How to stop alt-key activating the menu in Illustrator CS6?

[M.U.D.]

Hi Talk Graphics Community,

I would like to tap into your collective wisdom and experience.

I've just bought Illustrator CS6 and I'm encountering a very irritating behaviour related to the alt key.
The alt key is a vital shortcut key in Illustrator, but in Windows 7 (64bit) it is apparently also designated as a shortcut to activate the menu bar in all programs. As a result there is a conflict between the actions of the alt key in Illustrator and in Windows 7. Whenever I use the alt key in Illustrator CS6 it activates the menu bar and takes the focus of the arrow keys (and all other keys) away from the drawing tools. This results in the menu items being scrolled instead of the art object being manipulated, as one intended. Very irritating (especially when you hit the space bar, which results in a beeping sound). There is a work around for the alt-mouse wheel zoom action, one has to learn to press ctrl-alt-mouse wheel to avoid activating the menu bar. Nevertheless, sometimes I still press the alt key to zoom in... a reflex from long use of my previous version of Illustrator.

Is there a way of preventing Illustrator CS6 from activating the menu bar when the alt key is pressed?

I notice in Gimp (also on Windows 7) that the alt key does not activate the menu bar, instead it performs the normal Gimp functions that it is supposed to perform.

I'm also experiencing the odd crash in Illustrator CS6 every now and then. Is that normal behaviour for Illy CS6?

Thanks in advance,
MUD