MS Access: General Shortcut Keys
The following is a list of general shortcuts or hot keys in Access:
| Key Sequence | Description |
|---|---|
| F1 | Display the Microsoft Access Help. This may be context-sensitive help depending on what you are positioned on. |
| F11 | Display the Database window. |
| F12 | Open the Save As dialog box. |
| CTRL+N | Open a new database. |
| CTRL+O | Open an existing database. |
| CTRL+P | Print the current or selected object. |
| CTRL+S | Save the current database object. |
| CTRL+W | Close the active window. |
| ALT+SPACEBAR | Display the Control menu. |
| ALT+F11 | Toggle between the Visual Basic editor and the Access Database window. |
| SHIFT+F10 | Display the shortcut menu (ie: popup menu). |
Frequently used shortcuts
This table itemizes the most frequently used shortcuts in Access desktop databases.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Select the active tab of the ribbon and activate KeyTips | Alt or F10 (to move to a different tab, use KeyTips or the arrow keys) |
| Open the Home tab | Alt+H |
| Open the Tell me box on the ribbon | Alt+Q, and then enter the search term |
| Display the shortcut menu for the selected item | Shift+F10 |
| Move the focus to a different pane of the window | F6 |
| Open an existing database | Ctrl+O or Ctrl+F12 |
| Show or hide the Navigation Pane | F11 |
| Show or hide a property sheet | F4 |
| Switch between Edit mode (with insertion point displayed) and Navigation mode in the Datasheet or Design view | F2 |
| Switch to Form view from the form Design view | F5 |
| Move to the next or previous field in the Datasheet view | The Tab key or Shift+Tab |
| Go to a specific record in the Datasheet view | Alt+F5 (then, in the record number box, type the record number and press Enter) |
| Open the Print dialog box from Print (for datasheets, forms, and reports) | Ctrl+P |
| Open the Page Setup dialog box (for forms and reports) | S |
| Zoom in or out on a part of the page | Z |
| Open the Find tab in the Find and Replace dialog box in the Datasheet view or Form view | Ctrl+F |
| Open the Replace tab in the Find and Replace dialog box in the Datasheet view or Form view | Ctrl+H |
| Add a new record in Datasheet view or Form view | Ctrl+Plus Sign (+) |
| Open the Help window | F1 |
| Exit Access | Alt+F4 |
The following table lists ways to move the focus by using the keyboard:
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Select the active tab of the ribbon and activate KeyTips | Alt or F10 (to move to a different tab, use KeyTips or the arrow keys) |
| Move the focus to commands on the ribbon | The Tab key or Shift+Tab |
| Move down, up, left, or right, respectively, among the items on the ribbon | The Down, Up, Left, or Right arrow key |
| Expand or collapse the ribbon | Ctrl+F1 |
| Display the shortcut menu for the selected item | Shift+F10 |
| Move the focus to a different pane of the window | F6 |
| Move to the next or previous command on the ribbon | The Tab key or Shift+Tab |
| Activate the selected command or control on the ribbon | Spacebar or Enter |
| Open the selected menu or gallery on the ribbon | Spacebar or Enter |
| Open the selected list on the ribbon, such as the Font list | The Down arrow key |
| Move between items in an open menu or gallery | The Tab key |
| Finish modifying a value in a control on the ribbon, and move the focus back to the document | Enter |
Open and save databases
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Open a new database | Ctrl+N |
| Open an existing database | Ctrl+O or Ctrl+F12 |
| Open the selected folder or file | Enter |
| Open the folder one level above the selected folder | Backspace |
| Delete the selected folder or file | Delete |
| Display a shortcut menu for a selected item such as a folder or file | Shift+F10 |
| Move forward through options | Tab |
| Move backward through options | Shift+Tab |
| Open the Look in list | F4 or Alt+I |
| Save a database object | Ctrl+S or Shift+F12 |
| Open the Save As dialog box | F12 or Alt+F+S |
Print database information
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Print the current or selected object | Ctrl+P |
| From Print Preview, open the Print dialog box | P or Ctrl+P |
| From Print Preview, open the Page Setup dialog box | S |
| Cancel Print Preview or Layout Preview | C or Esc |
| From the Backstage, return to your database | Esc |
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
| Show or hide the Navigation Pane | F11 |
| Go to Search box in the Navigation Pane (if the focus is already on the Navigation Pane) | Ctrl+F |
| Switch to the next or previous pane in the workspace
Note: You might need to press F6 more than once; if pressing F6 doesn’t display the task pane you want, press Alt to move the focus on the ribbon and then press Ctrl+Tab to move to the task pane. |
F6 or Shift+F6 |
| Switch to the next or previous database window | Ctrl+F6 or Ctrl+Shift+F6 |
| Restore the selected minimized window when all windows are minimized | Enter |
| Turn on Resize mode for the active window when it is not maximized | Ctrl+F8 (press the arrow keys to resize the window, and then, to apply the new size, press Enter) |
| Close the active database window | Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4 |
| Switch between the Visual Basic Editor and the previous active window | Alt+F11 |
| Maximize or restore a selected window. | Ctrl+F10 |
Use dialog boxes
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Switch to the next or previous tab in a dialog box | Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Shift+Tab |
| Switch to the previous tab in a dialog box | Ctrl+Shift+Tab |
| Move to the next or previous option or option group | The Tab key or Shift+Tab |
| Move between options in the selected drop-down list box, or move between options in a group of options | Arrow keys |
| Perform the action assigned to the selected button; select or clear the check box | Spacebar |
| Open the list if it is closed and move to an option in the list | First letter of an option in a drop-down list |
| Select the option, or select or clear the check box by the letter underlined in the option name | Alt+letter key |
| Open the selected drop-down list box | Alt+Down arrow |
| Close the selected drop-down list box | Esc |
| Perform the action assigned to the default button in the dialog box | Enter |
| Cancel the command and close the dialog box | Esc |
Use wizards
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Toggle the focus forward between controls in the wizard | The Tab key |
| Toggle the focus between sections (header, body, footer) of the wizard | F6 |
| Move to the next page of the wizard | Alt+N |
| Move to the previous page of the wizard | Alt+B |
| Complete the wizard | Alt+F |
