The Ctrl Button Functions in Excel - Compute Expert

The Ctrl Button Functions in Excel


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In this tutorial, you will learn what things you can do by using the Ctrl button in excel.

When working in excel, we might want to do many functions much faster so we can do our work productively. The Ctrl button in your keyboard can help you do that as it is used in many shortcuts that you can utilize in excel. You just need to know what other buttons you should press so you can perform those tasks that you want.

Want to know what we can use the Ctrl button for in excel and what buttons should we press it with? Read this tutorial until its last part!

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The Ctrl Button Functions in Excel (+A to Z)

First, let us see what excel tasks we can do by combining the press of the Ctrl button with the A to Z button on our keyboard. Note that this only works if you use excel in Windows, though.

Here are the details in a table.

ButtonsDescription
Ctrl + ASelect the whole worksheet
Ctrl + BToggle bold
Ctrl + CCopy selected cells
Ctrl + DDuplicate objects
Ctrl + EFlash fill (From excel 2013)
Ctrl + FShow the “Find and Replace” dialog box (Find)
Ctrl + GShow the “Go To” dialog box
Ctrl + HShow the “Find and Replace” dialog box (Replace)
Ctrl + IToggle italic
Ctrl + JInsert a line break character
Ctrl + KAdd a hyperlink
Ctrl + LInsert a table
Ctrl + M-
Ctrl + NCreate a new workbook file
Ctrl + OOpen a workbook file
Ctrl + PPrint file
Ctrl + QExit excel
Ctrl + RFill the active cell with content from the cell on its left
Ctrl + SSave a workbook file
Ctrl + TInsert a table
Ctrl + UToggle underline
Ctrl + VPaste from the clipboard
Ctrl + WClose the current workbook
Ctrl + XCut selected cells
Ctrl + YRedo the last canceled action
Ctrl + ZUndo the last action





Other Ctrl Button Functions in Excel

Besides letter buttons, you can also combine the Ctrl button with some other buttons to perform specific tasks. Here are those buttons with the task they can perform when you press them with the Ctrl button.

ButtonsDescription
Ctrl + 1Show the “Format Cells” dialog box
Ctrl + 2Toggle bold
Ctrl + 3Toggle italic
Ctrl + 4Toggle underline
Ctrl + 5Toggle strikethrough
Ctrl + 6Show/hide objects
Ctrl + 8Show/hide outline symbols
Ctrl + 9Hide selected rows
Ctrl + F1Expand/collapse the ribbon
Ctrl + F2Open the print preview
Ctrl + F3Open the name manager
Ctrl + F4Close the current workbook
Ctrl + F5Restore the window size of the current workbook
Ctrl + F6Move to the next workbook
Ctrl + F7Enter the “Move” mode of the workbook window if it isn’t maximized
Ctrl + F8Enter the “Resize” mode of the workbook window if it isn’t maximized
Ctrl + F9Minimize the window of the current workbook
Ctrl + F10Restore the window size of the current workbook
Ctrl + F11Insert a Macro sheet into the current workbook
Ctrl + F12Show the “Open” window
Ctrl + →Move to the most right cell of the current data region
Ctrl + ←Move to the most left cell of the current data region
Ctrl + ↓Move to the bottom cell of the current data region
Ctrl + ↑Move to the top cell of the current data region
Ctrl + HomeMove to the top left cell of the current data region
Ctrl + EndMove to the bottom right cell of the current data region
Ctrl + G + EnterMove back to the hyperlink
Ctrl + Shift + →Extend selection to the most right cell of the current data region
Ctrl + Shift + ←Extend selection to the most left cell of the current data region
Ctrl + Shift + ↑Extend selection to the bottom cell of the current data region
Ctrl + Shift + ↓Extend selection to the top cell of the current data region
Ctrl + Shift + HomeExtend selection to the top left cell of the current data region
Ctrl + Shift + EndExtend selection to the bottom right cell of the current data region
Ctrl + ClickSelect what you click with the currently selected ones simultaneously
Ctrl + DragDrag and duplicate
Ctrl + ;Input the current date
Ctrl + Shift + :Input the current time
Ctrl + Ctrl + Scroll the Mouse Wheel UpZoom in
Ctrl + Ctrl + Scroll the Mouse Wheel DownZoom out
Ctrl + Page DownMove to the next worksheet
Ctrl + Page UpMove to the previous worksheet
Ctrl + TabMove to the next workbook
Ctrl + Shift + TabMove to the previous workbook
Ctrl + SpasiSelect the whole columns of the active cells
Ctrl + BackspaceShow the active cell in the current worksheet
Ctrl + .Move the active cell clockwise in a cell range selection
Ctrl + Alt + →Move the active cell to the right in between non-adjacent cells/cell ranges
Ctrl + Alt + ←Move the active cell to the left in between non-adjacent cells/cell ranges
Ctrl + Shift + OSelect cells that contain comments
Ctrl + [Select direct cell references of the active cell’s formula
Ctrl + Shift + {Select direct and indirect cell references of the active cell’s formula
Ctrl + ]Select cells that directly refer to the active cell in their formula
Ctrl + Shift + }Select cells that directly and indirectly refer to the active cell in their formula
Ctrl + `Show/hide formulas
Ctrl + ‘Copy the formula of the above cell
Ctrl + Shift + AShow the arguments that are needed by the function you input in the currently active cell (after you type the function name)
Ctrl + Shift + EnterConvert the formula you currently input into an array formula
Ctrl + Alt + F9Trigger the recalculation of all formulas
Ctrl + Shift + UExpand/collapse the formula bar
Ctrl + Shift + “Copy the value of the above cell
Ctrl + Shift + ~Apply general format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + $Apply currency format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + %Apply percentage format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + ^Apply scientific format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + #Apply date format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + @Apply time format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + !Apply number format to the active cells
Ctrl + Shift + &Add outside borders
Ctrl + Shift + _Remove borders
Ctrl + Shift + F3Define the name by using the row/column label
Ctrl + Shift + +Show the “Insert Row/Column” dialog box
Ctrl + -Show the “Delete Row/Column” dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + 9Show hidden rows in the selected range
Ctrl + Shift + 0Show hidden columns in the selected range
Ctrl + Shift + F11Toggle fullscreen
Ctrl + Alt + VShow the “Paste Special” dialog box



Exercise

Now that you have learned the things you can do with the Ctrl button in excel, let’s try them!

Open an excel workbook and try all the Ctrl shortcuts that you want. If you want to be good at using the Ctrl button in excel, make it a habit to use its shortcuts when you work every day.

If you forget the button combinations or the functions that they can do, you can always look at the tables in this tutorial!



Additional Note

Shortcuts, including the Ctrl ones, can make you work faster and without the need for a pointer in excel. Therefore, if you want to take your Excel usage to the next level, you might want to get used to using shortcuts to do all the things you need to do in excel.



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