- Keyboard Shortcuts Windows 10
- Keyboard Shortcuts Bing Search
- Keyboard Shortcuts For Accents
- Keyboard Shortcuts For Mac
- Keyboard Shortcuts Chromebook
- Keyboard Shortcuts For Emojis
- Windows has many keyboard shortcuts available to navigate and work across the operating system faster and more efficiently.
- Most Windows keyboard shortcuts rely on the Windows logo key, Alt, and Ctrl keys.
- These are the 43 most useful keyboard shortcuts for Windows for working with apps, directly in Windows, virtual desktops, and more.
- To enable single-key shortcuts, open the Preferences dialog box (Edit Preferences), and under General, select the Use Single-Key Accelerators To Access Tools option.
- Keyboard shortcuts are keys or combinations of keys that provide an alternate way to do something you'd typically do with a mouse. Here are several common keyboard shortcuts: Copy: Ctrl + C. Paste: Ctrl + V. Maximize Window: F11 or Windows logo key + Up Arrow Task View: Windows logo key + Tab. Switch between open apps: Windows.
Microsoft Windows – the operating system running on most of the world's computers – is a vast and complex program made up of about 50 million lines of code.
Click Keyboard Shortcuts. The keyboard shortcuts will appear. Editing shortcuts. You can edit a shortcut by clicking on the shortcut and then pressing the shortcut key that you would like to use. Some of the shortcuts can be used as global shortcuts, meaning they will work even when Zoom is not in focus.
It's packed with features you use every day along with less common tools you rarely need, and you probably keep one hand on the mouse to make use of its countless tools. But if you would prefer to keep your hands on the keyboard to type more efficiently, it pays to learn some keyboard shortcuts.
You certainly don't need to master them all, but learning the shortcuts for features you use most often will dramatically improve your speed and efficiency every time you sit in front of the PC.
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Windows keyboard shortcut summary
Here are the top 43 keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Windows. You can use this list for reference, and if you need a more detailed explanation of a shortcut, scroll down.
Navigating in Windows
- Open the Start menu: Win
- Open the right-click Start button menu: Win + X
- Search: Win + S
- Open Settings: Win + I
- Open the Action Center: Win + A
- Open File Explorer: Win + E
- Open the Game Bar: Win + G
- Open the Run window: Win + R
- Open the Ease of Access Center: Win + U
- Show or hide the desktop: Win + D
- Open Task Manager: Ctrl + Shift + Esc
- Lock Windows: Win + L
- Open Lock Screen: Ctrl + Alt + Del
- Talk to Cortana: Win + C
Working with Windows
- Snap a window: Win + Left Arrow or Win + Right Arrow
- Minimize all open windows: Win + M
- Restore minimized windows: Win + Shift + M
- Minimize everything except the active window: Win + Home
- Maximize the height of a window: Win + Shift + Up Arrow
- Minimize the selected window: Win + Down Arrow
- Close the current window: Alt + F4
Working with apps
- Cycle through apps in the taskbar: Win + T
- Cycle through open apps: Alt + Tab
- Switch to an app on taskbar: Win + [number]
- Right-click an app on the taskbar: Win + Alt + [number]
Working with virtual desktops
- Open the Task View: Win + Tab
- Add a new virtual desktop: Win + Ctrl + D
- Switch to the next virtual desktop: Win + Ctrl + Right Arrow or Win + Ctrl + Left Arrow
Taking screenshots
- Screenshot the entire desktop: PrtScn
- Screenshot the selected window: Alt + PrtScn
- Save a screenshot of the desktop: Win + PrtScn
Essential shortcuts
- Select All: Ctrl + A
- Copy: Ctrl + C
- Cut: Ctrl + X
- Paste: Ctrl + V
- Undo: Ctrl + Z
- Redo: Ctrl + Y
- Close: Ctrl + W
- Delete immediately: Shift + Delete
- Cycle through options: Tab or Shift Tab
- Rename a file or folder: F2
- Windows 10 help online: Win + F1
- Refresh: F5
Windows keyboard shortcuts explained
If you find that the purpose or use of a keyboard shortcut listed above isn't obvious, refer to it below in this expanded list for more information.
Navigating in Windows
Open the Start menu: Press the Windows key. You can also press Ctrl + Esc.
Open the right-click Start button menu: Press Win + X to open the menu you see when you right-click Start. This is also known as the Quick Link menu.
Search: Press Win + S to put focus in the Start Search box at the bottom left of the taskbar.
Open Settings: Press Win + I to open Settings.
Open the Action Center: Press Win + A to open the Action Center pane on the right side of the screen.
Open File Explorer: Press Win + E to open a File Explorer window. You can open multiple windows this way.
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Open the Game Bar: Press Win + G to open the Game Bar and gaming controls.
Open the Run window: Press Win + R to open the Run window for quickly starting programs, opening locations on your computer, and more.
Open the Ease of Access Center: Press Win + U to open the Ease of Access section of the Settings app.
