Basic Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Some geeks believe that using a keyboard rather than a mouse is a sign of expertise over the operating system and the sign of times. Here are some basic Windows keyboard shortcuts to help you move into the geek realm :).

[F1]
Display Help. When in Windows Explorer or viewing the desktop, this shows you Windows Help. Otherwise, shows you the active program’s documentation.

[Ctrl] + [X]
Cut the selected item or text

[Ctrl] + [V]
Paste the selected item or text

[Ctrl] + [Z]
Undo the last action

[Ctrl] + [Y]
Redo the last action

[Delete]
Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin

[[Shift]] + [Delete]
Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first

[F2]
Rename the selected item

[Ctrl] + [Right Arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word

[Ctrl] + [Left Arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word

[Ctrl] + [Down Arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph

[Ctrl] + [Up Arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph

[Ctrl] + [[Shift]] + an arrow key
Select a block of text

[[Shift]] with any arrow key
Selectmore than one itemin a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document

[Ctrl] with any arrow key + [Space]
Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop

[Ctrl] + [A]
Select all items in a document or window

[F3]
Search for a file or folder

[Alt] + [Enter]
Display properties for the selected item

[Alt] + [F4]
Exit the active program

[Alt] + [Space]
Open 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 programs or items

[Ctrl]+ [Alt] + [Tab]
Use the arrow keys to switch between open items (Vista only). Hit [Enter] to select the program you want to switch to

[Ctrl] + Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size of icons on the desktop – (Vista only)

[Windows] + [Tab]
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3D(Vista only). In XP, cycle through programs using the taskbar buttons and hit [Enter] to select a program

[Ctrl] + [Windows] + [Tab]
Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3D (Vista only). Hit [Enter] to select the program you want to switch to

[Alt] + [Esc]
Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened

[F6]
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

[F4]
Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer

[[Shift]] + [F10]
Display the right-click menu for the selected item

[Ctrl] + [Esc] or [Windows]
Open the Start menu

[Alt] + underlined letter (in program menu)
Display the corresponding menu – for Example, [Alt] + [F] in a program opens the File menu

[F10]
Activate the menu bar in the active program [Right Arrow] (in menu bar) Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu [Left Arrow] (in menu bar) Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu

[Alt] + [Up Arrow]
View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer

[Esc]
Cancel the current task

[Ctrl] + [[Shift]] + [Esc]
Open Task Manager. Also [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Delete] in Windows XP

Hold down [[Shift]] when you insert a CD / DVD
Prevent the CD / DVD from automatically playing

Related posts:

1. Shortcuts when Working in a Window in Windows
2. Windows Media Player 11 Keyboard shortcuts
3. ‘Windows Key’ Shortcuts
4. Windows Explorer Shortcuts
5. Mozilla Firefox 3.5 Shortcuts

Filed Under: Windows

Tags: shortcuts