# Utility issue: Alt+Arrowkeys combination not working anymore

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/utility-issue-alt-arrowkeys-combination-not-working-anymore/32269>\
**Category:** Processing\
**Created:** [September 15, 2021, 12:31pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/utility-issue-alt-arrowkeys-combination-not-working-anymore/32269 "2021-09-15T12:31:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Namrad](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/namrad/32/15938_2.png) [@Namrad](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Namrad)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 12:31pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/utility-issue-alt-arrowkeys-combination-not-working-anymore/32269/1 "2021-09-15T12:31:30Z")

</div>

Hello,

Since the launch of Processing 4 I have noticed that the (left-)Alt keyboard-combinations (Alt+Arrowkeys, Alt+Delete/Backspace, etc.) don’t work for me anymore. The issue seems really specific considering other, similar keyboard-combinations (e.g. with Cmd) work fine, and outside of Processing the keyboard-combinations with left-Alt work fine.  
I’m running Processing version 4.0b1 on a Macbook Pro running Big Sur (v 11.5.2). I’m using an external keyboard, but Processing won’t apply the Alt-combinations with either one. Outside of Processing the Alt combinations work fine with both this one and my Macbook’s own keyboard.

I can’t figure out what might have caused this. It doesn’t seem to be a Preference-setting, or something similar to that. Has anybody else experienced something similar? Is it an implemented feature? It really makes my workflow with Processing a lot more comfortable, so I hope it can be resolved. It’s difficult to find any information about this.

Any help is much appreciated.  
Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![quark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/quark/32/26_2.png) [@quark](https://discourse.processing.org/u/quark)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/utility-issue-alt-arrowkeys-combination-not-working-anymore/32269/2 "2021-09-15T14:02:21Z")

</div>

I suggest you try the a test sketch using JAVA2D and P2D since they use different event handling models. You might find that it works in JAVA2D but not in P2D.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Namrad](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/namrad/32/15938_2.png) [@Namrad](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Namrad)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 8:49pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/utility-issue-alt-arrowkeys-combination-not-working-anymore/32269/3 "2021-09-15T20:49:10Z")

</div>

Thanks for your suggestion quark. I wasn’t sure how to implement your solution, but it kind of reminded me that I didn’t try uninstalling and reinstalling Processing yet, which unsurprisingly seemed to work. The issue is now resolved.  
Thanks a lot for your suggestion!