Disabling the command enter shortcut on Mac Entourage

Question

It seems like disabling a shortcut should not be such a big deal, but I cannot seem to be able to do it for any shortcuts and specifically not for the combination that I keep hitting by mistake, every single day. The smaller space bar makes it very easy to hit the command key by mistake, and the return is a commonly used key when typing. I keep sending important e-mails before I am done typing, or worse, before I am done editing. I do not necessarily want to disable all the shortcuts, but that one for sure. The choices for changing anything in Entourage seem very limited. [Entourage for Mac 2008. Version 12.2.8. (101117) ESD] It is easy enough just to hit "send." This short cut causes a lot more trouble than it saves. Help.

Answer 1

Many key-based “launcher” applications will capture keystrokes before normal applications get a chance to “see” them. You could assign ⌘↩ (Command-Enter) in once of those launchers to prevent Entourage from seeing it. Some launchers even let you assign shortcuts that are only active with certain applications.

John Gruber has described using FastScripts to reassign Mail’s ⌘R to an AppleScript program that moves the insertion point out of “top posting” position.

In your case, the AppleScript could be completely empty since you just want to ignore the keystroke.

Here are the step-by-step instructions.

1. Start FastScripts.
2. Activate Entourage (make it the frontmost application).
3. Click FastScripts > Create Entourage Scripts Folder from FastScript’s menu icon on the right-hand side of the menu bar (its icon looks like a black scroll with the ends curled over and under and a lightening bolt on the smooth section).
   The Entourage part of the menu item label might be different, use the only menu item that labeld like “Create appname Scripts Folder” (do it while Entourage is frontmost though).
   This will open a new Finder window for the new folder. Leave it open and off to one side for now.
4. Activate AppleScript Editor.
5. If an empty document did not come up automatically, use File > New (⌘N) to get an new, empty document.
6. Use File > Save As… (⇧⌘S) to save the empty AppleScript program.
7. Click and hold, then drag the icon from the title bar of the Finder window to anywhere in the Save As “dialog” in AppleScript Editor.
   This will “move” the dialog into that folder. Or, you could use the controls in the “Save As” panel to navigate to the directory manually.
8. For “File Format”, be sure “Script” is selected.
9. Type in a name for the script (e.g. do nothing).
10. Click “Save”.
11. Click FastScripts > Preferences… from FastScript’s menu icon on the right-hand side of the menu bar.
12. Choose the Script Shortcuts “tab”.
13. Click the right-pointing disclosure triangles in the list of scripts until you find your new script (start with /Users/<yourname>/Library/Scripts, then Applications, finally Entourage).
14. Double click the “(none)” in the Shortcut column next to your saved script.
15. Type Command-Enter (⌘↩) to enter the shortcut.
16. Activate Entourage and get to a point where you can use Command-Enter (⌘↩) (compose an email to yourself?). Try the keystoke. Hopefully, it should now “do nothing” (FastScript should “eat” it and run the script that does nothing instead of letting the keystroke get to Entourage).

Answer 2

Shortcuts aren't generally managed by individual applications, but instead from System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts. Try adding an Application Shortcut for Entourage which maps Command-Enter to something safe like "save draft".

Answer 3

I've fought with this for a while and found that what you have to do is to break the original shortcut for "Send".

Go to System Settings -> Keyboard -> Keyboard shortcuts -> Application Shortcuts.

Now add Outlook/Entourage to the list and make sure that "Menu title" states "Send". After that choose whatever cryptic shortcut you are sure you will never accidentally hit.

That did it for me in Outlook 2011.