Excel · Open Paste Special
Clipboard
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+Alt+VMac
Cmd+Ctrl+VOpens the dialog where you choose values only, formats only, transpose and the rest; the Mac combination is Cmd+Ctrl+V, not Ctrl+Alt+V.
- Group
- Clipboard
- Keys held
- 3
Excel diverges most on the Mac. F4 for absolute references is Cmd+T there, and a few Ctrl combinations stay Ctrl rather than becoming Cmd.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Open Paste Special in Excel?
Opens the dialog where you choose values only, formats only, transpose and the rest; the Mac combination is Cmd+Ctrl+V, not Ctrl+Alt+V. It is Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows and Cmd+Ctrl+V on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows, Cmd+Ctrl+V on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Clipboard in Excel.
The same action elsewhere
Shortcuts nearby
Paste values onlyCtrl+Alt+V·V·EnterSelect the whole columnCtrl+SpaceSelect the whole rowShift+SpaceSelect the block of data around the cellCtrl+AExtend the selection to the last filled cellCtrl+Shift+DownExtend the selection to the last used cellCtrl+Shift+EndJump to the last used cellCtrl+EndJump to A1Ctrl+Home