# Alt (key) and Firefox



## alc112

Hi!!
How are you?
I have just open a topic in the German forum and find something very annoying:
I wanted to write ß (alt+225) but when I pressed alt, it sent me to firefox menu, if you keep pushing it, it opens the search tool of the site.
Do you have the same problem? Have you solved it? How?
Thank you!


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## Jana337

Click! This should work on all computer with any browser. 

Jana


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## alc112

Thank you!
But it more or less the same to have the notepad opened to write the letters 
Maybe there's a plug-in. Or something in the software.


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## Whodunit

alc112 said:
			
		

> Hi!!
> How are you?
> I have just open a topic in the German forum and find something very annoying:
> I wanted to write ß (alt+225) but when I pressed alt, it sent me to firefox menu, if you keep pushing it, it opens the search tool of the site.
> Do you have the same problem? Have you solved it? How?
> Thank you!


 
Sometimes I have the problem, although I'm using IE and it usually sends me one page back. Nevertheless, the problem is your numeric keyboard (numpad?) on the very right side of your keyboard. Just click on the "num lock" (on the upper left) key to activate the numbers and deactivate the arrows, and it should be solved.


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## nohablo

Whodunit said:
			
		

> Sometimes I have the problem, although I'm using IE and it usually sends me one page back. Nevertheless, the problem is your numeric keyboard (numpad?) on the very right side of your keyboard. Just click on the "num lock" (on the upper left) key to activate the numbers and deactivate the arrows, and it should be solved.


That works for me in Internet Explorer, but I use Firefox, and in Firefox, on this forum, it doesn't work.  If I type ALT + 0237, for example, I should get a í, but instead I just get moved to another page!  And yes, I have the num lock on.


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## Clayjar

alc112 said:
			
		

> Hi!!
> How are you?
> I have just open a topic in the German forum and find something very annoying:
> I wanted to write ß (alt+225) but when I pressed alt, it sent me to firefox menu, if you keep pushing it, it opens the search tool of the site.
> Do you have the same problem? Have you solved it? How?
> Thank you!


 
I've had the same problem using Firefox, but I'm not sure how to solve it.


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## alc112

Thank you Daniel!!
You idea works fine here.
ßßßßßßß


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## nohablo

alc112 said:
			
		

> Thank you Daniel!!
> You idea works fine here.


I wish I could say the same, but this "solution" simply does *not* work for me on this forum (and apparently not for some other people as well).  I am able to use the ALT + numbers on some other forums, but not the WordReference forums.  At least, not with Firefox.  Whenever I try, I get taken to a different page--a search page, I think.  This is very frustrating   .


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## alc112

At least when you came back the page, you don't loose what you were writing  on IE you loose it and that's more frustrating!


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## Jana337

Notebook users have to activate the integrated keyboard. It kicks me to the search page as well if I forget.

Moreover, Firefox won't let you type @ if you have the Google Toolbar.

This post could help some of you as well.

Jana


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## alc112

Now thar you mention it. I also cannot type @! (alt+64)
But I think is beacuse  4 and 6 have arrows and they work as go back to the last/next page. But I also can type it alt+2.
Maybe this is a problem of forum software. let's wait for Mike maybe he can tell us about it


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## Whodunit

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Notebook users have to activate the integrated keyboard. It kicks me to the search page as well if I forget.


 
Does that apply for IE as well?



> Moreover, Firefox won't let you type @ if you have the Google Toolbar.


 
You could use the German keyboard settings and press Ctrl+Alt+Q.


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## jester.

Whodunit said:
			
		

> Does that apply for IE as well?


It applies *for* *to* any application running on a notebook.

EDIT: Es heißt: "to apply to"


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## nohablo

Jana337 said:
			
		

> This post could help some of you as well.
> 
> Jana


Jana, thanks *VERY* much!!  I just changed my setting in about:config as the posting you cited suggested, and now I can type aquí and mañana and, I assume, all the other characters: á, é, ¿, etc.  I'm thrilled!  I just hope that
the change in about:config doesn't create problems elsewhere.

Again, ¡muchísimas gracias!


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## jester.

nohablo said:
			
		

> Jana, thanks *VERY* much!!  I just changed my setting in about:config as the posting you cited suggested, and now I can type aquí and mañana and, I assume, all the other characters: á, é, ¿, etc.  I'm thrilled!  I just hope that
> the change in about:config doesn't create problems elsewhere.
> 
> Again, ¡muchísimas gracias!



It shouldn't cause problems. I changed it a long ime ago and I have not yet encountered any problems.


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## Jana337

j3st3r said:
			
		

> It shouldn't cause problems. I changed it a long ime ago and I have not yet encountered any problems.


To me it caused a problem: I could not use Alt + S to submit posts. 

