ALT+C not working MS Edge browser

Question

ALT+C not working MS Edge browser

Raghavan Veettil 0

ALT+C is not working edge browser. Please see below code

<html>

<head>

<meta charset="utf-8" />

<title></title>

<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.js"

        integrity="sha256-eKhayi8LEQwp4NKxN+CfCh+3qOVUtJn3QNZ0TciWLP4="

        crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

<script>

    $(document).off('click', '#cmdClearQ').on('click', '#cmdClearQ', function (event) {

        fnClick();

    });

    $(document).off('click', '#cmdClearC').on('click', '#cmdClearC', function (event) {

        fnClick();

    });

    function fnClick() {

        window.alert("clear");

    }

</script>

</head>

<body>

<p>test</p>

<button type="button" class="icon_clear" id="cmdClearQ" name="cmdClearQ" accesskey="Q">ALT + Q</button>

<button type="button" class="icon_clear" id="cmdClearC" name="cmdClearC" accesskey="C">ALT + C</button>

</body>

</html>

Jay Pham (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 410 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-08-29T03:07:10.3666667+00:00

Hi Raghavan Veettil ,
Just checking in — I haven’t heard back from you for a while, I hope everything works out as you expected. I understand things can get busy or priorities may shift.

If you’re still experiencing the issue or need further support, feel free to jump back in at any time — I will always be here and happy to help.

Wishing you all the best with your work!

2 answers

Your answer

Jay Pham (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 410 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-08-29T03:07:10.3666667+00:00

Hi Raghavan Veettil ,
Just checking in — I haven’t heard back from you for a while, I hope everything works out as you expected. I understand things can get busy or priorities may shift.

If you’re still experiencing the issue or need further support, feel free to jump back in at any time — I will always be here and happy to help.

Wishing you all the best with your work!

Answer 1

Jay Pham (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 410 Microsoft External Staff

Dear Raghavan Veettil,

Welcome! I am a Support Engineer specializing in Microsoft Edge, and I’m happy to assist you today.

The issue you’re experiencing relates to keyboard shortcuts (accesskeys), such as Alt+C, not always working as expected in Microsoft Edge. This typically occurs because different browsers and operating systems handle accesskey shortcuts in various ways. Sometimes, the shortcut only focuses the button instead of activating it, or it may conflict with built-in browser or system shortcuts.

Here’s how you can troubleshoot and resolve this:

Please ensure you are using the correct keyboard shortcut for your browser and operating system. For Microsoft Edge on Windows, it is typically Alt + [key]. (Refer to the table and links below for other combinations.)
If the shortcut still does not activate the button, we recommend adding a JavaScript event handler to your website to listen for the desired key combination (e.g., Alt+C) and trigger the button action automatically. This ensures the shortcut works reliably across browsers. Example solution:
```
    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {
      if (e.altKey && e.code === 'KeyC') {
        e.preventDefault();
        document.getElementById('your-button-id').click();
      }
    });
```
(Result: After updating your page with this script, pressing Alt+C should reliably trigger the button action in Microsoft Edge and other browsers.)

For more information, please refer to the following documentation:
👉 MDN Web Docs – Accesskey
👉 WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices – Keyboard Shortcuts

I hope this helps you resolve the issue quickly! If you agree with our suggestion, please try the steps above and let us know if you need any further assistance.

Raghavan K V 0 Reputation points

2025-08-19T17:32:31.6266667+00:00

Thank you Jay for your response. Still not working, I am getting the code as 18 (ALT key code, I am holding alt key and pressing the other key). If I am using accesskey, ALT + C is not working.

Jay Pham (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 410 Microsoft External Staff

Thankyou your response. I have updated the code to add an additional event listener for keyboard shortcuts (ALT+Q and ALT+C).
Please try this version to see if it resolves the issue in Microsoft Edge.