Show or hide the desktop: Press Win + D to minimize all windows and show the full desktop. Press it again to restore the windows – but you can only restore windows automatically if you do it right away.
Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
Lock Windows: Press Win + L to instantly lock Windows.
Open Lock Screen: Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to open the lock screen, which provides multiple options for locking Windows or switching user accounts.
Talk to Cortana: Press Win + C to put Cortana in 'listening' mode (if Cortana is enabled).
Working with Windows
Snap a window: Press Win + Left Arrow to snap the active window to the left half of the screen. Press Win + Right Arrow to snap it to the right half of the screen. You can also press either shortcut repeatedly to cycle through all the window position options.
Minimize all open windows: Press Win + M to minimize all windows and reveal the desktop.
Restore minimized windows: Press Win + Shift + M to restore all windows, if you do it right after pressing Win + M.
Minimize everything except the active window: Press Win + Home to minimize all windows except the active one. Press it again to restore all windows.
Maximize the height of a window: Press Win + Shift + Up Arrow to make the active window as tall as the desktop without changing its width.
Minimize the selected window: Press Win + Down Arrow to minimize the selected window. It's like the opposite of Win + Home.
Close the current window: Press Alt + F4 to close the current window or program. You might be asked if you want to save your work before the window closes.
Working with apps
Cycle through open apps: Press Alt + Tab to see all the open apps. Press Alt + Tab repeatedly to cycle through the options.
Cycle through apps in the taskbar: Press Win + T repeatedly to cycle through the apps in the taskbar. When you reach the app, you want to run or expand, release the keys and press Enter. To cancel, press Esc.
Switch to an app on the taskbar: To open or expand a particular app in the taskbar without cycling through them, press Win and the number that represents where the app is in the taskbar. For example, if you want to open a web browser, which is the first entry on the left side of the taskbar, press Win + 1.
Right-click an app on the taskbar: To open the right-click context menu for a particular app in the taskbar, press Win + Alt and the number representing where the app is in the taskbar.
Working with virtual desktops
Open the Task View: Press Win + Tab to open the Task View that shows your available virtual desktops and your app timeline.
Add a new virtual desktop: Press Win + Ctrl + D to create a new virtual desktop.
Switch to the next virtual desktop: Press Win + Ctrl + Right Arrow to cycle through all virtual desktops in the order they appear at the top of the Task View. You can also press Win + Ctrl + Left Arrow to cycle through them in the opposite order.
Taking screenshots
Screenshot the entire desktop: Press PrtScn, which you can usually find in the top row of your keyboard, to capture a screenshot of the whole desktop. It is copied to the clipboard.
Keyboard Shortcuts Windows 10
Screenshot the selected window: Press Alt + PrtScn (look for this key in the top row of your keyboard) to capture a screenshot of the active window. It is copied to the clipboard.
Save a screenshot of the desktop: Press Win + PrtScn (look for this key in the top row of your keyboard) to capture a screenshot of the entire desktop. It is automatically saved to the Screenshots folder in Pictures.
Essential shortcuts
Select All: Press Ctrl + A to select all the items in the current folder or location.
Copy: Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected items or content to the clipboard.
Cut: Press Ctrl + X to cut the selected items or content and place them in the clipboard.
Paste: Press Ctrl + V to paste the clipboard contents to the current location.
Undo: Undo the last action you took by pressing Ctrl + Z.
Redo: Press Ctrl + Y to perform the last thing you did again if it's possible. If Windows can't redo the previous action, nothing will happen.
Close: Press Ctrl + W to close the current window (it's the same as Alt + F4). You might be asked if you want to save your work before the window closes.
Delete immediately: Press Shift + Delete to delete the current item right away, without going to the Recycle Bin first. If you delete a file or folder this way, it cannot be undone or recovered.
Cycle through options: Press Tab repeatedly to cycle through a list of options. You can press Shift Tab to cycle through in the opposite direction.
Rename a file or folder: Press F2 to edit the name of a selected file or folder.
Windows 10 help online: Press Win + F1 to open a web browser to the Windows 10 help and support page.
Refresh: Press F5 to reload or refresh a web page.
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Compared to reaching for the mouse or navigating a menu, a single keyboard shortcut shaves a moment off your task. This might not seem like much, but add up all those saved moments over a week or a month, and you’re gaining a substantial chunk of time.
That’s why it’s important to know as many shortcuts as possible for your operating system. Try a keyboard command a few times, and you’ll find out just how useful it can be. Here are 20 of the most indispensable keyboard shortcuts for a Microsoft Windows computer.
Basic Windows keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+Z: Undo
No matter what program you’re running, Ctrl+Z will roll back your last action. Whether you’ve just overwritten an entire paragraph in Microsoft Word or deleted a file you didn’t mean to, this one is an absolute lifesaver.
Keyboard Shortcuts Bing Search
Ctrl+W: Close
Another shortcut that works just about everywhere, Ctrl+W will close down whatever you’re viewing. Shut that File Explorer window, browser tab, or open image file without bothering to hone in on the close button.
