# How do I get out of typeover mode?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-out-of-typeover-mode/403112
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [May 7, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-out-of-typeover-mode/403112 "2007-05-07T15:28:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-out-of-typeover-mode/403112/1 "2007-05-07T15:28:41Z")
Sometime, when I’m typing a post, suddenly I find myself in typeover mode and I can’t simply add a word without having to type the whole post over, or doing a sort of dance with the enter, write, backspace keys. I don’t know what I’m inadvertently doing to get into that mode, and I’d like to know how to get out. Thanks. xo, C.
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### Author:  [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-out-of-typeover-mode/403112/2 "2007-05-07T15:30:51Z")
[QUOTE=CC]
Sometime, when I’m typing a post, suddenly I find myself in typeover mode and I can’t simply add a word without having to type the whole post over, or doing a sort of dance with the enter, write, backspace keys. I don’t know what I’m inadvertently doing to get into that mode, and I’d like to know how to get out. Thanks. xo, C.
[/QUOTE]
Press the INSERT key on your keyboard once.
You may be hitting it inadvertently when you’re trying to hit the DELETE key; INSERT toggles the insert/typeover mode.
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### Author:  [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-out-of-typeover-mode/403112/3 "2007-05-07T15:37:49Z")
Astounding, but true! Thanks very much. I don’t have any clue how I could have reached that key inadvertently. It’s quite a distance from where my hands lie on this keyboard. I think there is probably some random combination of keys that I hit that also toggles that action. Anyway, knowledge is power. Thanks, again.
xo, C.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-out-of-typeover-mode/403112/4 "2007-05-07T15:42:54Z")
We’re all just a keystroke from disaster, we recogize that.