MacOFF: "The F1 Through F15 Keys Can Be Set Up to Open..." Dialog Box Appears When You Press OPTION+Function Key (277025)


The information in this article applies to:

  • the operating system: Mac OS 9.0
  • Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2001 for Macintosh
  • Microsoft Word 2001 for Macintosh
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q277025

SYMPTOMS

When you press the OPTION key and a function key, the following dialog box appears:

The F1 through F15 keys can be set up to open an application, document, server, or other item, such as an AppleScript.

You can set up the F1 through F15 keys in the Keyboard control panel.

Do you want to open the Keyboard control panel now?

The choices are Open and Cancel. If you click Open, the Hot Function Keys dialog box in the Keyboard control panel opens. By default, the Use F1 through F15 as Hot Function Keys. (When this is selected, hold down the Option Key to use Hot Keys.) check box is selected in the Function Key Settings.

If you clear this check box, close the dialog box, close the Keyboard control panel, and then start the Office 2001 program, the key combination of OPTION+<function key> should work as expected. However, when you press a function key such as F9, the The F1 through F15 keys can be set up dialog box appears again, and the function keys do not work as expected. In either case, some functionality of the function keys is disabled, and The F1 through F15 keys can be set up dialog box continues to appear.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if your computer has a USB keyboard and is running Macintosh OS 9.x.

If your computer has a USB keyboard and is running Macintosh OS 9.x, the function keys can be reset on the operating system level to create custom actions either by themselves or when combined with the OPTION key. The dialog box that offers hot key functionality may prevent the use of built-in commands in Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac programs that use the OPTION key plus a function key or the function keys by themselves.

RESOLUTION

To prevent the continued appearance of the The F1 through F15 keys can be set up dialog box, and to enable the use of function keys within the Office 2001 programs, follow these steps:
  1. In the dialog box that displays the The F1 through F15 keys can be set up message, click to select the Do not show this dialog box again check box.
  2. Click Open.
  3. In the Hot Function Keys dialog box, make sure that the Use F1 through F15 as Hot Function Keys check box is selected, and then click OK.
  4. Close the Keyboard control panel.

MORE INFORMATION

If the function keys or the combination OPTION+<function key> does not work as expected, and The F1 through F15 keys can be set up dialog box no longer appears, reset the Hotkey Preferences by following these steps:
  1. Quit all programs.
  2. Move the Hotkey Preferences file from the System Folder:Preferences to the Trash.
  3. Empty the Trash, and then restart your computer.

Examples of Commands That Use the OPTION Key Plus a Function Key

   OPTION+F11      Display Visual Basic Editor 
                        (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
   OPTION+F9       Turn on or off a formula or value in a table (Word)
   OPTION+F8       Display the Macro dialog box (Word, Excel)
   OPTION+F7       Check spelling (Word)
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/14/2002
Keywords:kbprb KB277025
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