Ctrl+b Won't Work

I've posted this in the Hardware forum because to me the problem is with my keyboard.

When I want to bold something I can no longer do it with the keystrokes of pressing the Ctrl key and the B key simultaneously. I don't know why this doesn't work. All other keystrokes work, e.g. Ctrl+S to save something, Ctrl+J to justfy the alignment of something, etc.

Has anyone an explanation as to why this may have happened and how I can resolve it?

I don't know what info you may need to help so please just ask me to supply any info required.

 

Not all programs support the "emphasis" functions (bold, italics, underline). And while the emphasis functions are generally universal in their definitions (when supported), other functions may not be. For example, Ctrl+J here in this forum enables/disables the "Unordered List" function, not text justification. But in Word for example, it does enable justification.

Now for sure, one requirement for the emphasis functions is for the text you want to emphasize must be highlighted first to select that text. Are you remembering to do that?

Do italics and underline work properly?

 

Perhaps Ctrl+J was not the best example to give. However, the functions for bold, italics and underline are quite widely used even if not universal.

I would say that Word is where I do use these functions a lot.

I know that text needs to be highlighted if you have already written it; however, those keys can also be used prior to writing the text and then all text will have the format selected until you change it. For example, having pressed Ctrl+I everything you then write will be in italics until you again press Ctrl+I.

As I stated in my OP all the other keystroke combinations are working just fine.

 

I realize that. That is why I said they are "generally" universal so not sure your point there.

Yes, I read that. But with my inability to read minds, that really does not tell us everything we need to know to fully understand the problem - especially with the examples given. People often claimed, "I tried everything" only to learn they didn't even perform the most basic troubleshooting steps, like checking to make sure the cables are securely fastened, or rebooting the computer or power cycling the cycling the computer.

And yes, I know how these functions are supposed to work. Explaining that is not necessary as that too does not help troubleshoot your specific problem.

So, now we know you were referring to Word. And now we know Ctrl-b does not work in Word but Ctrl-i and Crtl-u does. And assuming we are talking about the same keyboard you used to enter your posts here in this thread, we can easily see the "b" key does work on this keyboard. So I am not sure this really is a keyboard problem.

Does the OSK work properly? Have you tried another keyboard?

 

I do not know what answer to give unless I try every possible keystroke. The only one that is not working for me Ctrl+B.

Yes, the 'B' key itself is working.

The function Ctrl+B did not work using the OSK.

Ctrl+B is also not working on another keyboard.

The evidence thus far would suggest that this is a software glitch.

 

Which applications and operating system are you experiencing the issue? Is it a wired, wireless keyboard or touch screen where the issue occurs?

If it is application specific then it's probable that the keys have been reassigned, see Customize keyboard shortcuts - Microsoft Support for customising keys in MS Word. Also use the same method desceribed to view what keys are assigned to the functions you require.

If it is desktop specific then it's probable that your keyboard has been assigned some hot-keys or not in its native language, see How do I reassign hot keys for my keyboard? - Microsoft Support for customising desktop keyboard keys in an MS Operating system.

Have you tried the Windows troubleshooting steps: Troubleshoot problems with your Microsoft mouse or keyboard - Microsoft Support and Mouse and keyboard problems in Windows - Microsoft Support and also via the Get Help option from the start menu searching for "Troubleshoot keyboard".

 

I note Mark said,

Therefore,

And with 2 keyboards and the OSK, I agree.

@mark59 - Can you isolate the problem to particular programs (or suite of programs)? That is, does Ctrl-b work with text here at Major Geeks, in these text boxes? What about in your email program? Or is only in Word (or Office suite programs)?

In any case, my "guess" would be either a corrupt keyboard driver or a recently installed 3rd party app that overwrote or disabled the feature. You could try deleting the current keyboard driver then reboot. Windows "should" then reinstall the Windows generic keyboard driver and clear the problem "IF" a corrupt driver is the problem.

Have you installed any 3rd party apps or Office add-ons lately? If so, a Office repair might work. Note this will NOT delete any of your Office documents. I might reset some custom settings - hopefully if it does, it is only this Ctrl+b setting.

Another option is to check keyboard key assignments in Word. In Word > Options > Customize Ribbon > Keyboard shortcuts: Customize, under Categories, select "All Commands". Then, under Commands, scroll down to and click on "Bold". Do you see Ctrl+B and Ctrl+Shift+B appear in the "Current keys" box? If not, add them.

 

The problem is, I've discovered, thanks to your advice, to be restricted to MS Office 365. The functions works here at Major Geeks, it works in my email program and I tried it in WordPad where it also works.

I ran the Quick Repair in Office Repair. That did not fix the issue. Then I tried the Online Repair. However, all the instructions appeared in German. I was worried the Repair would leave me with a German version of Microsoft. So I used Task manager to End Task the Repair. I now appear to no longer have MS Office 365 on my PC.