<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<title>Accesskey Test</title>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.js"
            integrity="sha256-eKhayi8LEQwp4NKxN+CfCh+3qOVUtJn3QNZ0TciWLP4="
            crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script>
        $(document).ready(function() {
            // Existing click handlers for buttons
            $(document).off('click', '#cmdClearQ').on('click', '#cmdClearQ', function(event) {
                fnClick('Clear Q clicked');
            });
 
            $(document).off('click', '#cmdClearC').on('click', '#cmdClearC', function(event) {
                fnClick('Clear C clicked');
            });
 
            // Keyboard event listener for Alt+Q and Alt+C
            $(document).on('keydown', function(event) {
                if (event.altKey) {
                    if (event.key === 'q' || event.key === 'Q') {
                        event.preventDefault(); // Prevent browser default behavior
                        $('#cmdClearQ').click(); // Trigger click on cmdClearQ
                    } else if (event.key === 'c' || event.key === 'C') {
                        event.preventDefault(); // Prevent browser default behavior
                        $('#cmdClearC').click(); // Trigger click on cmdClearC
                    }
                }
            });
 
            // Function to handle button click
            function fnClick(message) {
                window.alert(message);
            }
        });
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Test</p>
<button type="button" class="icon_clear" id="cmdClearQ" name="cmdClearQ" accesskey="Q">ALT + Q</button>
<button type="button" class="icon_clear" id="cmdClearC" name="cmdClearC" accesskey="C">ALT + C</button>
</body>
</html>

How to test:

Save the above code as accesskey-test.html.
Open it in Microsoft Edge.
Press ALT+Q and ALT+C to check if the correct alert displays.
You can also click the buttons with your mouse to verify.
If you encounter issues, open DevTools (F12) and check the Console for errors.

Let me know if this resolves your issue!

Raghavan K V 0 Reputation points

2025-08-20T15:19:51.82+00:00

I'm grateful, Jay! Adding the keydown event restores the functionality. I'm still unsure of the upgrade that prevented the accesskey "C" from working. It was operational till a few weeks ago.

Answer 2

Hi @Raghavan Veettil,

Thank you for clarifying that the accesskey="C" functionality stopped working recently, despite being operational a few weeks ago, and that you're unsure which update caused this issue in Microsoft Edge. I'm glad the keydown event listener solution restored the ALT+C and ALT+Q functionality, and I’ll address your concern about why accesskey="C" stopped working, providing a concise explanation and steps to investigate further.

Steps to Investigate the Cause To identify the specific update or change:

Check Edge Version:
- Go to edge://settings/help to note your current Edge version (e.g., 128.x.x.x).
- Check release notes at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-relnotes for updates around early August 2025 mentioning accesskey or keyboard changes.
Test in InPrivate Mode:
- Open an InPrivate window (Ctrl+Shift+N) and test your original code (without the keydown listener) to rule out extension interference.
Check for Shortcut Conflicts:
- Press ALT in Edge and then C. If a browser menu or feature activates, it indicates a native shortcut conflict.
- Test in Chrome or Firefox to see if accesskey="C" still works there.
Review Windows Updates:
- Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history and look for updates installed around the time the issue started (early August 2025).

Keep the keydown Solution: Continue using the keydown event listener for ALT+C and ALT+Q, as it’s reliable and unaffected by browser updates.
Alternative Accesskey: If you prefer using accesskey, consider switching to a less common key (e.g., accesskey="X") and update the keydown logic to avoid conflicts.
Monitor Updates: Watch Edge and Windows release notes for future changes to keyboard handling.
Accessibility: Add aria-label (e.g., aria-label="Clear Queue") to buttons for better screen reader support.

If you want to pinpoint the exact update or explore further:

Share your Edge version (edge://settings/help) and OS (e.g., Windows 10/11).
Confirm if ALT+C works in other browsers or triggers any Edge-specific action (e.g., menu focus).
Let me know if extensions are active or if you need a modified script.

I’m happy to assist further or research specific Edge updates. Thank you for confirming the fix worked!

Best regards,
Jay

Robert Kinard 10 Reputation points

2025-08-27T20:15:38.3133333+00:00

I can confirm experiencing the same change in behavior with MS Edge Version 139.0.3405.119; however Chrome Version 139.0.7258.128 does not have this issue when running the same web site. I am testing using Windows 11.
Robert Kinard 10 Reputation points

2025-08-27T22:09:36.8433333+00:00

Some additional information. If the website is launched using the --app command line argument, then the alt+c access key is functional.

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ALT+C not working MS Edge browser

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