# Dull computer-related question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 19, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021 "2001-08-19T16:44:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021/1 "2001-08-19T16:44:12Z")
My shift key used to move my cursor to the next field on a page, but it’s just (i.e. this morning) decided to change what screen I’m looking at instead. Any ideas as to how I can reset it or something?
Cheers,
Alex
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2001, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021/2 "2001-08-19T17:02:40Z")
Make sure that the ctrl and alt keys aren’t stuck down (assuming you’re on a PC).
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### Author:  [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2001, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021/3 "2001-08-19T17:02:44Z")
I think you mean your tab key, not shift. That’s what normally moves you to the next field.
It sounds like one of your alt keys is stuck down, because alt-tab does switch you from one application to another.
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### Author:  [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021/4 "2001-08-19T17:07:46Z")
Wow…not only did you know the answer to my question you actually knew what the question really was.
Yes, I meant the TAB key, and yes, pressing ALT GR (whatever the hell that is) sorted it out.
I love SDMB.
Alex
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### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2001, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dull-computer-related-question/77021/5 "2001-08-19T17:16:11Z")
Sometimes Windows confuses TAB and ALT-TAB. It happens to me quite a lot. To get TAB working as you’d expect, just use ALT-TAB to cycle through your screens. TAB should work normally after that.