Keyboard shortcuts provide an alternative means to do certain tasks on your PC that you would normally do by pointing, clicking and scrolling with your mouse. Tasks such as opening an app, menu, saving a file, viewing your clipboard etc. One shortcut I frequently use is Ctrl + F to find words in a document or web page and also files and folders in Windows Explorer. The advantages to using shortcuts are:
- It can save time and hence increase productivity since pressing a key or two can be quicker than searching for a function in menu using your mouse.
- Some options may only be accessible with the keyboard, for example when right clicking is not allowed in a text field and you need to copy you can use Ctrl + C to copy.
Here is a comprehensive list of Windows Keyboard shortcuts.
New in Windows 11 Shortcut Keys
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Windows key + A | Open Quick Settings (Earlier Action Center). |
| Windows key + N | Access the notifications panel. |
| Windows key + W | Open Widgets. |
| Windows key + Z | Open Snap layout/templates. Use the arrow key to select a snap template. |
| Windows key + Up Arrow | Snap active window to the top half of your display. |
| Windows key + Down Arrow | Snap active window to the bottom half. |
| Windows key + Left/Right Arrow | Snap active window to left/right half. |
| Windows key + C | Open Microsoft Teams chat. |
Windows Common Shortcut Keys
These are some common Windows shortcut keys you may be familiar with, if not then its a good idea to learn them.
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert | Copy |
| Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert | Paste |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps |
| Ctrl + F | Opens the Search Box in Web browsers, Word, Excel and more |
| Windows Key + D | Display and hide the desktop |
| Windows key + Up arrow | Maximize Window |
| Windows key + X | Open the Quick Link menu |
| Windows key + L | Lock your PC |
Windows Desktop Shortcut Keys
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Alt + Esc | Cycle through all open windows on your PC |
| Alt + F4 | Close the active window. If there are no active windows, you’ll see the Shutdown box with options like Switch user, Sign out, Sleep, Restart, and Shut down appears. |
| Alt + F8 | Reveals typed password in Sign-in screen. |
| Alt + Left arrow | Go back. |
| Alt + Page Up | Move up one screen. |
| Alt + Page down | Move down one screen. |
| Arrow keys | Move the cursor in the direction specified. |
| Page up | Move the cursor by one page up. |
| Page down | Move the cursor by one page down. |
| Ctrl + Home (Mark mode) | Move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer. |
| Ctrl + End (Mark mode) | Move the cursor to the end of the buffer. |
| Ctrl + Up arrow | Move up one line in the output history. |
| Ctrl + Down arrow | Move down one line in the output history. |
| Ctrl + Home (History navigation) | If the command line is empty, move the viewport to the top of the buffer. Otherwise, delete all the characters to the left of the cursor in the command line. |
| Ctrl + End (History navigation) | If the command line is empty, move the viewport to the command line. Otherwise, delete all the characters to the right of the cursor in the command lin. |
Windows Function Keys (F keys)
Since most of the function keys can be used alone they can provide a quicker means of executing tasks.
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| F1 | Displays help for Windows and most programs. |
| F2 | Rename the selected item (files, folders, etc) |
| 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. |
| F7 | Activate the Menu bar in the active app. |
| F8 | Can be used to enter Safe Mode while Windows is starting, but this option needs to be enabled. Use this guide to find out how. |
| F9 + Ctrl | F9 can be used with the Ctrl key in Microsoft Office programs to insert curly brackets. |
| F10 | Access a web browser’s menu bar |
| F11 | Activates and deactivates full screen mode in web browsers. |
| F12 | Used to Save as in Microsoft Office programs. When F12 is pressed with the Shift key it performs the Save function. |
Windows Command Prompt Shortcuts
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + C | Copy the selected text. |
| Ctrl + V | Paste the selected text. |
| Ctrl + M | Enter Mark mode. |
| Alt + selection key | Begin selection in block mode. |
| Arrow keys | Move the cursor in the direction specified. |
| Page up | Move the cursor by one page up. |
| Page down | Move the cursor by one page down. |
| Ctrl + Home (Mark mode) | Move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer. |
| Ctrl + End (Mark mode) | Move the cursor to the end of the buffer. |
| Ctrl + Up arrow | Move up one line in the output history. |
| Ctrl + Down arrow | Move down one line in the output history. |
| Ctrl + Home (History navigation) | If the command line is empty, move the viewport to the top of the buffer. Otherwise, delete all the characters to the left of the cursor in the command line. |