I have, it seems, inadvertently made this problem worse. Can you please advise me what to do next. I'm thinking this but won't do it unless you say yes that's OK.

I have CCleaner installed so I'm thinking of running that to clean up any files, etc.

I subscribe to MS Office 365 so I can log in and downlad it again which is my thinking to do after a clean with CCleaner.

 

Good to know you isolated the problem to Office. That eliminates the hardware and the OS from the equation.

I use the stand-alone version of Office and have never used Office 360 so I have no experience with it.

I don't know why Repair would come up in German unless you live in Germany (or a German speaking country) or you are using a VPN that is connecting you to the Internet via one of those countries.

That said, it appears you are not alone. I found this: Office 365 repair defaulted to German: how do I reset it to English? - Microsoft Community

I have been a fan and user of CCleaner for over 20 years, since before it was called CCleaner. It originally was named "Crap Cleaner" but I suspected they wanted to "clean" that up too so changed it to CCleaner and pretended it meant "Clutter Cleaner".

Anyway, I see no reason it would cause more damage. It never has with me and if that was a common problem, there would not be 10s of millions of happy users, nor would the program have lasted for over 20 years.

If unsure CCleaner, and you just want to clean up the clutter, you could run Windows own Disk Cleanup, selecting More Options > System Restore and Shadow Copies. Then reboot and reinstall Office. If you meant using the Registry cleaner, I would just the regular disk cleaner first, then the registry cleaner. Just make sure you opt to save a backup first. Once the cleaning is done, be sure to reboot before attempting to install Office again to clear out and reset all settings back to their normal boot default settings.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the stand alone version of Office. I always used to purchase Office on CD-ROM (I know showing how back I'm going). Then I found you could no longer buy it, had to get Office and pay a regular subscription. I figured it was Microsoft's way of generating more income. I'd love to know what you use so until I know I'm not doing the step of re-installing Office.

I'm glad you like CCleaner. I've used it for a long time and never had another problem. On another computer forum last year a guy demanded I removed it. I told him that he needed to change his attitude. He could recommend people do things. I imagine if he'd been face-to-face with me his face would've been red and spittle flying from his lips. He claimed CCleaner caused numerous probs and he spent all his time clearing up its messes.

I have the options set on CCleaner to not do anything with the Registry. I've been told so many times never to touch the Registry I go nowehere near it and I don't allow CCleaner to do anything to it.

So, I'm going to clean up the PC with CCleaner and Disk Cleanup (I'm a belt and braces guy). Then if you're happy to tell me about better Office alternatives I'll wait until if do anything about Office. I've got two PCs so I can always use Office on the other for now.

I have no idea why it started downloading in German (not read your link yet). I live in UK not Germany. I don't have anything set to German. Not much point as I don't speak German. I don't use a VPN.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftW...lb_stopped_working_now_only_works_to_turn_on/

 

@Digerati Here's why I hate computers. The following makes no sense. When I stopped MS Office downloading in German I didn't have Office. It was not listed in my Apps and the icons of my Word documents had changed. So I had no MS Office.

I've never had to the pportunity to run CCleaner. This morning I switched the PC on to send a quick email before I went out. MS Office automatically started downloading in German so I used Task Manager to stop. I didn't have time to deal with it. Sent my email and logged out.

I have just logged on again now and noticed the icons for Word docs are normal. I double clicked on one and Word started to open. As it did I thought I bet this is all going to be in German. Anyway, it wasn't. Plus Ctrl+B now works again.

Can you explain this because I haven't got a clue.

 

I mean, regular Microsoft Office.

That is not true. You can buy it for a 0ne-time purchase and NOT deal with a subscription (or the cloud). See: Microsoft Office 2024 is finally available, no subscription needed | PCWorld

I hate bills and anything that requires a subscription is just another bill. So I would much rather pay a large amount once and be done than have yet another recurring bill.

According to foogoo's link, your Ctrl+b issue is a relatively new bug in Office 360 and MS is working on it. I have since found several other similar complaints with the same comment that MS is working on it. The good news is that MS does seem to be aware of it, and working on it.

Since Ctrl+B on your system is now working, maybe they fixed it - hopefully for good. Fingers and toes crossed.

One of the complaints I read on this was very similar to your German language issue - only it was with the Czech version. But no solution was provided.

So I cannot answer your question. I can only guess that MS is dinking with Office 360 without fully testing it before releasing the updates. In there defense, "every" computer becomes unique within the first couple minutes after the very first boot. This is as users set up their own networking, security, user accounts, personalizations, installed programs, hardware, etc. So, with 1.6 Billion Windows systems out there, each unique, no way all possible scenarios or configurations could be tested first.

As far as that guy telling you "CCleaner caused numerous probs and he spent all his time clearing up its messes." I don't believe him for one second. As I noted, I have used CCleaner for a couple decades now. And not just on my personal systems, but literally 100s. If you follow the link in my signature, you can see I've been around awhile.

