Everyone loves a faster way to do things in order to increase your productivity. Microsoft realized this when they added shortcut keys to Windows as well as their other software products. Most other software companies have shortcut keys within their products as well. And many of them are interchangeable between different programs
Windows has many built in shortcut key combinations that can be used instead of the mouse when working in Windows. These shortcuts allow you to do many things such as open, close, and navigate the Start menu, desktop, menus, dialog boxes, and web pages using only the keyboard. This comes in handy so you don’t have to take your hands off the keyboard to do a simple task such as copy or paste some text.
Check out this list of Windows keyboard shortcuts and try some for yourself. They should be interchangeable with any version of Windows for the most part.
General Keyboard Shortcuts | |
Press | To |
CTRL+C | Copy |
CTRL+X | Cut |
CTRL+V | Paste |
CTRL+Z | Undo |
DELETE | Delete |
SHIFT+DELETE | Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin |
CTRL while dragging an item | Copy selected item |
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item | Create shortcut to selected item |
F2 | Rename selected item |
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word |
CTRL+LEFT ARROW | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word |
CTRL+DOWN ARROW | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph |
CTRL+UP ARROW | Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph |
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys | Highlight a block of text |
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys | Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document |
CTRL+A | Select All |
F3 | Search for a file or folder |
ALT+ENTER | View properties for the selected item |
ALT+F4 | Close the active item, or quit the active program |
ALT+Enter | Displays the properties of the selected object |
ALT+SPACEBAR | Opens the shortcut menu for the active window |
CTRL+F4 | Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously |
ALT+TAB | Switch between open items |
ALT+ESC | Cycle through items in the order they were opened |
F6 | Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. |
F4 | Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer |
SHIFT+F10 | Display the shortcut menu for the selected item |
ALT+SPACEBAR | Display the System menu for the active window |
CTRL+ESC | Display the Start menu |
ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name | Display the corresponding menu |
F10 | Activate the menu bar in the active program |
RIGHT ARROW | Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu |
LEFT ARROW | Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu |
F5 | Refresh the active window |
BACKSPACE | View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer |
ESC | Cancel the current task |
SHIFT when you insert a CD | Prevent the CD from automatically playing |
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts | |
CTRL+TAB | Move forward through tabs |
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB | Move backward through tabs |
TAB | Move forward through options |
SHIFT+TAB | Move backward through options |
ALT+Underlined letter | Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option |
ENTER | Carry out the command for the active option or button |
SPACEBAR | Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box |
Arrow keys | Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons |
F1 | Display Help |
F4 | Display the items in the active list |
BACKSPACE | Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box |
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts | |
END | Display the bottom of the active window |
HOME | Display the top of the active window |
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) | Display all subfolders under the selected folder |
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) | Display the contents of the selected folder |
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN | (-) Collapse the selected folder |
LEFT ARROW | Collapse current selection if it’s expanded, or select parent folder |
RIGHT ARROW | Display current selection if it’s collapsed, or select first subfolder |