Ctrl+A: Select all
This command lets you highlight all the text in a document or select all the files in a folder. Hitting Ctrl+A can save you time you’d otherwise spend clicking and dragging your mouse.
Alt+Tab: Switch apps
This baby is one of the classic Windows shortcuts, and it can be hugely useful when you’re running multiple applications. Just press Alt+Tab and you’ll be able to quickly flick through all your open windows.
Alt+F4: Close apps
Another old-school shortcut, Alt+F4 shuts down active apps so you can skip the process of hunting down their on-screen menus. Don’t worry about losing unsaved work with this command—it will prompt you to save your documents before closing them.
Windows navigation shortcuts
Win+D: Show or hide the desktop
This keyboard combo minimizes all your open windows, bringing your home screen into view. If you store rows and rows of files and shortcuts on your desktop, Win+D will let you access them in in moments.
Win+left arrow or Win+right arrow: Snap windows
Snapping a window simply opens it on one side of the screen (left or right, depending on which arrow you hit). This allows you to compare two windows side-by-side and keeps your workspace organized.
Win+Tab: Open the Task view
Keyboard Shortcuts For Accents
Like Alt+Tab, this shortcut lets you switch apps, but it does so by opening an updated Windows application switcher. The latest version shows thumbnails of all your open programs on the screen.
Tab and Shift+Tab: Move backward and forward through options
When you open a dialog box, these commands move you forward (Tab) or backward (Shift+Tab) through the available options, saving you a click. If you’re dealing with a dialog box that has multiple tabs, hit Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Shift+Tab to navigate through them.
Ctrl+Esc: Open the Start menu
If you’re using a keyboard that doesn’t have a Windows key, this shortcut will open the Start menu. Otherwise, a quick tap of the Windows key will do the same thing. From there, you can stay on the keyboard and navigate the Start menu with the cursor keys, Tab, and Shift+Tab.
Advanced Windows shortcut tricks
F2: Rename
Simply highlight a file and hit F2 to give it a new name. This command also lets you edit text in other programs—tap F2 in Microsoft Excel, for example, and you’ll be able to edit the contents of the cell you’re in.
F5: Refresh
While you’re exploring the function key row, take a look at F5. This key will refresh a page—a good trick when you’re using File Explorer or your web browser. After the refresh, you’ll see the latest version of the page you’re viewing.
Win+L: Lock your computer
Keep your computer safe from any prying eyes by using this keyboard combo right before you step away. Win+L locks the machine and returns you to the login screen, so any snoops will need your user account password to regain access.
Win+I: Open Settings
Any time you want to configure the way Windows works, hit this keyboard shortcut to bring up the Settings dialog. Alternatively, use Win+A to open up the Action Center panel, which shows notifications and provides quick access to certain settings.
Win+S: Search Windows
The Windows taskbar has a handy search box that lets you quiz Cortana or sift through your applications and saved files. Jump straight to it with this keyboard shortcut, then type in your search terms.
Win+PrtScn: Save a screenshot
Keyboard Shortcuts For Mac
No need to open a dedicated screenshot tool: Win+PrtScn grabs the whole screen and saves it as a PNG file in a Screenshots folder inside your Pictures folder. At the same time, Windows will also copy the image to the clipboard. If you don’t want to snap the whole screen, the Alt+PrtScn combination will take a screenshot of just the active window, but it will only copy this image to the clipboard, so you won’t get a saved file.
Ctrl+Shift+Esc: Open the Task Manager
Keyboard Shortcuts Chromebook
The Task Manager is your window into everything running on your Windows system, from the open programs to the background processes. This shortcut will call up the Task Manager, no matter what application you’re using.
Win+C: Start talking to Cortana
This shortcut puts Cortana in listening mode, but you must activate it before you can give it a whirl. To do so, open Cortana from the taskbar search box, click the cog icon, and turn on the keyboard shortcut. Once you’ve enabled the shortcut, hit the Win+C whenever you want to talk to the digital assistant. You can do this instead of, or in addition to, saying, “Hey Cortana.”
Win+Ctrl+D: Add a new virtual desktop
Virtual desktops create secondary screens where you can stash some of your open applications and windows, giving you extra workspace. This shortcut lets you create one. Once you have, click the Task View button to the right of the taskbar search box to switch from one desktop to another. Or stick with shortcuts: Win+Ctrl+arrow will cycle through your open desktops, and Win+Ctrl+F4 will close whichever one you’re currently viewing and shift your open windows and apps to the next available virtual desktop.
Win+X: Open the hidden menu
Windows has a hidden Start menu, called the Quick Link menu, that allows you to access all the key areas of the system. From here, you can jump straight to Device Manager to review and configure any hardware, such as printers or keyboards, that are currently attached to the system. Or you can quickly bring up the PowerShell command prompt window to access advanced Windows commands.