Special characters on laptop without numeric keypad

  • Thread starter Thread starter LurfysMa
  • Start date Start date
On some laptops, you hold down the function (Fn) and the Alt key and use the
M, J, K, L, U, I, O, 7, 8, 9 keys that have the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 0 on them. With others, to activate those keys, it is necessary to
use the Fn key and a Num Lk to turn on the numeric function of those keys
and then use them in conjunction with the Alt Key.

You can also insert them via the Insert>Symbol dialog and for most of them,
there is keyboard shortcut displayed there when you select each symbol.
--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP
 
On some laptops, you hold down the function (Fn) and the Alt key and use the
M, J, K, L, U, I, O, 7, 8, 9 keys that have the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 0 on them. With others, to activate those keys, it is necessary to
use the Fn key and a Num Lk to turn on the numeric function of those keys
and then use them in conjunction with the Alt Key.

You can also insert them via the Insert>Symbol dialog and for most of them,
there is keyboard shortcut displayed there when you select each symbol.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. It turns out that my laptop (HP Omnibook 6000) has
a "Keypad Lock" feature that is activated by Fn+F8. Once activated,
the Alt+0nnn works using the imbedded numeric keypad as you suggested.

Thanks
 
Fri, 21 Oct 2005 20:11:27 -0700 from LurfysMa
Is there a way to enter the Alt+0xxx codes on a laptop without a
numeric keypad?
Click to expand...

(1) In Microsoft Word, use the hex (not decimal) codes and then press
Alt-X afterward.

(2) Does your laptop (like mine) have an Fn key? You may be able to
enter the characters without shifting into numeric mode by pressing
Alt+Fn simultaneously; it works for me (except in Word). For
instance, to get the degree mark I press and hold Alt+Fn, press M
(0), J (1), 7, O (6), and release Alt+Fn: °. I don't use the top row,
but the characters that would be the numeric keypad if I were in
numeric mode.

Otherwise, a third-party application is needed. Allchars seems to be
a popular recommendation, though I haven't installed it myself.
 
Fri, 21 Oct 2005 20:11:27 -0700 from LurfysMa


(1) In Microsoft Word, use the hex (not decimal) codes and then press
Alt-X afterward.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean. The degree character is Ascii 176 or Hex
"B0". I tried typing "B" then "0" then Alt-X. Didn't work. Is that
what you meant?
(2) Does your laptop (like mine) have an Fn key? You may be able to
enter the characters without shifting into numeric mode by pressing
Alt+Fn simultaneously; it works for me (except in Word). For
instance, to get the degree mark I press and hold Alt+Fn, press M
(0), J (1), 7, O (6), and release Alt+Fn: °. I don't use the top row,
but the characters that would be the numeric keypad if I were in
numeric mode.
Click to expand...

I was able to get this to work.
 
Hex is 00B0.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
This method works only in Word 2002 and above. But you can still insert the
character in a number of other ways. In Word, the built-in keyboard shortcut
is Ctrl+@, Spacebar.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
This method works only in Word 2002 and above.
Click to expand...

Oh, OK. I will be upgrading soon, so I'll try it then.
But you can still insert the
character in a number of other ways. In Word, the built-in keyboard shortcut
is Ctrl+@, Spacebar.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was aware of that for the degree symbol. I was interested in a
general solution for any special character. Thanks.
 
Sun, 23 Oct 2005 11:33:11 -0700 from LurfysMa
I'm not sure what you mean. The degree character is Ascii 176 or Hex
"B0". I tried typing "B" then "0" then Alt-X. Didn't work.
Click to expand...

"Didn't work" doesn't give us much to go on. What happened?

(I just tried it, and it works fine for me. Word 2003 -- maybe this
feature isn't in Word 2000?)
 
Sun, 23 Oct 2005 15:28:37 -0500 from Suzanne S. Barnhill
Hex is 00B0.
Click to expand...

Leading zeroes aren't needed in hex/Alt-X, only in Alt+decimal. (I've
just confirmed this with a test.)

http://oakroadsystems.com/tech/winxptip.htm#Unicode lists the
possibilities for all Windows XP, not specifically for Word.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
A: Maybe because some people are too annoyed by top-posting.
Q: Why do I not get an answer to my question(s)?
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
 
Sun, 23 Oct 2005 14:18:47 -0700 from LurfysMa
What exactly do I type?

I tried "00b0" and then alt-X.
Click to expand...

When I answered your question earlier, I forgot that I already had a
much better explanation on my Web page, here:

http://oakroadsystems.com/tech/winxptip.htm#Unicode

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
A: Maybe because some people are too annoyed by top-posting.
Q: Why do I not get an answer to my question(s)?
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
 
Sun, 23 Oct 2005 11:33:11 -0700 from LurfysMa


"Didn't work" doesn't give us much to go on. What happened?
Click to expand...

Nothing happened.
(I just tried it, and it works fine for me. Word 2003 -- maybe this
feature isn't in Word 2000?)
Click to expand...

That's my guess
 
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