CCleaner is not like other registry cleaners and I have never, not once, had it brick a computer. At worse, I have had a couple systems lock up with its registry cleaner and in each case, all problems cleared with a simple reboot. I cannot say the same thing for other Registry cleaners and "optimization" programs. And that is much of the problem. Too many pretending to be experienced experts automatically lump all registry cleaners together. Again, CCleaner is not like the others and should not be considered just like the others. Compared to "ALL" others, it is very conservative AND always prompts to backup the registry BEFORE making any changes.

There is just no way CCleaner would have not just survived, but thrived for 20 years if it was dangerous as these naysayers want others to believe.

Since you have never used its registry cleaner, I am not suggesting you do now. It should not be used to "fix" a broken computer - only to maintain it. So, if you have to reinstall Windows, or you get a new computer, I would not hesitate to recommend you run the registry cleaner then, and then every 5 - 6 months or so to keep it running smoothly. That's how I use it on all my systems.

That said, if that was my computer, I would run it. I would just make sure all my personal files were backed up first - just in case. And I would NOT uncheck the option to backup the registry either. Do note, should you do this, it is typical you need to run CCleaner 2 or 3 times in a row to achieve a complete cleaning to where "no issues found".

 

Thank you for you help. I will continue to use CCleaner. I wouldn't have followed that guy's advice if for no other reason than the wau he gave it. He didn't recommend I remove CCleaner but he practically ordered me to.

I'll accept Office is working now and just put it down to one of those things. I rarely fiddle with software settings unless I'm absolutely sure what they do. For example, all I've done with Word is set the default font I want and for it not to automatical write ordinal number is superscript.

I'll have a look at the link you gave to MS Offce and will look at changing my version.

 

Well it sounds like MS put out a fix/patch. Let's hope so, and hope it stays fixed.

There are some significant advantages Microsoft 365 has over Microsoft Office (the standalone version) for some people. It all depends on how you use the Office products, along with your own personal preferences about recurring fees.

To help you decide which is best for you, see this comparison: Microsoft Office vs. Microsoft 365: Which One Should You Buy?

For me, it is just me so I only need Office on one computer. Plus I keep the Office version I am currently using for a long time. For example, I am currently using Office Home and Business 2016 - which still supports me just fine - for now. Outlook controls my life so is a must have for me. It is included in the Business version, not the basic Home version. I don't remember what I paid. The newest version (Office Home and Business 2024) is $250.

Do the math and carry the 1 and 8 years of the subscription version at $7 per month would have cost me $672, and counting. So no brainer - for me. But if you have multiple computers you need to put Office on, the recurring fee model may make more economical sense - for you.

End of support for Office 2016 will be this upcoming Oct so I will be updating to Office 2024 before then.

The other main reason I prefer the stand-alone version is I still don't trust the cloud to store my personal files - which 365 wants to do. I am positive my files would NOT get lost. In fact, I am sure what would happen is in a few short minutes after I put something out there, there will soon be dozens of copies all over the globe. What I don't trust with cloud storage "in general" is for those responsible to keep my files secure failing to do their jobs. I say "in general" because I mean the entire industry - and not any one company.

That said, "IF" you need or want to share your files with others (family photos, for example), the cloud is probably the most convenient for all involved. And Office 365 comes with 1 TB of cloud storage with that subscription fee. That certainly could be very attractive for many.

 

I may have to stick with Office 365 as I do use Office on more than one PC. However, I do save EVERYTHING locally because I too do not trust the cloud and won't save things to One Drive either. I also create quite a lot of quite confidential information.

I'm having an issue with doing the Registry clean on CCleaner. When it asks if I want to backup the registry I say yes. It generates a file but when I go to click on Save I receive an error message that says, "[the file pathway] File not found. Check the filename and try again". That makes no sense to me. The file should be one that is being newly created and then saved so why the heck is it saying it cannot find the file. So you can see what I mean I attach a screenprint of the message that is popping up.

 

That is a weird error. I note that is a Windows error, not CCleaner.

Are you using the latest version of CC (V6.31.11415)?

I just ran mine to make sure nothing had change (it hasn't). Your screen shot cuts off the file directory - is a folder selected? If not, make sure one is selected. If one is, you might want to select a different folder, or create a new one, called, perhaps, CC Backups.

 

Yes, it will be Windows causing this error rather than CCleaner.

I ran the update in CCleaner and it said I was up-to-date. I then checked the version number which is 6.31.11415 as you cited.

I created a folder, which I called CCleaner Backup and I attempted to save the .reg file to it but the same problem persists. I attach a different screenprint which shows me trying to save it to this new folder.

 

This is really odd. Does the computer run fine otherwise?

I can find no other case of this happening. I have asked around - hopefully will hear something soon.

 

Yes, there are no other issues with the computer. I'll wait to see if you discover anything.