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User profile for user: Artur M.
Artur M. Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

"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

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10 replies
User profile for user: fane_j
fane_j
User level: Level 4
3,697 points

Mar 14, 2012 2:23 PM in response to rmw60

(1) There is no Alt key on a Mac keyboard. The Option key, which may be labelled with the symbol ⌥, sometimes bears the secondary label "Alt". That's to help when accessing (eg, via a terminal or emulator) non-Mac software.


See


Switch 101: On Windows, I used to...

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2514>


Symbols used in shortcuts

<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/cpmh0011.html>


Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343>

(2) Default shortcuts for Spaces in SL do not use the Option key. If you did use it for Spaces, then you installed some third-party shortcut manager. It must be still active, which would explain this behaviour. Check Login Items and the LaunchAgents folders.


(3) Nothing to do with fonts.

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User profile for user: rmw60
rmw60
User level: Level 1
18 points

Mar 14, 2012 2:41 PM in response to fane_j

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.

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User profile for user: fane_j
fane_j
User level: Level 4
3,697 points

Mar 14, 2012 2:58 PM in response to rmw60

rmw60 wrote:


The first post was about Lion and not SL


This is what the OP wrote:

When I was using Snow Leopard, I used the "alt + numbers" to switch between spaces. […]

This is what you wrote:

[…] I have exactly the same problem […]

This is what I wrote:

[…] Default shortcuts for Spaces in SL do not use the Option key […]

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User profile for user: fane_j
fane_j
User level: Level 4
3,697 points

Mar 14, 2012 4:02 PM in response to noondaywitch

noondaywitch wrote:


there is no option key on the UK keyboard - it's alt / ⌥

Thank you for the information. And for your information, I wrote above, "The Option key, which may be labelled with the symbol ⌥, sometimes bears the secondary label 'Alt'". You will find this information here


Symbols used in shortcuts

<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/cpmh0011.html>


(a document I referred to above). Equally, in this document


Switch 101: On Windows, I used to...

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2514>


you will find the following


In Windows, I used to…On a Mac, I can…
⋮⋮
Use these keys as shortcuts:Use these keys as alternatives:
⋮⋮
Alt key⌥ Option key


The Option key on Mac keyboards (British or otherwise) goes back almost to the dawn of the Mac. You may consult Wikipedia or FOLDOC; but a more detailed account may be found here


<http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/08/11/how-apple-keyboards-lost-a-logo-and-win dows-pcs-gained-one/>

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"Alt + 2" and "Alt + 3" to make € and # respectively on British Apple keyboard stopped working!

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