 2013 View Commands

The hot key combination for all view-related commands in Excel 2013 is Alt+W (the last letter you see in vieW). Therefore, all the hot keys for switching the Excel worksheet into a new view begin with Alt+W. After you know that, you'll find most of the subsequent letters fairly easy to deal with.

Hot Key	Excel Ribbon Command	Function
Alt+WL	View→Normal View	Returns the worksheet to Normal view from Page Layout or Page Break Preview
Alt+WP	View→Page Layout View	Puts the worksheet into Page Layout view, showing the page breaks, margins, and rulers
Alt+WI	View→Page Break Preview	Puts the worksheet into Page Break Preview, showing pages breaks that you can adjust
Alt+WC	View→Custom View	Opens the Custom Views dialog box, where you can add or display custom views of the worksheet, including zoom settings, frozen panes, windows, and so forth
Alt+WVG	View→Gridlines	Hides and redisplays the row and column gridlines that form the cells in the Worksheet area
Alt+WG	View→Zoom to Selection	Zooms the Worksheet area in or out to the magnification percentage needed to display just the cell selection
Alt+WJ	View→100%	Returns the Worksheet area to the default 100% magnification percentage
Alt+WN	View→New Window	Inserts a new window in the current workbook
Alt+WA	View→Arrange All	Opens the Arrange dialog box, where you can select how workbook windows are displayed on the screen
Alt+WF	View→Freeze Panes	Opens the Freeze Panes drop-down menu, where you select how to freeze rows and columns in the Worksheet area: Freeze Panes (to freeze all the rows above and columns to the left of the cell cursor); Freeze Top Row; or Freeze First Column
Alt+WS	View→Split	Splits the worksheet into four panes using the top and left edge of the cell cursor as the vertical and horizontal dividing lines — press hot keys again to remove all panes
Alt+WH	View→Hide	Hides the current worksheet window or workbook
Alt+WU	View→Unhide	Opens the Unhide dialog box, where you can select the window or workbook to redisplay
Alt+WB	View→View Side by Side	Tiles two open windows or workbooks one above the other for comparison — press the hot keys again to restore the original full windows
Alt+WW	View→Switch Windows	Opens the Switch Windows drop-down menu, where you can select the open window or workbook to make active

Hot Keys for Common Excel 2013 Formula Commands

All the hot key sequences for selecting the most common formula-related commands in Excel 2013 begin with the sequence Alt+M — the M in forMulas was the only mnemonic still available. After you know to press Alt+M to access one of the commands on the Formula tab of the Ribbon, it's pretty easy sailing, if for no other reason than the commands on the Formula tab are pretty evenly and logically laid out.

Hot Keys	Excel Ribbon Command	Function
Alt+MF	Formulas→Insert Function	Opens the Insert Function dialog box (same as clicking the Insert Function button on the Formula bar)
Alt+MUS	Formulas→AutoSum→Sum (Alt+=)	Selects the occupied range above the cell cursor and inserts SUM formula to total the range
Alt+MUA	Formulas→AutoSum→Average	Selects the occupied range above the cell cursor and inserts AVERAGE formula to calculate the average of total in the range
Alt+MUC	Formulas→AutoSum→Count Numbers	Selects the occupied range above the cell cursor and inserts COUNT formula to count the number of values in the range
Alt+MI	Formulas→Financial	Opens a drop-down menu listing all Financial functions — click name to insert function into current cell
Alt+ME	Formulas→Date & Time	Opens a drop-down menu listing all Date and Time functions — click name to insert function into current cell
Alt+MN	Formulas→Name Manager	Opens the Name Manager dialog box showing all range names in the workbook, where you can add, edit, and delete names
Alt+MMD	Formulas→Define Name	Opens New Name dialog box, where you can assign a name to the cell selection or define a new constant
Alt+MS	Formulas→Use in Formula	Displays drop-down menu with range names in the workbook that you can insert into current formula by clicking
Alt+MC	Formulas→Create from Selection	Opens Create Names from Selection dialog box, where you indicate which rows and columns to use in naming cell selection
Alt+MH	Formulas→Show Formulas (Ctrl+`)	Displays and then hides all formulas in cells of the worksheet
Alt+MXA	Formulas→Options→Automatic	Turns automatic recalculation back on
Alt+MXE	Formulas→Options→Automatic Except for Data Tables	Turns automatic recalculation back on for all parts of the worksheet except for ranges with Data Tables
Alt+MXM	Formulas→Options→Manual	Turns on manual recalculation
Alt+MB	Formulas→Calculate Now (F9)	Recalculates formulas throughout the entire workbook when manual recalculation is turned on
Alt+MJ	Formulas→Calculate Sheet (Shift+F9)	Recalculates formulas in the current worksheet when manual recalculation is turned on