| Ctrl + End (History navigation) | If the command line is empty, move the viewport to the command line. Otherwise, delete all the characters to the right of the cursor in the command line. |
Windows File Explorer Shortcut Keys
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| 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 or 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. |
Windows Accessibility Shortcuts
Magnifier Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Windows key + Plus sign (+) | Turn Magnifier on |
| Windows key + Esc | Turn Magnifier off |
| Windows key + Plus sign (+) or Minus sign (–) | When Magnifier is on, zoom in or out |
| Ctrl + Alt + mouse scroll wheel | Zoom in and out using the mouse scroll wheel |
| Windows key + Ctrl + M | Open Magnifier settings |
| Ctrl + Alt + arrow keys | Pan in the direction of the arrow keys |
| Ctrl + Alt + I | Invert colors |
| Ctrl + Alt + F | Switch to full screen view |
| Ctrl + Alt + L | Switch to lens view |
| Ctrl + Alt + D | Switch to docked view |
| Ctrl + Alt + M | Cycle through views |
| Ctrl + Alt + R | Resize the lens with the mouse |
| Shift + Alt + arrow keys | Resize the lens with the keyboard |
| Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar | Quickly see the entire desktop when using full screen view |
Magnifier Reading Commands
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Windows key + Plus sign (+) | Turn Magnifier on |
| Modifier key + Enter | Start, pause, and resume reading* |
| Any key | Stop reading |
| Modifier key + Left Mouse click | Read from mouse pointer* |
| Modifier key + H | Read previous sentence* |
*Note: Ctrl + Alt is usually the default modifier key.
Additional Accessibility Commands
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Right Shift for eight seconds | Turn Filter Keys on and off |
| Left Alt + left Shift + Print screen | Turn High Contrast on or off |
| Left Alt + left Shift + Num lock | Turn Mouse Keys on or off |
| Shift five times | Turn Sticky Keys on or off |
| Num lock for five seconds | Turn Toggle Keys on or off |
| Ctrl + E | Open Search (in most apps) |
| Windows key + A | Opens Quick Settings |
| Windows key + Ctrl + C | Turn color filters on or off |
| Windows key + H | Opens voice typing |
| Windows key + Alt + H | Move keyboard focus to the voice typing dialogue |
| Windows key + Ctrl + N | Open Narrator settings |
| Windows key + Ctrl + S | Turn on Windows Speech Recognition |
| Windows key + Ctrl + O | Turn on the On-Screen Keyboard |
| Windows key + U | Opens Accessibility Settings |
| Windows key + W | Opens Widgets |
The Windows Logo Key Shortcuts
You may know the Windows key on your keyboard for opening the Start menu throughout the years, but did you know you can combine it with other keys to do a whole lot more? Here are a few shortcuts that use the Windows key to launch features and apps, plus a few others.
| Shortcut Key | Function |
|---|---|
| Windows key + A | Open the Action Center. Displays your notifications along with quick action toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more. |
| Windows key + B | Set focus in the notification area in the taskbar. |
| Windows key + C | Launch Cortana, the digital assistant built into Windows 10. |
| Windows key + D | Show or hide the desktop. Showing the desktop hides all your open windows and apps, and pressing the keyboard shortcut again restores the windows in their correct place. |
| Windows key + Alt + D | Display the time and calendar flyout. |
| Windows key + E | Open File Explorer. |
| Windows key + F | Take a screenshot and open Feedback Hub. This lets you more easily send feedback to Microsoft about a problem you may have encountered. |
| Windows key + G | Open the Xbox Game Bar. This lets you record videos, take screenshots, and access various features while playing a game. |
| Windows key + Alt + B | Turn HDR on or off. This requires an HDR-compatible monitor and a recent version of the Xbox Game Bar app. |
| Windows key + Alt + R | Start recording a video of your app or game using the Xbox Game Bar. |
| Windows key + H | Launch dictation, allowing you to enter text using your voice instead of typing. Available only in select languages. |
| Windows key + I | Open the Settings app. |
| Windows key + Pause | Open the About page in Settings. This includes information about your computer hardware and Windows itself. |
| Windows key + U | Open the Accessibility Settings page. |
| Windows key + L | Lock your PC. This keeps all your apps open, but requires you to unlock your PC before using them again. |
| Windows key + M | Minimize all your windows. |
| Windows key + Shift + M | Restore your minimized windows. This only works if you haven’t opened any windows in the meantime. |
| Windows key + O | Lock device orientation. For tablets and convertibles, this prevents the display from rotating when you rotate your PC. |
