·
Almost always used as the help key, almost every program will
open the help screen when this key is pressed.
·
Enter CMOS
Setup.
·
Windows Key +
F1 would open the Microsoft Windows help and support center.
·
Open the Task Pane.
F2
·
In Windows renames a highlighted icon, file,
or folder in all versions of Windows.
·
Alt + Ctrl + F2 opens document window in Microsoft
Word.
·
Ctrl + F2 displays the print preview window in Microsoft Word.
·
Enter CMOS
Setup.
F3
·
Often opens a search feature for many programs including
Microsoft Windows when at the Windows Desktop..
·
In MS-DOS or Windows command line F3 will repeat the last
command.
·
Shift + F3 will change the text in Microsoft Word from upper to
lower case or a capital letter at the beginning of every word.
·
Windows Key +
F3 opens the Advanced find window in Microsoft Outlook.
F4
·
Open find window in Windows 95 to XP.
·
Open the address bar in Windows Explorer and Internet
Explorer.
·
Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+)
·
Alt + F4 will close the program window currently active in
Microsoft Windows.
·
Ctrl + F4 will close the open window within the current active
window in Microsoft Windows.
F5
·
In all modern Internet browsers pressing
F5 will refresh or
reload the page or document window.
·
Open the find, replace, and go to window in Microsoft Word.
·
Starts a slideshow in PowerPoint.
F6
·
Move the cursor to the Address bar in Internet
Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and most other Internet browsers.
·
Ctrl + Shift + F6 open to another open Microsoft Word document.
F7
·
Commonly used to spell check and grammar check a document in
Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, etc.
·
Shift + F7 runs a Thesaurus check on the word highlighted.
·
Turns on Caret browsing in Mozilla Firefox.
F8
·
Function key used to enter the Windows startup menu, commonly
used to access Windows Safe
Mode.
F9
·
Opens the Measurements toolbar in Quark 5.0.
F10
·
In Microsoft Windows activates the menu bar of
an open application.
·
Shift + F10 is the same as right-clicking on a highlighted icon, file, or
Internet link.
·
Access the hidden recovery partition on HP and Sony computers.
·
Enter CMOS
Setup.
F11
·
Full-screen mode in all modern Internet browsers.
·
Ctrl + F11 as computer is starting to access the hidden recovery partition on many Dell computers.
·
Access the hidden recovery partition on eMachines, Gateway, and Lenovo
computers.
F12
·
Open the Save as window in Microsoft Word.
·
Shift + F12 save the Microsoft Word document.
·
Ctrl + Shift + F12 prints a document in Microsoft Word.
·
Preview a page in Microsoft Expression Web
·
Open Firebug.
Tip: Earlier IBM computers also had F13 - F24 on the
keyboards. However, because these keyboards are no longer used they are not
listed on this page.
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert
Copy the highlighted text
or selected item.
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert
Paste the text or object that's in the clipboard.
Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y
Undo any change. For example, if you cut
text, pressing this will undo it. This can also often be pressed multiple times
to undo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would redo the undo.
Ctrl + F
Open the Find in any
program. This includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page.
Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc
Quickly switch
between open programs moving forward.
Tip: Press Ctrl + Tab to switch between tabs in a program.
Tip: Adding the Shift key to
Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab will move backwards. For example, if you are pressing
Alt + Tab and pass the program you want to switch to, press Alt + Shift + Tab
to move backwards to that program.
Tip: Windows Vista and 7
users can also press the Windows
Key + Tab to switch
through open programs in a full screenshot of the Window.
Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right
arrow
Pressing Ctrl + Backspace will
delete a full word at a time instead of a single character.
Holding down the
Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow will move the cursor one word
at a time instead of one character at a time. If you wanted to highlight one
word at a time you can hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right
arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each
word.
Ctrl + S
While working on a
document or other file in almost every program pressing Ctrl + S will save that
file. This shortcut key should be used frequently anytime you're working on
anything important.
Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End
Move the cursor to
the beginning or end of a document.
Ctrl + P
Print the page being
viewed. For example, the document in Microsoft Word or the web page in your
Internet browser.
Page Up, Space bar, and Page Down
Pressing either the
page up or page down key will move that page one page at a time in that
direction. When browsing the Internet pressing the space bar will also move the
page down one page at a time. If you press Shift and the Space bar the page
will go up a page at a time.
Alt + Tab
Switch between open
applications in all versions of Windows. Reverse the direction by pressing Alt + Shift + Tab at the same time.
Ctrl + Tab
Switches between
program groups, tabs, or document windows in applications that support this
feature. Reverse the direction by pressing Ctrl
+ Shift + Tab at the same
time.
Alt + double-click
Display the
properties of the object you double-click on
in Windows 95 and later. For example, doing this on a file would display its
properties.
Alt + Print Screen
Create a screen shot only
for the active program window in all versions of Windows. For example, if you
opened the calculator and did this only the calculator window would be created
as a screen shot. If just the Print Screen key is pressed the whole screen will be
made into a screen shot.
Ctrl + Alt + Del
Open the Windows
option screen for locking computer, switching user, Task Manager, etc. in later versions of
Windows. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del
multiple times will reboot the computer.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Immediately bring up
the Windows Task Manager in
Windows 2000 and later.
