Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Users

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Users

Did you know that you don't have to have a mouse to navigate Windows? Here is how to navigate Windows if your mouse has stopped working or if you want to save time by not moving your hand back and forth.

When Windows first starts up and your desktop is displayed, an icon is already highlighted - in order to select other icons, use your arrow keys to move among the icons. Once they are highlighted, you can hit your enter key instead of double-clicking them with your mouse.

To access the start menu, most keyboards have a window key (see what it looks like) that you can use to open the start menu. If your keyboard doesn't have a windows key, you can hit ctrl and esc to open it. Once the start menu is open, you can use your arrow keys to move among the items and use your enter key to open the items.

When you are at a dialog window you can move through all the option areas by hitting tab. Once you are at the area that you want to be in, use your arrow keys and your enter key to open the item.

If you want to check or uncheck a box with your keyboard, get to that area by using tab and then click your spacebar to check or uncheck.

Here are more keyboard commands:

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.
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.
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu - Carry out the corresponding command.
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 into the CD-ROM drive - Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Windows Key - Display or hide the Start menu. Windows Key +BREAK - Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows Key +D - Show the desktop.
Windows Key +M - Minimize all windows.
Windows Key +Shift+M - Restores minimized windows.
Windows Key +E - Open My Computer.
Windows Key +F - Search for a file or folder.
CTRL+ Windows Key +F - Search for computers.
Windows Key +F1 - Display Windows Help.
Windows Key + L - Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.
Windows Key +R - Open the Run dialog box.
Windows Key +U - Open Utility Manager.

Remember that some of these commands will only work in some versions of Windows (i.e. 95, 98, ME, XP, 2000). Most of these commands will work with individual programs also.