| Windows key + P | Change the display mode for multiple monitors. If you have multiple displays connected, you can choose whether to use your screens as extensions to each other, duplicate them, or use only a single screen at a time. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Q | Open Quick Assist. This is a tool that allows you to provide assistance to another Windows user remotely by seeing their screen or taking control of their PC. |
| Windows key + R | Open the Run dialog. This allows you to open any app on your PC, as long as you know the name of the executable file for the app. |
| Windows key + S or Windows key + Q | Open Windows Search. You can search for files, apps, and search the web here. |
| Windows key + Shift + S | Take a screenshot using the Snip & Sketch. After pressing the keys, you can choose your preferred capture mode, including free form, rectangle, window, and full-screen (this includes all connected monitors). |
| Windows key + V | Open your clipboard history. This allows you to see multiple items you’ve copied, including text, links, and images. This feature is initially disabled, but you can also enable it in this window. |
| Windows key + X | Open the Quick Link menu, which is equivalent to right-clicking the Start icon on your taskbar. This contains links to system features like Settings, File Explorer, Task Manager, and more. |
| Windows key + Y | Switch input between Windows Mixed Reality and the desktop. |
| Windows key + . (period) or ; (semi-colon) | Open the emoji panel. This lets you add emoji to any text field. |
| Windows key + , (comma) | Temporarily look at the desktop. Your desktop is only visible as long as you hold one of the keys after pressing them, then your windows are restored. |
| Windows key+ Ctrl + F | Search for PCs on your network. This is meant for Azure Active Directory domains. |
| Windows key + Spacebar | Cycle between languages and input methods (if multiple are installed). |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Spacebar | Change to a previously selected input. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Enter | Turn on Narrator. This accessibility feature reads on-screen elements to make navigation easier for those with vision impairments. |
| Windows key + + (plus) | Turn on the Magnifier and zoom into the screen. |
| Windows key + – (minus) | Zoom out with the Magnifier. |
| Windows key + Esc | Close the Magnifier. |
| Windows key + / (forward slash) | Begin IME reconversion. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B | Wake up your PC from a blank or black screen. |
| Windows key + PrtScn (Print Screen, may be represented differently on different keyboards) | Take a full-screen screenshot and automatically save it to a file. Items are saved in the Pictures library in a folder called Screenshots. |
| Windows key + Alt + PrtScn | Take a screenshot of the active game or window and save it into a file. This feature uses the Xbox Game Bar, and files are saved in the Videos library, in a folder called Captures (by default). |
| Windows key + number (for example 1,2,3 and so on) | Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, switch to that app. |
| Windows key + Shift + number | Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + number | Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. |
| Windows key + Alt + number | Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + number | Open the desktop and open a new instance of the app located at the given position on the taskbar as an administrator. |
| Windows key + Tab | Open Task View. |
| Windows key + Up arrow | Maximize the window. |
| Windows key + Down arrow | Remove current app from screen or minimize the desktop window. |
| Windows key + Left arrow | Maximize the app or desktop window to the left side of the screen. |
| Windows key + Right arrow | Maximize the app or desktop window to the right side of the screen. |
| Windows key + Home | Minimize all except the active desktop window (restores all windows on second stroke). |
| Windows key + Shift + Up arrow | Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen. |
| Windows key + Shift + Down arrow | Restore/minimize active desktop windows vertically, maintaining width. |
| Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow | Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to another. |
| Windows key + Shift + Spacebar | Cycle backwards through language and keyboard layout. |
| Windows key + Spacebar | Switch input language and keyboard layout. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Spacebar | Change to a previously selected input. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Enter | Turn on Narrator. |
| Windows key + Plus (+) | Open Magnifier and zoom in. |
| Windows key + Minus (–) | Zoom out in Magnifier. |
| Windows key + Esc | Close Magnifier. |
| Windows key + forward slash (/) | Begin IME reconversion. |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B | Wake PC from blank or black screen. |
| Windows key + PrtScn | Save full screen screenshot to file. |
| Windows key + Alt + PrtScn | Save screenshot of game window in focus to file (using Xbox Game Bar). |
| Windows key + Alt+ Enter (while taskbar is in focus) | Open taskbar settings |
