Windows Shortcut Keys  

Helpful WIN Shortcut Keys to make your computing faster.
Note: [Win] = WIN Key (Bottom left area of keyboard).



Note: + is 2 or more keys depressed. (Hold first key and touch second key then release both)

• [F1] Help for current program that is open.

• [Win]+[F1] WIN Help

• [Ctrl]+[C] To mark an area to copy: Place the cursor at beginning of area to copy. Hold the left mouse button down and drag the cursor across area to copy. Release the left mouse button when area is highlighted. Then copy to the clipboard by holding the [Ctrl] key down and touching the letter [C]. * Another method in a document is to place the cursor at the beginning of area to copy. Hold the [Shift] key down and use the [Right Arrow] key to highlight area to copy. Release both keys. Then [Ctrl]+[C] to copy to the clipboard.

• [Ctrl]+[X] Will Cut/delete highlighted area and place it on the clipboard. Handy when moving data to another area or application.

• [Ctrl]+[V] Pastes clipboard data to the right of your cursor.

• [Alt]+[Tab] Will cycle between Programs that are currently open in WIN. Hold the [Alt] key down and touch the [Tab] key to change applications.

• [Alt+F4] Closes any current open program on screen showing in WIN.

• [Win]+[D] Minimize all WIN programs open to show your desktop.

• [Win]+[E] Same as File Manager in older versions of WIN. Displays WIN Explorer (Without expanded directories) Much better than a Right- Click on [Start] and selecting Explore.

• [Ctrl]+[A] Select All text or items in the current window.

• [Win]+[E] Same as File Manager in older versions of WIN Display WIN

• Explorer (Without expanded directories) Better than a Right Click on [Start] and selecting Explore.

• [Win]+[F] Display Find Files. Faster than [Start] [Search] [Files or Folders] Normally Select: All files and folders: Then select drives to search.

• [Ctrl]+[Home] In most WIN applications will take you to the Beginning of a file. [Ctrl]+[End] Will take you to the End of a file.

• [Shift]+[Del] In WIN Explorer and Outlook deletes Files, bypassing the Recycle Bin.

• [Shift]+[Tab] Moves to Previous control in the dialog box. [Tab] alone goes forward. Use in most programs for multiple choices.

• [Shift]+[Right- Click] on any file in Explorer to open with a specific program. (File association)

• [F5] Refresh your screen.

• Create a Web Page shortcut to your Desktop in WIN: [Right Click MOUSE] Select: "Create Shortcut" - Select: "OK"

• [Win]+[R] Install program. Same as [Start] [Run] Browse to program to install.

• [Shift] Hold the Shift Key down when inserting a CD to avoid Auto-Run to view CD contents.

WIN System Key Combinations
CTRL+ESC - Open Start menu
ALT+TAB - Switch between open programs
ALT+F4 - Quit program
SHIFT+DELETE - Delete items permanently
WIN Program Key Combinations
CTRL+C - Copy
CTRL+X - Cut
CTRL+V - Paste
CTRL+Z - Undo
CTRL+B - Bold
CTRL+U - Underline
CTRL+I - Italic
Mouse Click/Keyboard Modifier Combinations for Shell Objects
SHIFT+RIGHT CLICK - Displays a context menu containing alternative verbs.
SHIFT+DOUBLE CLICK - Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu).
ALT+DOUBLE CLICK - Displays properties.
SHIFT+DELETE - Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin.
General Keyboard-Only Commands
F1 - Starts WIN Help.
F10 - Activates menu bar options.
SHIFT+F10 - Opens a context menu for the selected item. This is the same as right-clicking an object.
CTRL+ESC - Opens the Start menu. Use the ARROW keys to select an item.
CTRL+ESC, ESC - Selects the Start button. (Press TAB to select quick launch, the taskbar, system tray)
ALT+DOWN ARROW - Opens a drop-down list box.
ALT+TAB - Switch to another running application. Hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window.
Press down and hold the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the auto-run feature.
ALT+SPACE - Displays the main window's System menu. From the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window.
ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) - Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu. From the MDI child window's System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window.
CTRL+TAB - Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) application.
ALT+ - Opens the corresponding menu.
ALT+F4 - Closes the current window.
ALT+DOWN ARROW - Opens a drop-down list box.
CTRL+F4 - Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window.
ALT+F6 - Switch between multiple WIN in the same program. For example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window.
Shell Objects and General Folder/WIN Explorer Shortcuts
F2 - Rename object
F3 - Find: All Files
CTRL+X - Cut
CTRL+C - Copy
CTRL+V - Paste
SHIFT+DEL - Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin.
ALT+ENTER - Open the property sheet for the selected object.
To Copy a File - Press down and hold the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To Create a Shortcut - Press down and hold CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.
General Folder/Shortcut Control
F4 - Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in WIN Explorer).
F5 - Refreshes the current window.
F6 - Moves among panes in WIN Explorer.
CTRL+G - Opens the Go To Folder tool (in WIN 95 WIN Explorer only).
CTRL+Z - Undo the last command.
CTRL+A - Select all the items in the current window.
BACKSPACE - Switch to the parent folder.
SHIFT+CLICK - Close Button For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders.
WIN Explorer Tree Control
Numeric Keypad * - Expands everything under the current selection.
Numeric Keypad + - Expands the current selection.
Numeric Keypad - - Collapses the current selection.
RIGHT ARROW - Expands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child.
LEFT ARROW - Collapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent.
Property Sheet Control
CTRL+TAB/CTRL+ SHIFT+TAB - Move through the property tabs.
Accessibility Shortcuts
Tap SHIFT 5 times - Toggles StickyKeys on and off.
Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for 8 seconds - Toggles FilterKeys on and off.
Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for 5 seconds - Toggles ToggleKeys on and off.
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK - Toggles MouseKeys on and off.
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN - Toggles High Contrast on and off.
Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys
WIN - Start Menu
WIN+R - Run dialog box
WIN+M - Minimize All
SHIFT+WIN+M - Undo Minimize All
WIN+F1 - Help
WIN+E - WIN Explorer
WIN+F - Find Files or Folders
WIN+D - Minimizes all open WIN and displays the desktop
CTRL+WIN+F - Find Computer
CTRL+WIN+TAB - Moves focus from Start, to Quick Launch bar, to System Tray. Use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on Quick Launch bar and System Tray
WIN+TAB - Cycle through taskbar buttons
WIN+BREAK - System Properties dialog box
Application key - Displays a context menu for the selected item
Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType Software Installed
WIN+L - Log off WIN
WIN+P - Opens Print Manager
WIN+C - Opens Control Panel
WIN+V - Opens Clipboard
WIN+K - Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
WIN+I - Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
WIN+A - Opens Accessibility Options(if installed)
WIN+SPACEBAR - Displays the list of IntelliType Hotkeys
WIN+S - Toggles the CAP LOCK key on and off
Dialog Box Keyboard Commands
TAB - Move to the next control in the dialog box.
SHIFT+TAB - Move to the previous control in the dialog box.
SPACEBAR - If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option button, this selects the option button.
ENTER - Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline).
ESC - Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button.
ALT+ - Select menu item.