Ctrl + Esc
Open the Windows Start menu in
most versions of Windows. In Windows 8 this will open the Start screen and
in Windows 3.x this would bring up the Task Manager.
Alt + Esc
Switch between open applications
on Taskbar in
Windows 95 and later.
Alt + Space bar
Drops down the
window control menu for the currently open Windows program in Windows 95 and
later.
Alt + Enter
Opens properties window
of selected icon or program in Windows 95 and later.
Alt + Space bar
Open the control
menu for the current window open in all versions of Windows.
Shift + Del
Will delete any file
or other object without throwing it into the Recycle Bin in
Windows 95 and later.
Hold down the Shift key
When putting in an
audio CD or other CD that uses Autoplay, holding down the Shift key will
prevent that CD from playing.
Windows function key shortcuts
Below is a listing of keyboard shortcuts that use the keyboard function keys. See our what
are F1 through F12 keys page
for a full listing of what function keys do with all other programs.
F1
Activates help for
current open application. If you're at the Windows Desktop, this will activate
the help for Windows.
F2
Renames a
highlighted icon, file,
or folder in all versions of Windows.
F3
Starts find or
search when at the Windows Desktop in
all versions of Windows.
F4
In Windows 95 and
later this opens the drive selection or address bar when browsing files in Windows Explorer.
·
Pressing Alt +
F4 closes the current open
program window without a prompt in all versions of Windows.
·
Pressing Ctrl +
F4 closes the open window
within the current active window in Microsoft Windows. This will only work in
programs that support multiple windows or tabs in the same program window.
F6
While in Windows Explorer, this will move the cursor to
different Windows Explorer pane or in Windows 7 browse available drives.
F8
Pressing F8 over and
over as the computer is booting will start the computer in Safe Mode.
F10
Activates the File
menu bar in all
versions of Windows.
·
Simulates a right-click on
selected item. This is useful if right-click is difficult or impossible using
the mouse.
Windows keyboard key shortcuts
Below is a listing of Windows keys that can be used on computers
running a Microsoft Windows 95 or later and using a keyboard with a Windows
key. In the below list of shortcuts, the Windows key is represented
by "WINKEY" and because not all these shortcuts will work in all
versions of Windows we've mentioned what versions of Windows support each
Windows key shortcut key.
All versions of Windows
WINKEY
Pressing the Windows
key alone will open or hide the Windows Start menu. In Windows 8, this will open or
hide the Start Screen.
WINKEY + F1
Open the Microsoft
Windows help and support center.
WINKEY + Pause / Break key
Open the System Properties window.
WINKEY + D
Opens the Desktop to
the top of all other windows.
WINKEY + E
Open Microsoft Windows Explorer.
WINKEY + F
Display the Windows
Search or Find feature.
WINKEY + Ctrl + F
Display the search
for computers window.
WINKEY + L
Lock the computer
and switch users if needed (Windows XP and above only).
WINKEY + M
Minimizes all
windows.
WINKEY + Shift + M
Undo the minimize
done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D.
WINKEY + R
Open the run window.
WINKEY + U
Open Utility Manager
or the Ease of Access
Center.
Windows XP only
WINKEY + Tab
Cycle through open
programs through the Taskbar.
Windows 7 and 8 only
WINKEY + 1-0
Pressing the Windows
key and any of the top row number keys from 1 to 0 will open the program
corresponding to the number of icon on the Taskbar. For example, if the first icon on the Taskbar was
Internet Explorer pressing WINKEY + 1 would open that program or switch to it
if already open.
WINKEY + (Plus (+) or Minus (-))
Open Windows
Magnifier and zoom in with the plus symbol (+) and zoom out with the minus
symbol (-).
·
Press the WINKEY
+ ESC to close the Magnifier
WINKEY + Home
Minimize all
windows except the active window.
WINKEY + P
Change between the
monitor and projection display types or how second screen displays computer
screen.
WINKEY + T
Set the focus on the
Taskbar icons
WINKEY + Left arrow
Shrinks the window
to 1/2 screen on the left side for side by side viewing.
WINKEY + Right arrow
Shrinks the window
to 1/2 screen on the right side for side by side viewing.
WINKEY + Up arrow
When in the side by
side viewing mode, this shortcut takes the screen back to full size.
WINKEY + Down arrow
Minimizes the screen.
Also, when in the side by side viewing mode, this shortcut takes the screen
back to a minimized size.
Windows 8 only
WINKEY + ,
Peek at th
e Windows Desktop.
WINKEY + .
Snap a Windows App
to the sides of the screen. Pressing it multiple times will switch between the
right and left-hand side of the screen or unsnap the app.
WINKEY + Enter
Open Windows
Narrator
WINKEY + C
Open the Charms.
WINKEY + G
Cycle through
Desktop gadgets.
WINKEY + H
Open Share in
Charms.
WINKEY + I
Open the Settings in
Charms.
WINKEY + J
Switch between
snapped apps.
WINKEY + K
Open Devices in
Charms.
WINKEY + O
Lock the screen
orientation.
WINKEY + X
Open the power user menu, which gives you access to many of the features most power users would want to use such as Device Manager, Control Panel, Event Viewer, Command Prompt, and much more.