# I hope the "Insert" key falls down and dies a painful death **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741 "2004-10-23T06:58:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/21 "2004-10-23T22:19:34Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > I very occasionally use the Insert key if I’m changing something from all caps to lower case or vice versa. I don’t know if it’s in other versions, but in Word 2003, the Format menu has a “Change Case” option. Of course, you’ll have to put in the capitals for the beginnings of sentences, but it’s easier than retyping the whole thing. > [@Darth Nader](#): > > Huh, I actually had to look at my keyboard for a while before I found my Insert key. There it is, tucked out of the way on the bottom right, next to Ctrl and that Windows key I’ve never had any use for. I always use the windows key for bringing up Windows Explorer. Windows key + e = Windows Explorer. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/22 "2004-10-23T23:44:00Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > I use it all the time. It’s very useful for coding. What kind of programming are you doing? Or are you using coding in a different sense? > [@Podkayne](#): > > In overwrite mode, you simply swap character for character and it doesn’t screw up the spacing in the columns. This is indeed a good use for the mode. But fewer and fewer modern files have strict rules on columnar tabulation, and the last punch-card descended languages of any modern relevance whatsoever have gone free-form. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/23 "2004-10-24T02:32:04Z")
You know, it never struck me that I could just pop the damn key out of the keyboard. A simple and elegant solution that satisfies. (Especially because this way I get to fling the key across the room and watch it thwack into the wall. ;j ) ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/24 "2004-10-24T17:43:25Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > What kind of programming are you doing? Or are you using coding in a different sense? > > This is indeed a good use for the mode. But fewer and fewer modern files have strict rules on columnar tabulation, and the last punch-card descended languages of any modern relevance whatsoever have gone free-form. It makes a lot more sense when you also have your backspace key bound to “insert a space here and move back a charecter” rather than “delete”. I find it useful for editing banner style comments and long lists of similar looking arguments so that my spacing doesn’t become all screwed. Also, if your creating ASCII art, it comes in handy. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/25 "2004-10-24T18:12:21Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > I very occasionally use the Insert key if I’m changing something from all caps to lower case or vice versa. How do you do this? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/26 "2004-10-24T20:55:59Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > There’s a workaround which disables the key in Word: Record a macro which does absolutely nothing, and assign ‘insert’ as the shortcut key for it. Do a who in the where with a what, then? Much easier: make sure you’re _not_ in “Insert,” then just put some Elmer’s Glue under the motherfucker. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/27 "2004-10-24T21:00:02Z")
> [@Burnt Sugar](#): > > Windows key + e = Windows Explorer. Windows key + L is also useful. It force-locks your WinXP session so you have to enter your password to resume. (Basically it’s the same as if you’ve got the screen saver set with password protection except you don’t have to wait for it.) Very handy if you’ve got to run down to the shared printer or the soda cooler for a couple of minutes and you’ve got something confidential on your desktop you don’t want a random passerby to read (or, alternatively ten SDMB windows you’d rather the boss didn’t happen across). But yeah, re the OP, the INS typeover toggle stabs me in the mental scrotum probably two or three times a week. Totally agree. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/28 "2004-10-24T21:06:32Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Windows key + L is also useful. It force-locks your WinXP session so you have to enter your password to resume. Excellent! Does that work in 2000, too? > [@Eve](#): > > Do a who in the where with a what, then? > > Much easier: make sure you’re _not_ in “Insert,” then just put some Elmer’s Glue under the motherfucker. The workaround I mentioned is for if you want to still be able to use Ins in other situations. On my keyboard it’s the same key as Print Screen, which I definitely want to keep. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/29 "2004-10-25T16:18:29Z")
