Fed up with Ctrl+E? How to activate universal keyboard shortcuts in Windows without changing the language
Keyboard shortcuts
The keyboard shortcuts They are a quick and easy way to execute some commands in different applications. put some bold either italics in a text editor It is very easy if we resort to executing the command directly with the keyboard, Ctrl+B for bold either Ctrl+I for italics. But when translated into Spanish, words has changed the keyboard shortcuts and they are different for this type of actions. If you are tired of making mistakes Word to boldwe are going to show you a way to make it possible.
There are many users who work with some office package how can it be Google Docs, FreeOffice, LibreOfficeetc. But the most popular is undoubtedly the one that offers Microsoft which has the same name, Microsoft 365. The most popular keyboard shortcuts are different in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPointmaking us wrong more than once.
It is common to press Ctrl+B to try to put boldbut in Microsoft applications this opens the search. To remap keyboard shortcuts and customize them for any Windows application we can use a completely free tool. A tool that is almost essential in every Windows operating systemwhich among other things will allow you to create a specific keyboard shortcut for Word, Excel or the application you want.
A method that will allow you to use, for example, Ctrl+B to make bold in Wordalthough in reality it is done with Ctrl+N Yes we have it in Spanish.
The tool is called PowerToysa program that integrates perfectly with Windows and that will allow us this and many other functions.
PowerToys on Windows
PowerToys It is a utility Microsoft which adds many extra features to your Windows 10 either Windows 11a package that should be essential in your Microsoft operating systembut that you will have to install independently. Luckily you can find it easily in the store itself. Microsoft Windows.
- Open Microsoft Store by clicking on the icon that usually appears on the taskbar, otherwise you can search for it by name in the search box.
- Once opened, at the top you can search PowerToys.
- All you have to do is install it to be able to enjoy its functions.
Once installed you will not see a program as such, but rather a box where you will find a series of functions that you can configure to your liking. You have all the information in the guide we have for PowerToys.
Microsoft PowerToys has the possibility to create key shortcuts from others, a function called “reassign a shortcut”. This is something we can do in general, but it would affect all applications Windows. With PowerToys We also have the possibility of reassign a shortcut to a specific application like Word, or Excel.
The most common keyboard shortcuts
Microsoft applications, when in the Spanishhave adopted other keyboard shortcuts that often confuse us. This can be fix by remapping keyboard shortcuts using the above-mentioned application, Microsoft PowerToys. Windows changes these shortcuts when the system language is Spanishchanging some as popular as Ctrl+A used to select all with Ctrl+Ealso changes the way of adding bold from the usual Ctrl+B to annoying Ctrl+N.
Below we leave you one list with common keyboard shortcutsand his equivalent when we use them on Windows in Spanish.
| Action | Spanish | General |
|---|---|---|
| Select all | Ctrl + E | Ctrl + A |
| Open | Ctrl + A | Ctrl + O |
| Keep | Ctrl + G | Ctrl + S |
| Look for | Ctrl + B | Ctrl + F |
| Bold type | Ctrl+N | Ctrl + B |
| Italics | Ctrl+K | Ctrl + I |
| Underlined | Ctrl + S | Ctrl+U |
This is because when translating the applications, the keyboard shortcuts have also been translated, leaving the Ctrl + combination as follows:
- N → Bold type
- K → italics (by inherited tradition, not very intuitive)
- Yes → Underlined
- g → Keep
- b → Look for
- TO → Open
Applications in English
They go by the name in English:
- b → Bold
- Yo → Italic
- OR → Underline
- Yes → Save
- F → Find
- EITHER → open
So you can use PowerToys to remap keyboard shortcuts translated into Spanish that are used in the main Microsoft applications, for the general ones that are used in the rest of the applications (and also in Microsoft’s in English).
Remap shortcut keys with PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys It has many useful functions, from resize images with a couple of clicks up reassign specific shortcuts to an app. The latter is the utility that we will give you to convert the annoying Word Ctrl+N in the usual Ctrl+B which is used in most programs.
For Remap shortcuts with PowerToys You just have to follow these simple steps:
- Open PowerToysyou’ll find the options in the system tray or by searching for it in the search box.
- Once opened PowerToys Setup wave Windows Command Palettewe have to search above “Reassign a shortcut”. We click to enter this option. But you can also enter directly by selecting the Entry and exit section on the left and entering the option Keyboard Manager.
- The first thing we have to do is activate the “Keyboard Manager” if it is not already activated.
- We click “Reassign Shortcuts” to open the configuration window.
- Once inside we click on the button + Add shortcut remapping to create a new one.
Now we only have to add to the left the key combination what we want to press and on the right what we want it to do with the new combination. It seems a little confusing, but we will say it more clearly, on the left the key combination you want to press and on the right the one that really works in words.
An example, if we want that in words they put on bold with Ctrl+Bon the left we will have to add Ctrl+B (the one we want to press) and to the right Ctrl+N (which is how you put the bold in Word).
We have two options to create our shortcut remappingsmanually or automatically.
Create the remapping automatically
You can also create the keyboard shortcuts by pressing the corresponding keys. To do this, we click on the pencil icon and a new window will open where it will save the key or combination of keys that we press, and we only have to click accept or leave the enter key pressed to finish.
Reassign it to just one app
Now we must change the “Target application” If we don’t want this to affect the entire operating system. For this you will only have to add the application that you want this to affect. shortcut remappingin our case we have done it to words whose executable is WinWord.
If you want the change to affect the entire system, leave this box blank, where you will see clearly written “All applications”.
All you have to do is repeat this process for each keyboard shortcut that you want to change, and repeat the process for each application to which you want to assign it. The best of all is that in the application both the original keyboard shortcut like the reassignment that you just did. That is, in words you can put bold with Ctrl+B or Ctrl+N.
But be careful with this one reassignmentsince some of the key combinations may already be active and may create conflicts. Luckily, PowerToys It also shows them to you so you can solve them, you can find this section at the start of the application.
Customize your keyboard shortcuts individually for each application
With Microsoft PowerToys Not only will you have a great set of options to add extra features to your Windows 10 either Windows 11you can also do this shortcut remapping to finally put in Word bold with Ctrl+B. You will no longer be confused by opening the search box in words and you can add your bold as in the rest of the applications.
Furthermore, with PowerToys you will gain endless extra options that will be added to your Windows 10 either Windows 11even some that you can see directly from the Windows context menu.
