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Delete/Backspace Stops Working in Oracle SQLDeveloper

I a huge fan of Oracle SQL Developer but I ran into an issue a while back that left me scratching my head and re-installing. The issue? Most key strokes other than letters and numbers failed to function. Yeah…no delete or backspace.

When this issue happened a second time I did a little playing with the app and figured out what to do. If you find yourself in a similar predicament simply do this:

  1. Open SQL Developer
  2. Click on the Tools > Preferences menu
  3. Click on Accelerators on the left
  4. Click the Load Preset… button

Yup. That’s it. The only lame part about that is all your custom key bindings go away and must be re-done. But that is much nicer than re-installing!

Posted in Blog, Technology.

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21 Responses

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  1. Hath1 says

    Thank you!

    Just spent hours trying to figure this out! Even unzipping a fresh copy didn’t solve this issue, but the Loading to Presets did!

  2. DBrown says

    Happened to me too. I thought about reinstalling, but googling “sqldeveloper enter key” brought up your tip first. Thanks.

  3. Chris F says

    Thanks! I needed this!

  4. Irina says

    You are my hero! I didn’t have the passwords on all of my connections, so the reinstall wasn’t an option. I just suffered for days until I googled this! Thanks!!

  5. muffinimal says

    Thanks! After half a day of frustration I decided to search for this particular behaviour! Thanks for figuring this out!

  6. Indu says

    Thanks a lot. I spent half a day in trying out various options.

  7. Thisan says

    Hi,

    This solution worked for me also.
    Spent lot of time to see what really went wrong.

    Thanks alot!

  8. Tyler says

    you’ve saved yet another person, thanks !

  9. Hannes says

    You’re my hero of day!!! I was actually already considering using toad…

    Thanks a million!!

  10. Ofir says

    Thanks!

    Just had that issue with sql developer 1.5.1 – You made my day :)

  11. robert says

    thanks a lot! saved my day!

  12. Rekha says

    A huge thanks to you… I was about to re-install it..you saved me from the huge task :) …

  13. Pacey says

    You saved my (work) life! Thanks

  14. AZOR says

    I LOVE YOU (not really,haha)

    We use SQLDEVELOPER in my work and i really HATE IT. This software is full of bugs, and unhappy suprises. Thx for save me from another one. I spent a lot of time to try instal new and new and new SQLDeveloper (not it stoped working this too, SQLDevelper loading settings .. without asking :-/)

    I own you some hours of my live. Thx. I will use it well, i promise.

  15. Laura says

    THANK YOU! Seriously, this was driving me nuts, and I was about to reinstall. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

  16. prazz says

    Thanks for the tips, it works on my laptop too

    Maybe the question would be, why this happened?? I don’t remember to set any binding key to my sql developer..

  17. Filipe says

    Thanks!!! You are my new SQL Developer Guru!!!! Just pasting the enter’s is a bit tiring! :P

  18. Holger Ahrens says

    The same problem was solved with my Enter Key – No linefeed was accepted. So your solution worked well for this key, too. As i mentioned that problem my colleagues looked at me a bit strange :-).So many thanks for the solution

  19. Damien says

    Thanks !! This has been bugging me for days. Been getting around it, but it has been no fun. Googled my issue, this was second on the list and now have it fixed !!! Great Post and thanks again !!

    P.S. Any reasoning as to why this happens?

  20. Scotdwg says

    ANNOYING but thank you

  21. Swetha says

    Hi ,

    Thanks a lot..

    Me too face the same problem…

    Then while googling…urs was the first…

    Once again thanks…. :-)



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