Keyboard Shortcut/Accelerator keys

Following are the details and limitations that apply to customized keyboard shortcuts for Password Safe.

These key combinations have been tested on a 102-key extended UK keyboard. The standard characters should work on any other keyboard with Latin characters. Some key combinations may be different on these keyboards - for example on a UK keyboard the # symbol has its own key (with the tilde ~) but on a US keyboard it is above the 3 key (i.e., Shift+3). Please read this table and translate to your specific keyboard as appropriate - you can always experiment to see if a particular key combination works for you.

Depending on your language, certain keys with the Alt key are reserved. These correspond to the letters used to invoke the main menu. Pressing the Alt key in the main display will show the these characters as underlined. For English, these would be Alt+F (File), Alt+E (Edit), Alt+V (View), Alt+M (Manage) and Alt+H (Help). For other languages, please refer to those letters underlined on the main menu to determine what will be reserved for you. For example, in German "File" becomes "Datei" and so Alt+D would be reserved instead of Alt+F.

The Enter key is also reserved as it is used to set the value of a shortcut in the "Manage → Options → Shortcuts" tab. Therefore, it is not possible to assign this key. Note that "Expand/Collapse Group" function in Tree View mode is achieved by selecting the group and pressing the Enter key. Although, this could have been changed to be any other valid shortcut, the use of the Enter key for this would still be active as it is a function of the Tree View. For this reason, this function cannot be changed via the Shortcuts Property Page.

The Escape key is reserved as it can be used to close the Find Toolbar or to minimise Password Safe to the System Tray (or to exit the application if the System Tray is not used). It is also the equivalent to the Cancel button on any dialog.

By design, the shortcut value for Viewing an entry in read-only mode is the same as for Editing the entry in read-write mode. They cannot be set independently. Similarly, 'Delete Entry' is the same as 'Delete Group' and 'Rename Entry' is the same as 'Rename Group'. These are shown in the Shortcut Property Page as 'Delete' and 'Rename', respectively.

Some keys are reserved by Windows - for example Ctrl+Alt+Delete; Tab; Shift+Tab; Alt+Tab; Alt+Shift+Tab etc.

Non-standard keys are not supported (e.g., those only on a Kanji keyboard).

Password Safe shortcut setting does not recognise the difference between the Alt, Ctrl and Shift keys on the left side of the keyboard from those on the right. This may make some key combinations unavailable on some keyboards. For example, the Euro symbol on a UK 102 extended keyboard is the right Alt key (Alt Gr)and the 4 key. However, pressing this combination results in a shortcut of Ctrl+Alt+4. This is the way Microsoft's HotKey processing works and is not a Password Safe restriction.

Note: Setting non-standard keys may make these particular shortcuts unavailable if you then use another computer with a keyboard that does not have these keys. We recommend that you only select combinations from those listed here.

In the table below, the column headings mean:

Heading Means pressing
K Only the key
A+K The key with the Alt key
C+K The key with the Ctrl key
S+K The key with the Shift key
A+S+K The key with the Alt and Shift keys
C+S+K The key with the Ctrl and Shift keys
A+C+K The key with the Alt and Ctrl keys
A+C+S+K The key with the Alt, Ctrl and Shift keys


Key Name K A+K C+K S+K A+S+K C+S+K A+C+K A+C+S+K

Backspace

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Tab

N

N

Y

N

N

Y

Y

Y

Enter

R (1)

N

Y

N

N

Y

Y

Y

Escape

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Space

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Page Up

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

N

N

N

Page Down

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

N

N

N

End

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Home

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Left Arrow

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Up Arrow

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Right Arrow

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Down Arrow

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Print Screen

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Insert

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Delete

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

0-9

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

A-Z

Y

Y

R (2)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Num pad 0-9

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

Num pad *

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Num pad +

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Num pad -

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Num pad .

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

N

Num pad /

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F1

R (3)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F2

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F3

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F4

Y

R (2)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F5

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F6

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F7

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F8

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F9

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F10

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F11

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

F12

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Num Lock

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Scroll Lock

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

; :   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

+ =

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

, <

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

- _

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

. >

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

/ ?   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

# ~   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

[ {   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

\ |   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

] }   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

' @   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

` ¬   (4)

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Notes:

  1. Since the Enter key is used to set the shortcut value, it cannot be assigned to any function.
  2. Ctrl+Q and Alt+F4 are reserved for exiting the Password Safe application.
  3. F1 is reserved for Help.
  4. This may be keyboard dependent.