Expert: Bill DeShawn - 4/2/2008

Question
QUESTION: I read a few entries on your website about people having the same problem, but I did come across a solution.  Any help is appreciated, I am at my wits end.

ANSWER: I think you're talking about what used to be referred to as Windows Standard Accelerator Keys.  Now they are called Shortcut keys.  I've heard of people getting their AutoCAD without them being set to behave properly on CTRL+C or CTRL+V for copyclip or pasteclip.  If they aren't working, you can put them in your CUI.  Be sure to back up your CUI file (probably ACAD.CUI), and then follow the instruction from the HELP command.  I pasted them in below, but to see them with all the pictures you should go to HELP and search for Shortcut Keys dialog box.
Study the HELP a bit, back up ACAD.CUI, and edit your shortcut keys and let me know how it goes.
I have not discovered a system variable for this problem.  I don't believe there is one.  

On another note:
If you used to use the CTRL key to cycle through a group of objects in order to select one, Now you do things a little differently.  You have a SELECTIONPREVIEW system variable.  

If selection preview is turned on, you can cycle through the objects by rolling over the object on top to highlight it, and pressing and holding SHIFT and then pressing SPACEBAR continuously. When the required object is highlighted, left-click to select it.

If selection preview is turned off, hold down SHIFT + SPACEBAR and click to cycle through these objects, one after the other, until the one you want is selected. Press ESC to turn off cycling.

Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


To create a shortcut key

Click Tools menu CustomizeInterface.At the Command prompt, enter cui.
In the Customize User Interface editor, Customize tab, click the plus sign (+) next to Keyboard Shortcuts to expand it.
Click the plus sign (+) next to Shortcut Keys to expand it.
In the Command List pane, drag the command to the Shortcut Keys node of the Customizations In <file name> pane.


In the Properties pane, the properties for the new shortcut key you created are displayed.

In the Key(s) box, click the [...] button to open the Shortcut Keys dialog box.


In the Shortcut Keys dialog box, click in the Press New Shortcut Key box to ensure the box has focus.


Hold down the modifier key CTRL with a combination of SHIFT and ALT if desired and press a letter, number, function, or virtual key. Valid modifier and key combinations include the following:
Function (Fn) keys containing no modifiers
Number Pad (NUMPADn) keys containing no modifiers
CTRL+letter, CTRL+number, CTRL+function, CTRL+virtual key
CTRL+ALT+letter, CTRL+ALT+number, CTRL+ALT+function, CTRL+ALT+virtual key
CTRL+SHIFT+letter, CTRL+SHIFT+number, CTRL+SHIFT+function, CTRL+SHIFT+virtual key
CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+letter, CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+number, CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+function, CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+virtual key
NoteThe virtual keys that are supported are Escape, Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Up Arrow, and Down Arrow. The virtual key Escape can only be used by itself or with the modifier combination CTRL+SHIFT+ALT.
Under the Press New Shortcut Key box, Currently Assigned To displays any current assignments for the shortcut key.

If you do not want to replace the current assignment, use a different shortcut key. Otherwise, click OK to assign the shortcut key and close the Shortcut Keys dialog.
In the Customize User Interface editor, click OK.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I did the above, but it still doesn't work.  For instance.  I only have one Ctrl-X command shown and it is for Cut/Clip.  When hit Ctrl-X nothing happens.

Answer
Just to make sure, when you enter the shortcut keys into the Key(s) window, use the "..." button on the right and press the shortcut keys you want to use.  See if that works better than typing in:
CTRL+X

Your problem is odd, but I think I've seen this a bunch of times.  If worse comes to worse, get your installation disk handy and do a repair reinstallation from the Control Panel.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn