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Cutting Corners: How Keyboard Shortcuts Can Save You Time
20 November, 2009 in Tips and Tricks
Among the many different uses for computers, there are roughly three types of keyboard users: those who want to use the keyboard for as much as possible, those who want to use the keyboard for as little as possible, and those who use the keyboard and mouse together to maximize efficiency.
The people who use the keyboard as much as possible likely already know all about keyboard shortcuts, and many of the people who use the keyboard and mouse together already know at least a few, as well, but for those who don't know, keyboard shortcuts add a whole new level of accessibility and efficiency to your computing process.
Of course, there are the general shortcuts that are available in virtually every OS, and certainly in all flavors of Windows currently available, so we'll start with those.
Control key shortcuts are the bread and butter of experienced typists, and they are a good first step when convincing others of the usefulness of keyboard shortcuts.
Control key shortcuts that work everywhere:
Ctrl+C - Copy
Ctrl+X - Cut
Ctrl+V - Paste
Ctrl+Z - Undo
Ctrl+A - Select all
Control key shortcuts that work in word processing applications and while renaming files:
Ctrl+Right Arrow - Move to the beginning of the next word
Ctrl+Left Arrow - Move to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+Up Arrow - Move to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Ctrl+Down Arrow - Move to the beginning of the next peragraph
Ctrl+F4 - Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open in the same window
Control key shortcuts that work for Windows file management.
Ctrl while dragging an item - Copy the selected item
Ctrl+shift while dragging - Create a shortcut to the selected item
Ctrl+Shift+Esc - an alternative method to open Task Manager
Ctrl+Alt+Del - the traditional method to open Task Manager
Ctrl+Click - Select multiple non-seqential items
The Alternate key tends to control more basic shortcuts that are quite useful, all the same:
Alt - Provides arrow-key control of the menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc...)
Alt+Enter - View the properties for an item in Windows Explorer; Toggle between windowed and full-screen modes in 3D games that support running windowed.
Alt+F4 - Close the active program
Alt+Spacebar - Open the "shortcut" menu for the active window (this menu allows you to minimize, maximize, and close the window)
Alt+Tab - Switch between open windows in the order in which they were last accessed
Alt+Esc - Switch between open windows in the order in which they were originally opened (typically, this is also the order in which they are displayed on the taskbar)
The Shift key is more for text editing and file selection:
Shift+arrow keys - Select text (or icons) in the specified direction (up or down will select an entire row of text or icons)
Shift+mouse click - select all icons or text between the current selection and your click
Shift+Delete - PERMANENTLY delete a file (bypassing the recycle bin)
Shift (while inserting a CD or DVD) - Prevent the CD or DVD from autoplaying
General tabbed application shortcuts (Web browsers and Control Panel/Settings boxes - note that non-Microsoft web browsers may have additional shortcuts):
Ctrl+Tab - Cycle forward through tabs
Ctrl+Shift+Tab - Cycle backward through tabs
Tab - cycle forward through available options (including forms on a webpage)
Shift+Tab - Cycle backward through available options
These basic shortcuts are all well and good, but some of the best time-saving shortcuts involve the Windows Logo Key. Each version of Windows since the Logo Key was introduced has at least used Windows Logo Key to open and close the start menu, but XP added some very useful shortcuts, and both Vista and 7 have added their own additional Windows Logo Key shortcuts.
Windows XP Logo Key shortcuts:
Logo+Pause/Break - Displays the System Properties panel, which is where Device Manager is located
Logo+D - Shows the desktop
Logo+M - Minimizes all windows
Logo+Shift+M - Restores all minimized Windows
Logo+E - Opens "My Computer"
Logo+F - Opens the Search box
CTRL+Logo+F - Search for other computers on your network
Logo+R - Opens the Run box
Logo+U - Opens the Accessibility Utility Manager (magnifier, narrator, and on-screen keyboard)
Logo+F1 - Displays Windows Help
Logo+L - Fast-user switching: "Locks" the system by returning to the Windows Logon screen without logging out.
Windows Vista new Logo Key Shortcuts:
Logo+G - Cycle through sidebar gadgets
Logo+T - Focus on the taskbar, allowing the arrow keys to cycle through programs
Logo+X - Open the Windows Mobile Center
Logo+Tab - Open the Aero Flip window manager
Ctrl+Logo+Tab - Open Aero Flip and allow arrow-key control
Logo+U - Now opens the ease of access center
Logo+Spacebar - Bring all gadgets to the front and focus on the Windows Sidebar
Logo+1-9 - Open the Quicklaunch application in that particular slot
Windows 7 new Logo Key Shortcuts:
Logo+Home - Make all windows but the active window transparent
Logo+Space - Make all windows transparent so that you can see the desktop and any gadgets on the desktop
Logo+Up - Maximize the active window
Shift+Logo+Up - Only maximize the active window vertically
Logo+Down - Restore the window if it is maximized, minimize it if it is already windowed
Logo+Left - Dock the active Window to the left half of the monitor
Logo+Right - Dock the active window to the right half of the monitor
Shift+Logo+Left/Right - Move the active window to the monitor on the left or right.
Logo+1-9 - Starts the application pinned to the taskbar in that position, or switches to that application if it is open.
Shift+Logo+1-9 - Opens a new instance of the application pinned to the taskbar in that position.
Ctrl+Logo+1-9 - Cycles through open instances of the application in that position
Alt+Logo+1-9 - Opens the Jump List for the appliation in that position
Logo+B - Focus on system tray icons
Logo+P - Adjust presentation settings for your display (very handy when hooking up to a projector)
Logo++/- - Zoom in our out
Other new Windows 7 keyboard Shortcuts:
Ctrl+Shift+N - Create a new folder in Explorer
Alt+Up - Go up one folder level
Alt+P - Toggle the preview pane in Explorer
Windows 7 Keybord+Mouse shortcuts:
Shift+Click a taskbar button - Open the program, or open another instance
Ctrl+Shift+Click a taskbar button - Open the program with admin privileges
Shift+Right-click a taskbar button - Provides a Windows XP style program menu
Shift+Right-click a grouped taskbar button - Shows the window menu for the group
Ctrl+Click a grouped taskbar button - Cycles through the windows in the group
Shift+Right-click a file in Explorer - Adds "Copy as Path" to copy the file location to the clipboard, and adds hidden items to the Send To menu
Shift+Right-click a folder in Explorer - Adds "Command Prompt Here," which opens a command prompt in that folder.
Windows 7 also introduces a few new mouse-based shortcuts that are equally handy:
Drag window to the top of the screen: Maximize
Drag window to the left/right: Dock the window to fill the left or right half of the screen
Shake window back and forth: Minimize everything but the current window
Double-click Top Window Border: Maximize only vertically
In our next article, we'll take a look at applications for taking keyboard shortcuts to a whole new level of usefulness!