(Have an Apple computer? Watch for an upcoming installment of keyboard shortcuts for MacOS.)
Sometimes it makes sense to use keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse:
- Quicker than navigating through menus
- Mouse isn’t working or can’t find the pointer
- Suspicious popup or web page appears and you’re afraid to trust buttons or links on it.
- No close button on a program or window
Here are 10 keyboard shortcuts on Windows 10, with an example of when it may be useful.
(Note: The Windows key is the key between the Ctrl and Alt keys on the left side of the keyboard with the Windows logo on it.)
Key Combination | What it does | Example case |
Ctrl – C | Copy the selected text or item | Prepare to insert that item elsewhere |
Ctrl – V | Paste the copied text/item | Insert what you copied where your cursor is |
Ctrl – A | Select everything (in the current window) | Prepare to copy everything or maybe delete everything |
Ctrl – Z | Undo | Undo the last action |
Alt – Tab (Hold Alt then tap Tab to select the next window) | Switch between open windows | Useful when comparing things in different windows, or working in one window, referencing another |
CTRL – Tab (Hold Ctrl then tap Tab to select the next tab) | Switch between browser tabs (works in some other contexts as well) | Similar to Alt-Tab, perhaps when working in one tab, referincing another |
Alt-F4 | Close the active window | If a message pops up, or the browser displays a message that’s suspicious, this will reliably close it. Buttons or links can be misleading |
Windows Key – D | Show and Hide the Desktop | When you are actively working in more than one window, but realize you need something from the desktop. Use this combination again to get your windows back |
Windows Key – R | Open the Run Prompt | Quick way to install a printer. In the Run prompt, type the path and click OK |
Shift – Arrow key | Select text/items in the desired direction from the cursor | Easily select a block of text that spans more than one screen or precisely select up t a specific point |