The Windows keyboard shortcuts save time by allowing you to skip using your mouse or opening a menu only to complete a simple task. A cheat sheet for all the crucial Windows keyboard shortcuts you should know.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows’ Best Features
You’ll use this initial set of keyboard shortcuts a lot, thus they’re considered the greatest ones. These could be regarded as the more common shortcuts since they can be used in the majority of software programs in addition to the Windows operating system.
- Ctrl+A: Select all available content in focus.
- Ctrl+Z: Undo the previous action.
- Ctrl+Y: Redo the previous action.
- Ctrl+S: Save what you’re working on.
- Ctrl+O: Open a new file.
- Ctrl+C: Copy selected content. (Ctrl+C can also abort commands)
- Ctrl+V: Paste copied content.
- Ctrl+Shift + V: Paste unformatted content.
- Ctrl+X: Delete and copy selected content. (good for moving text, files, etc.)
- F11: Enter full-screen mode.
- Esc: Stop or close a prompt or process.
- Ctrl+P: Open the print dialog box.
- Ctrl+F: Open the search tool to find something on the page.
- Ctrl+R: Refresh the contents on the screen. (only F5 works in some cases)
- Alt+F4: Close the active program.
Screenshot Shortcuts on the Keyboard
- Alt+PrtScn: Screenshot just the active window.
- Win+PrtScn: Auto-save full-screen screenshot to Pictures > Screenshots.
- Win+Shift+S: Choose a part of the screen to make a screenshot.
Special character keyboard shortcuts
- Alt+0169: Type ©, the copyright symbol.
- Alt+168: Type ¿, an inverted question mark.
- Alt+0176: Type °, the degree symbol.
- Alt+0162: Type ¢, the cent symbol.
- Alt+0128: Type €, the euro sign.
- Alt+0153: Type ™, the trademark symbol.
- Alt+251: Type √, the radical sign (square root symbol).
- Win+.: Access the built-in emoji tool.
Text manipulation shortcuts on the keyboard
- Ctrl+B: Bold the selected text.
- Ctrl+i: Italicize the selected text.
- Ctrl+U: Underline the selected text.
- Ctrl+K: Insert a hyperlink into the selected text.
- Ctrl+H: Open the Find and Replace tool. (confirmed in MS Word and Google Docs)
- Shift+Ctrl+[Arrow]: Pick an arrow key with this shortcut to quickly highlight a whole word or paragraph.
- Shift+[Home or End]: Highlight everything from the cursor to the beginning or end of the line.
- Ctrl+Del: Delete the word to the right of the cursor.
Keyboard shortcuts for Windows navigation
- Alt+[Enter or double-click]: Open the selected item’s Properties window.
- Win+Ctrl+D: Add a virtual desktop.
- Win+Ctrl+[Left or Right]: Switch to the virtual desktop on the left or right.
- Ctrl+Click: Select noncontiguous items. (like files or folders)
- Win+Ctrl+Shift+B: A possible fix for when your screen is black.
- Shift+Click: Select every item between the first and last select items.
- Shift+Del: Permanently delete a file or folder. (it skips the Recycle Bin)Win+L: Lock your user account.
- Win+E: Open File Explorer.
- Alt+Tab: Switch to the last used window.
- Win+[Arrow]: Snap the active window to one side of the screen.
- F2: Rename the selected file or folder.
- Win+X: Open the Power User Menu.
- Shift+Click Taskbar Icon: Open a new instance of that app.
- Win+[number]: Launch that item from the taskbar.
- Ctrl+Shift+N: Make a new folder.
- Win+Pause: Open the Windows About page.
- Win+i: Open Windows’ Settings.
- Alt+D: Move focus to the navigation bar to edit or copy the folder path.
- Alt+Up: Go to the folder the current folder is stored in.
- Alt+F8: Show your password on the sign-in screen.
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc: Open Task Manager. (Ctrl+Alt+Del works, too)
- Win+R: Open the Run dialog box to run commands.
- Win+D: Quickly switch to the desktop.
Web Browser Shortcuts on the Keyboard
- Ctrl+Shift+Del: Open the options to delete browsing data.
- Alt+[Left or Right]: Go back or forward a page.
- Ctrl+[Zoom]: Adjust the size of the text. (scroll up with the mouse to increase the size)
- Ctrl+Enter: Add .com to the end of the text in the address bar, and then visit the page.
- Ctrl+F5: Refresh the page, but skip the cache.
- Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Win+L: Open LinkedIn. (or Teams, Word Online)
- Ctrl+T: Open a new tab.
- Ctrl+Shift+T: Reopen the most recently closed tab.
- Ctrl+W: Close the active tab.
- Ctrl+[Link]: Open the link in a new tab.
- Ctrl+H: View your web browsing history.
- Ctrl+J: View recent or active downloads.
- Ctrl+E: Start a search using the default search engine.
- Ctrl+[number]: Jump to the tab in that position from the left. (e.g., Ctrl+4)
Different apps can utilize their own set of keyboard shortcuts, even though there is some overlap in some instances.