Studies calculate that learning to use keyboard shortcuts allows a person to work 10 times faster than working with the mouse. The time you spend looking for the mouse and then getting the cursor to the position you need is lost time! Reducing the working time by 10 brings you greater efficiency.
Keyboard shortcuts
Copy and Paste and other general Shortcuts
Ctrl + X — Cut the selected item.
Ctrl + U — Alternatively referred to as Control+U and C-u, Ctrl+U is a keyboard shortcut to underline text.
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.
Note: You can change this shortcut so it also opens screen snipping, which lets you edit your screenshot. Select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, and turn on the toggle under Print Screen shortcut.
Taskbar Keyboard Shortcuts
Shift + click a taskbar button — Open an app or quickly open another instance of an app.
Ctrl + Shift + click a taskbar button — Open an app as an administrator.
Shift + right-click a taskbar button — Show the window menu for the app.
Shift + right-click a grouped taskbar button — Show the window menu for the group.
File explorer Keyboad shortcuts
Alt + D — Select the address bar.
Ctrl + E — Select the search box.
Ctrl + F — Select the search box.
Ctrl + N — Open a new window.
Ctrl + W — Close the active window.
Ctrl + mouse scroll wheel — Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons.
Ctrl + Shift + E — Display all folders above the selected folder.
Ctrl + Shift + N — Create a new folder.
Num Lock + asterisk (*) — Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
Num Lock + plus (+) — Display the contents of the selected folder.
Num Lock + minus (-) Collapse the selected folder.
Alt + P — Display the preview panel.
Alt + Enter — Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item.
Alt + Right arrow — View the next folder.
Alt + Up arrow — View the folder that the folder was in.
Alt + Left arrow — View the previous folder.
Backspace — View the previous folder.
Right arrow — Display the current selection (if it’s collapsed), or select the first subfolder.
Left arrow — Collapse the current selection (if it’s expanded), or select the folder that the folder was in.
End — Display the bottom of the active window.
Home — Display the top of the active window.
F11 — Maximize or minimize the active window.