> [@Jervoise](#): > > The insert key must die. > > F1 (Help) must also die. At least twice daily, when trying to edit cells in Excel (F2), I miss and hit F1. This throws my work computer into lockup as it loads the weight Excel help file. Grrr. AHHHHHH!!! No shit. I used the nail file solution - took the F1 key off so that I didn’t have to worry about it. But it took my fingers a couple of weeks to memorize that change - I kept hitting F3 instead of F2. Thankfully that’s an easy one to escape from. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/30 "2004-10-25T16:46:11Z")
> [@aankh](#): > > You know, it never struck me that I could just pop the damn key out of the keyboard. A simple and elegant solution that satisfies. > > (Especially because this way I get to fling the key across the room and watch it thwack into the wall. ;j ) There ya go! One of my old keyboards had a damn reset button just below the delete key! Can’t tell you how many times I crashed my computer accidentally before I figured out the screwdriver workaround! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/31 "2004-10-25T17:29:17Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Does that work in 2000, too? Sorry, no idea. I learned about it after I got XP and I don’t have a Win2K enviro to check. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/32 "2004-10-25T18:58:21Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Excellent! Does that work in 2000, too? No. To quickly lock your computer in Windows 2000, hit CTRL-ALT-DEL, which should bring up the Windows security dialog box. Hitting enter on the ‘lock computer’ button (which should be highlighted by default) will lock your machine. (I do this about 15 times a day.) ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/33 "2004-10-26T12:30:43Z")
> [@Burnt Sugar](#): > > I don’t know if it’s in other versions, but in Word 2003, the Format menu has a “Change Case” option. Of course, you’ll have to put in the capitals for the beginnings of sentences, but it’s easier than retyping the whole thing. Actually you don’t even have to put the capitals in. If you select Change Case under Format, one of your options should be Sentence Case. ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/34 "2004-10-26T14:16:58Z")
> [@neuroman](#): > > No. To quickly lock your computer in Windows 2000, hit CTRL-ALT-DEL, which should bring up the Windows security dialog box. Hitting enter on the ‘lock computer’ button (which should be highlighted by default) will lock your machine. (I do this about 15 times a day.) I do that too, and as many times too. Keeps the boss from coming into my pod when I am not there and find “Weird Earl’s” on the monitor. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Yorklebees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a5b964/32.png) [@New\_Yorklebees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Yorklebees)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/35 "2004-10-26T16:48:09Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > I very occasionally use the Insert key if I’m changing something from all caps to lower case or vice versa. But it’s hardly a time saver at all, and it’s more just to try to justify the key’s existence. Also, Shift-Insert is Paste, in case you don’t like Ctrl-V for some reason. On the whole though, I agree. The Insert key does more harm than good, and is evilly close to the most important key of all, the Backspace. Highlight your text. Format\Change Case. Enjoy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/36 "2004-10-26T18:23:03Z")
I use the insert key every single day at work. I work with insurance claim feeds, which look like the opening scene of The Matrix and I am constantly changing digits to different digits, or in some cases, erasing them by using the spacebar. Since these feeds are interpreted based on which column they are in, using the backspace key would not only require two keystrokes (bksp and then the new digit, rather than just the new digit) but would throw off the columns of everything else in that line if I don’t replace every amount with the exact same number of digits in the new amount. I can second the F1 key. That thing can slow down the fastest computer on earth, especially if it is hit in explorer mode ---
**Author:** ![Tower\_Dweller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tower\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tower_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741/37 "2004-10-26T21:10:34Z")
Ditto what fusoya said: I work on a lot of fixed-format data files, and it’s nice to be able to just type over a value without disturbing the rest of the line. But I’m 1.) a programer who’s 2.) working on archaic file formats, so we’re probably a pretty small percentage of PC users. And I HATE that F1 opens online help. Do anyone really need to use help that much that it needs it’s own function key? What a pain. And when I do need to look up something in the help file, I never remember the F1 key, and open help through the menus… More Windows key goodness: Win + D minimizes all applications, showing the desktop. Another job saver. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-the-insert-key-falls-down-and-dies-a-painful-death/270741.md?page=1)