Keyboard shortcuts reassign themselves

Thanks for the info! I'm anxious to hear your result.

Actually, the 14.4.3 update was published on June 24. Interestingly, updating Office was recommended in the first reply in the thread... Of course, the thread started back in February (when the current version was 14.3.9). There have been several additional updates released since then.

To All: Please go to the Help menu in any of the Office apps & select Check for Updates. When Microsoft AutoUpdate [MAU] launches make sure that it is set to check Automatically. I also suggest that the interval be set to either Weekly or Monthly, but keep in mind that MAU can only check if you have an active internet connection when launching/using the software.

Just search on:

Keyboard shortcuts change while using Word

I just talked to MS today, and here's what they said:

There is a new version of Office out in the last few days: 14.4.3. and If that doesn't fix it, reinstall Office.

I'll keep y'all informed as I try things.

Jim

Well, as is Daniel's situation, I have no access to systems running OS X 10.7 or later, so I cannot even test further. All I can say for sure is that none of the Office 2011 apps own the Start Dictation... command. My understanding is that the command is added to program menus by OS X when -- and only when -- the Dictation feature is activated in System Preferences. AFAIK, the instruction is sent to the apps, the apps don't go looking for it... And even if the apps do go looking for it the menu modification shouldn't occur if the OS is not sending a positive response.

Besides, contrary to one assertion, even if Word arbitrarily changed menu content it couldn't add something it doesn't own. I'm also convinced that the convolution of keyboard shortcuts is directly related to the menu alteration.

I cannot comment on whether it is an Apple issue or a Microsoft issue other than to say that if my understanding is correct I can't see how the Office software could be at fault. Further, despite the reality that you & the others here are experiencing, there doesn't seem to be a widespread epidemic as of now. At any rate, I have sent a request to Microsoft to have them review the issue. I'll certainly relay any feedback I receive.

Dr_JVB: If you can point me to the thread you referred to in your 2nd posting on July 7 'd like to have a closer look. As for being "Blown-off" by Apple, It's been my experience that such a response is typical from most developers until after they find a fix :-)

Thanks, Bob, for your efforts on our behalf!

I think you're probably on the right track that this weirdness is somehow related to the customized toolbars or menus, because that's the one thing that Jim and I have in common. The other thing, however, that we both have in common is that neither of us as ever turned on the Dictation command. So it's a mystery how either Word tells Dictation to start or OSX thinks it has received instructions for it to kick in even though it's turned off (and in my case the keyboard shortcut option has been set to "none"!).

Sadly, because this doesn't cause the program to crash we can't get a crash report that might shed some light on it.

Well, as is Daniel's situation, I have no access to systems running OS X 10.7 or later, so I cannot even test further. All I can say for sure is that none of the Office 2011 apps own the Start Dictation... command. My understanding is that the command is added to program menus by OS X when -- and only when -- the Dictation feature is activated in System Preferences. AFAIK, the instruction is sent to the apps, the apps don't go looking for it... And even if the apps do go looking for it the menu modification shouldn't occur if the OS is not sending a positive response.

Besides, contrary to one assertion, even if Word arbitrarily changed menu content it couldn't add something it doesn't own. I'm also convinced that the convolution of keyboard shortcuts is directly related to the menu alteration.

I cannot comment on whether it is an Apple issue or a Microsoft issue other than to say that if my understanding is correct I can't see how the Office software could be at fault. Further, despite the reality that you & the others here are experiencing, there doesn't seem to be a widespread epidemic as of now. At any rate, I have sent a request to Microsoft to have them review the issue. I'll certainly relay any feedback I receive.

Dr_JVB: If you can point me to the thread you referred to in your 2nd posting on July 7 'd like to have a closer look. As for being "Blown-off" by Apple, It's been my experience that such a response is typical from most developers until after they find a fix :-)

I just talked to Apple, and, no surprise, they said it was a MSO problem. 

Someone (in this forum) said that MS was aware of the issue. I wonder what they said. Also it seems to affect only late model OSX's: 8 or 9. It might be interesting to add that to the conversation.

Blown-off by Apple,

Jim

That would be me: I've filled in the feedback form a couple of times, over the years. You don't get a response when you do that.