Tempature Degree Sign

I use a Microsoft "Office" Keyboard Model RT9450 -- Microsoft does not sell this keyboard any longer but I just really enjoy the big scroll wheel and the many programable keys it offers -- when I saw that M.S. was dumping this great keyborad I bought several more for a backup.

I wish there were away that I could create a key combination that would allow me to type the tempature degree sign in both M.S. Word 2002 and Outlook Express 6?

My wife explained to me that at her office she uses a key combination of tapping the Alt Key followed by 0176 and this creates the degree sign -- I don't know what build her M.S. Word is or if she has tried this in her Outlook Express which I asume is version 7?

We tried it here at home both when using Oullook Express 6 and M.S. Word 2002 and it doesn't work?

They just got new HP machines at her office so her hardware is completely different than what I am using.

My keyboard also as an "F Lock" button and by default it is off. I tried this same combination with it turned on and still no joy.

She also tells me she has other combinations that will create the 1/4 and 1/2 signs.

I am aware of "Keyboard Mapping" but have never tried using it.

Any help sure would be appreciated

Thanks All

 

My keyboard is Microsoft Internet Keyboard. I can do the ° (Alt+0176) no problem. You said "tapping the alt key" hold down alt and type 0176. Thats zero one seven six.

 

Alt (holding it down) + 0186 is the correct ASCII code. What may be causing some confusion is that the numerals should be typed using the num-pad keys over to the right of most keyboards, not the regular numeral keys near the top of standard keyboards. Does that work for you?

 

Tempature Sign

Thanks so much to all for the quick reply.

I went with the suggestion of holding down the ALT and typing 0176 (zero) and get a capital L?

I also tried the other suggestion of holding down the ALT key and typing 0186 (zero) and got a capital V?

In both cases I used my number pad at the right side of this keyboard.

Probably a keyboard glitch?

Thank You All

 

Hi, John.

Just a hunch....

Perhaps the Alt-0176 (°) key combination is dependent upon the font type set you're using in M.S. Word 2002 and Outlook Express 6.

Try it using a "standard" font such as Arial or Times New Roman.

EDIT: BTW, here's a link to a related thread you might find helpful.

 

If you have no luck with any of the suggestions, try doing what I do. I use a stacking clipboard and copy the characters I need from the Windows Character Map. Then I move them into the "boilerplate" section of the clipboard so they'll always be there for me. It's a simple thing to paste them into any text message. For example, even though the alt+0186 wont work in this reply, I can paste it here from my clipboard archive...° I also have ¢ ± ² ¼ ½ and ¾ stored for instant use.

Stacking clipboards are handy for many other things and some can be had for free. Yankee-Clipper-III is a good one

I use Smartboard but it's not free. I bought it before I discovered YankeeClipper.

 

My thanks to mailman for saving me from having to look up that post; or worse, having to type the whole thing over again.

I've been using AllChars (free) for nearly ten years, since Win95 days, and recommend it highly. It's simple to use, and relatively intuitive for the more common characters. For example, the degree symbol (°) that John wants is produced by pressing Ctrl (required for all characters) + . (period) + 0 (zero). Allchars should work with any installed font in any program that accepts text input.

Re "stacking clipboards ": I think most users aren't aware that Windows has more than one clipboard ... there are actually something like 256, if I remember correctly. Windows makes only one available, though, which is where clipboard managers/extenders come in. I tried the original version of Yankee Clipper, but soon switched to Cliptrakker ($25 shareware), which I've used for many years. Yankee Clipper has seen many improvements since the original, and it's probably one of the better free clipboard managers.

 

Num Lock must be on and the Alt Key pressed down and it will work ° this was created by Alt+ 0176. I use it all the time for writing in German and it has never mattered what Keyboard I have been using. As long as the Num Lock is on and you are using the numbers on the Number pad.
Try it.
hawk22

 

Termpature Degree Sign

Well I ran down the culprit which is probably one of most used utilities I have used over the years. The program, authored by, Magnus Kruger in Cape Town, South Africa is called HotKeyz http://www.skynergy.com/

I temporaraily disabled HotKeyz and then tried the degree code and it works perfectly now -- I have also downloaded the Allchar utility and will experiment with it but have a gut feeling that HotKeys will block it somehow?

You all as usual have been so darn helpful and it's sincerely appreciated over here in Sheridan, Wy.

Regards

 

Hi John,

It's possible that you've created some key combinations in HotKeyz that are interferiing with the creation of (for example) the degree symbol. However, I just installed HotKeyz and, with only the default key combinations available, it seems to work OK with AllChars and Windows' access to the Character Table.

This degree symbol (°) was created with AllChars, and this one (°) by pressing Alt + 0 + 1 + 7 + 6.

That said, I can't see that I would ever use HotKeyz. The Shift + Ctrl + Alt combination seems clumsy to me, and the command I was most interested in (media eject) doesn't work on my system. Besides, I'm not a touch typist, and using the mouse is second nature to me.

Good luck.

 

Tempature Sign

Hi Jim,

I completely understand that you prefer the mouse and with me it's just the opposite and I have been using HotKeyz for so many years now it's like second nature in my various hot keys I have set up within the program - I have both a CD, CDRW and Zip 750 external drive and the HotKeys operates the trays both open and close and ejects the zip disk.

I have just finished writing to Magnus on this situation and he is great on getting back quicly.

Thanks again for you helpful input