Windows Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are keys or combinations of keys that facilitates a quick way to do something that you would typically do with a mouse. Here are a set of Windows shortcut keys and its usage.
Short cut key |
Result of using the short cut key |
Ctrl + X |
Cut the selected item. |
Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) |
Copy the selected item. |
Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) |
Paste the selected item. |
Ctrl + Z |
Undo an action. |
Alt + Tab |
Switch between open apps. |
Alt + F4 |
Close the active item, or exit the active app. |
Windows logo key + L |
Lock your PC. |
Windows logo key + D |
Display and hide the desktop. |
F2 |
Rename the selected item. |
F3 |
Search for a file or folder in File Explorer. |
F4 |
Display the address bar list in File Explorer. |
F5 |
Refresh the active window. |
F6 |
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. |
F10 |
Activate the Menu bar in the active app. |
Alt + F8 |
Show your password on the sign-in screen. |
Alt + Esc |
Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened. |
Alt + underlined letter |
Perform the command for that letter. |
Alt + Enter |
Display properties for the selected item. |
Alt + Spacebar |
Open the shortcut menu for the active window. |
Alt + Left arrow |
Go back. |
Alt + Right arrow |
Go forward. |
Alt + Page Up |
Move up one screen. |
Alt + Page Down |
Move down one screen. |
Ctrl + F4 |
Close the active document (in apps that are full-screen and let you have multiple documents open at the same time). |
Ctrl + A |
Select all items in a document or window. |
Ctrl + D (or Delete) |
Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin. |
Ctrl + R (or F5) |
Refresh the active window. |
Ctrl + Y |
Redo an action. |
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 + Alt + Tab |
Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps. |
Alt + Shift + arrow keys |
When a group or tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it in the direction specified. |
Ctrl + Shift + arrow keys |
When a tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it into another tile to create a folder. |
Ctrl + arrow keys |
Resize the Start menu when it's open. |
Ctrl + arrow key (to move to an item) + Spacebar |
Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop. |
Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key |
Select a block of text. |
Ctrl + Esc |
Open Start. |
Ctrl + Shift + Esc |
Open Task Manager. |
Ctrl + Shift |
Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available. |
Ctrl + Spacebar |
Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off. |
Shift + F10 |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. |
Shift with any arrow key |
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document. |
Shift + Delete |
Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first. |
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. |
Esc |
Stop or leave the current task. |
PrtScn |
Take a screenshot of your whole screen and copy it to the clipboard. |