Jana


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## jester.

Jana337 said:
			
		

> To me it caused a problem: I could not use Alt + S to submit posts.
> 
> Jana



Oh, I never knew there was that function (with acces keys activated, of course).

Someone once told me "Since not many people are used to those access keys, they cause more confusion than benefit."

Personally I think the forum itself should not activate the access keys, as it's a linguistic forum and many people need to write diacritical marks here which they don't have on their keyboards, but this is just my two cents.


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## Nunty

I had the same problem, but solved it by switching input language.
I suppose this is too pedestrian a solution, but by switching to Fr or He in the language bar (Firefox under Windows XP Professional) I can type a post in French or Hebrew without any problems.

There is also a Firefox add-in that addresses this, but I find it painfully awkward, since you have to rightclick for every letter.


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## Clayjar

For anyone who has still not found a means of typing accents which works well for them, take a look at this thread:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=23836


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## alc112

Thank you Clayjar but that is not our problem.
The problem is that when we want to write a letter we don't have in the keyboard and have to use alt + any number, we are sent to another page.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

j3st3r said:
			
		

> Personally I think the forum itself should not activate the access keys, as it's a linguistic forum and many people need to write diacritical marks here which they don't have on their keyboards, but this is just my two cents.


I fully agree with j3st3r! Those access keys are totally useless in such a forum. 
Here, I often use this site (in the left panel you can choose another language) instead of the alt+numbers feature (even when using IE not only using Firefox).


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## Jana337

KaRiNe_Fr said:
			
		

> I fully agree with j3st3r! Those access keys are totally useless in such a forum.


Don't attack my access keys pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease.


> Here, I often use this site (in the left panel you can choose another language) instead of the alt+numbers feature (even when using IE not only using Firefox).


Another with many more languages: http://www.lexilogos.com/clavier/deutsch.htm

Jana


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Don't attack my access keys pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease.
> Another with many more languages: http://www.lexilogos.com/clavier/deutsch.htm
> 
> Jana


Good site, Jana! 
However, try to click on the French language... See?


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## sabrinita85

I have the same problem  ... I red the guide, but I could not solve the problem.
Jana, visto che sai l'italiano o lo spagnolo, puoi spiegarmelo in una di queste due lingue? Grazie mille


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## Jana337

sabrinita85 said:
			
		

> I have the same problem  ... I red the guide, but I could not solve the problem.
> Jana, visto che sai l'italiano o lo spagnolo purtroppo non ancora , puoi spiegarmelo in una di queste due lingue? Grazie mille


Certo ma dimmi che cosa precisamente succede. Hai lo stesso problema di chi ha aperto questo thread? Hai provato a cambiare il numero in "about:config"? Stai usando un notebook?

Jana


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## sabrinita85

Oh grazie Jana, avevo capito che dovevo inserire solo "config" ma non funzionava!
Ora ho scritto "about:config", ho cambiato il numero e funziona  , grazie mille!


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## Jana337

sabrinita85 said:
			
		

> Oh grazie Jana, avevo capito che dovevo inserire solo "config" ma non funzionava!
> Ora ho scritto "about:config", ho cambiato il numero e funziona  , grazie mille!


Di nulla. 

Jana


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## Flaminius

Firefox users, have you tried abcTajpu?  This has been mentioned twice in separate forums but is worth repeating!  Follow the above link for the description and installation.

The input method is simple, some combination of letters + F2.  For example:
« is produced by << + F2.
ó is produced by o + ' + F2.
ç is c + , + F2.
æ is a + e + F2.

No need to remember ALT + sorry-I-never-bothered number.  And no need to chance input language on the OS side.


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## Clayjar

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FLAMINIUS!

This plug-in works perfectly--and it's so easy to use!


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Yep! Flaminius, this plugin works for French and Spanish at least: Ç ó ñ í á ú ¡ ¿
(I merely had to switch my editor mode here, and no need to disable the access keys any more)
Thanks you to let us know it exists!


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## cobweb

Hi alc112

As another Firefox user with the same problem I managed to solve it by doing as Jana's earlier link suggested.

In Firefox, type *about:config* into the address bar and press Enter;
In the long horizontal Filter box type *ui.key.generalaccesskey, *which will bring up the relevant entry, *OR *
scroll down the page until you get to that entry in the list;
Double-click that entry, change the 18 to 0, click OK, and you're done.
Exit that page, go back to the forum, and you should be able to use the ALT+ keys again.

Good luck.


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## alc112

Cobweb THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!!
IT worked!!!


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## Alxmrphi

I always use firefox and have never ever had a problem with using Alt+numbers, ever.


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## cobweb

Fortunate for you, and I didn't have problems on forums other than this one, but as you have seen, there are others who have had problems, thankfully solved now.


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