Q: "Alt + 2" and "Alt + 3" to make € and # respectively on British Apple keyboard stopped working!
Hi there,
When I was using Snow Leopard, I used the "alt + numbers" to switch between spaces. Since in Lion this can now be achieved with gestures, I removed the shortcut, but for some bizzare reason, I didn't get the functionality of typing € and # back?
I checked (and reset to defaults) the keyboard shortcuts, which didn't help. To make matters stranger, even if I open the Keyboard Viewer I can't click on the respective symbols to write them. I can see them in the right place when I press alt, but they are not active when I click them (unike the other symbols which are just fine!)
BTW before the upgrade to Lion, they worked fine - I was occasionally switching from the spaces functionality and it was OK. Nothing odd at all.
Thanks for you help!
Art
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 11:40 AM
Option/Alt, we know it's the same key and normally called option but the original poster called it Alt. The option Key is also used to input secondary symbols, as Option 2 does the € key on the UK keyboard.
The first post was about Lion and not SL and I tried different fonts because other messages suggested a particular font might not have the € sign. As you can see, I've now got the function back having spent 3 hours searchin forums here and there and found a post form June 2011 which I will copy here for others to use as it works, as you can see from my insertion of the € symbol which I am again able to do with the Option+2 keys.
Recently purchased a new Air with Lion and wasn't long till I stumbled upon the good ol' # key problem.
The problem is when you press ALT + 3 on Lion it switches you to Desktop 3 in Mission Control. Or if you don't have Desktop 3 in Mission Control, it does nothing.
Viewing the keyboard viewer though you can still see the # key mapped to ALT + 3.
The trick is to open Mission Control and make 4 Desktops, even if you don't want to use them I'm sorry but you'll need to leave them open.
Then go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shortcuts
Select Mission Control and then untick Mission Control in the right hand side. You can leave 'Move left/right a space' with Option plus <-/-> arrows, but I've just taken it off completely, might as well swipe with the trackpad.
Now with Switch to Desktop ALT/1234 unticked close System Preferences. Next time you press ALT + ¡€#¢ you'll get those symbols in their place.
If you don't have 4 Desktops open in Mission Control, you will not see the option to untick all the keyboard shortcuts and only the first 2 will work.
I tried searching but couldn't see anyone else who solved this so apologies for duplicating. |
Posted on Mar 14, 2012 2:41 PM