Pssst, wanna know a secret? Wanna know how “power” computer users maximize their time at the computer? Whenver possible, they don’t use the computer’s mouse.
The process of moving your hand away from the keyboard and onto the mouse, clicking on an item, and then moving back to the keyboard only takes a moment. But imagine how many times you do that during a typical computing session. Now imagine how much quicker you can type if you didn’t have to constantly move your hand back and forth to and from the mouse. Windows has a way to help wean you away from the mouse and keep your fingers on the keyboard.
Utilizing the shortcut keyboard combinations built into Windows can greatly reduce the amount of time you’ll have to use the mouse. So what are keyboard combinations? They are keys you can press that will perform functions that you would otherwise have to use the mouse accomplish. Typically you will press a letter key in conjunction with a Windows function key.
Function key – what’s that? A function key is a key that (usually) doesn’t do anything by itself. But when you hold it down and then press another key, the computer will perform a specified function. For example, in most Windows applications, you can save a document by pressing the Ctrl-S keyboard combination. This means you hold down the control key (typically in the lower-left corner of your keyboard – labeled ctrl) and then press the S key. In this article, such an action is displayed as CTRL+S.
Following are the function keys to which we refer in this article:
- Control key – a key labeled ctrl. You will find it on the lower-left corner on most keyboards, with another one a couple of keys to the right of the space bar.
- Alt key – a key labeled alt. You will typically find two of these, one on either side of the space bar.
- Windows logo – a key showing the Windows logo, four squares configured to look like a wavy flag. The location of this key varies depending on the keyboard manufacturer. It may be a couple of keys to the left of the space bar, or it might be towards the upper-right hand corner of the keyboard.
- Esc – a key, typically in the upper-right hand corner of the keyboard – labeled esc.
- Tab – typically on the left side of the keyboard labeled tab.
- Shift – you can generally find a shift key on either side of the keyboard. Depending on the manufacturer, it may be labeled Shift, or may simply have an arrow pointing up.
- “F” keys – these are the keys along the top of most keyboards, labeled F1 through F12. Some keyboards may not show all 12 of these keys.)
Following is a list of keyboard shortcut combinations as displayed in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article # 126449. Give them a try and you’ll be surprised at how much faster you can complete your programming tasks.
Windows system key combinations
- F1: Help
- CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
- ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs
- ALT+F4: Quit program
- SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently
- Windows Logo+L: Lock the computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE)
Windows 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 shortcut menu containing alternative commands
- 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 Windows Help
- F10: Activates menu bar options
- SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut 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 or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)
- CTRL+SHIFT+ESC: Opens Windows Task Manager
- ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box
- ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)
- SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-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) program
- ALT+underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu
- ALT+F4: Closes the current window
- CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
- ALT+F6: Switch between multiple windows 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/Windows Explorer shortcuts
- For a selected object:
- F2: Rename object
- F3: Find all files
- CTRL+X: Cut
- CTRL+C: Copy
- CTRL+V: Paste
- SHIFT+DELETE: Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
- ALT+ENTER: Open the properties for the selected object
To copy a file
Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To create a shortcut
Press and hold down 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 Windows Explorer)
- F5: Refreshes the current window.
- F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
- CTRL+G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows 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
Windows 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
Accessibility shortcuts
- Press SHIFT five times: Toggles StickyKeys on and off
- Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
- Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five 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
- Windows Logo: Start menu
- Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box
- Windows Logo+M: Minimize all
- SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all
- Windows Logo+F1: Help
- Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer
- Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders
- Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
- CTRL+Windows Logo+F: Find computer
- CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
- Windows Logo+TAB: Cycle through taskbar buttons
- Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box
Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed
- Windows Logo+L: Log off Windows
- Windows Logo+P: Starts Print Manager
- Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel
- Windows Logo+V: Starts Clipboard
- Windows Logo+K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
- Windows Logo+I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
- Windows Logo+A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
- Windows Logo+SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
- Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS LOCK 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, this selects the option.
- ENTER: Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)
- ESC: Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button
- ALT+underlined letter in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item
The Microsoft Windows style sheet recommends that all programs support the keyboard combinations listed above. But ultimately it’s up to the individual companies to program said compatibility into their applications. For this reason you may find that not all of the keyboard shortcuts listed above work in all programs. But give them a try. And try to get into the habit of using keyboard shortcuts. You’ll quickly find that you’re using the mouse less and less, and getting more done even faster!
This article is provided by Steve Smith, The Computer Psychic. All content is protected by applicable copyrights, and may not be reproduced without express consent of the author.
The information in this knowledge base article is provided “as-is” with no warranty, express or implied, as to the suitability or validity of its content. It is up to the reader of this article to determine if the steps outlined herein are appropriate for his or her use. As with all tasks on the computer, be sure to have a current backup of your data before proceeding.
