0 General keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

. CTRL+C (Copy)
. CTRL+X (Cut)
. CTRL+V (Paste)
. CTRL+Z (Undo)
. DELETE (Delete)
. SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
. CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
. F2 key (Rename the selected item)
. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
. CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
. CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
. CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
. CTRL+A (Select all)
. F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
. ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
. ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
. ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
. ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
. CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
. ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
. ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
. F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
. F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
. SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
. ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
. CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
. F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
. 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)
. F5 key (Update the active window)
. BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
. ESC (Cancel the current task)
. SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)
. CTRL+SHIFT+ESC (Open Task Manager)

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

If you press SHIFT+F8 in extended selection list boxes, you enable extended selection mode. In this mode, you can use an arrow key to move a cursor without changing the selection. You can press CTRL+SPACEBAR or SHIFT+SPACEBAR to adjust the selection. To cancel extended selection mode, press SHIFT+F8 again. Extended selection mode cancels itself when you move the focus to another control.. CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)
. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)
. TAB (Move forward through the options)
. SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)
. ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)
. ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)
. SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
. Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
. F1 key (Display Help)
. F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
. BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft natural keyboard shortcuts

. Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
. Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
. Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
. Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
. Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)
. Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
. Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
. CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
. Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
. Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
. Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
. Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

. Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off)
. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)
. Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)
. SHIFT five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)
. NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)
. Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

. END (Display the bottom of the active window)
. HOME (Display the top of the active window)
. NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
. NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)
. NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)
. LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
. RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Shortcut keys for Character Map

After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts: . RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
. LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
. UP ARROW (Move up one row)
. DOWN ARROW (Move down one row)
. PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time)
. PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time)
. HOME (Move to the beginning of the line)
. END (Move to the end of the line)
. CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character)
. CTRL+END (Move to the last character)
. SPACEBAR (Switch between Enlarged and Normal mode when a character is selected)


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Keyboard shortcuts to work on the Windows XP Desktop

Shortcut	Description
win+d	Minimizes all open Windows and return to a clean desktop. Pressing it again restores the previous state.
arrow keys	The arrow keys navigate between objects on the desktop.
home and end	Activates the first object (top left corner) or the last object (bottom right corner) on the desktop.
enter	Launches the active object.
shift+f10	Activates context menu of active object. Basically replaces the right mouse button. Once in the context menu, the arrow keys will navigate you to the desired menu item (or press any letter which shows as underlined); pressing enter activates whatever you want to in the context menu.
F2	Changes the filename of a desktop icon. Press the arrow keys to go left or right if parts of the old filename should be kept.
Hold ctrl key, navigate witharrow keys and hit space	On the desktop, pressing and holding the ctrl key enables to highlight multiple items. Once pressed, move around with the arrow keys and press space for every item which should be highlighted. Hitting space a second time de-selects the item. Once everything is marked as desired, release the ctrl-key.
ctrl+c, ctrl+x, ctrl+v,	ctrl+c for copy, ctrl+x for cut and ctrl+v for paste should be an essential for everyone. If you so happen forget one or the other shortcut on this site, please stick with this most essential keyboard shortcut.
alt+tab, alt+shift+tab	alt+tab Holding the alt key and continuously press tab to move forward between open applications or folders. Then release the key when the desired object is active to launch it. The same works backwards by adding shift to the shortcut combination: Hold alt andshift and then keep pressing tab moves backwards between open applications. The direction can be changed in at any time by pressing and releasing shift
win+tab, win+shift+tab then press enter	Pressing ctrl+tab will navigate between object of the desktop: the desktop itself, the quick-launch bar (if activate) and the notification bar. This will not work when an Application Window is open, simply press win+d before pressing ctrl+tab. Again, the order can be reversed by adding shift to the combination: ctrl+shift+tab moves backwards. This is a good opportunity to access the notification bar without the mouse for example: Presswin+d to get to the desktop, then ctrl+shift+tab to go directly to the Notification Bar,arrow left to go to the clock and press enter to open the Windows calendar without touching the mouse.
a, b, c, ...	Still on the desktop, pressing the initial letter of the name of any objects will highlight the respective application or folder. It is important to make sure that the focus is actually ON the desktop and not on the start button or taskbar. Simply press win+d twice if nothing is happening when pressing the initial letter and try it again.
win+pause	Access System Properties which holds system properties, computer name, device manager and so on.
win+tab win+shift+tab then press enter	alt+tab is not the only way to navigate between open applications and windows. Thewin+tab keyboard shortcut is actually a more powerful way to switch between application than the good old" alt+tab. The difference is that win+tab is not opening a dedicated window for choosing the desired object: moving forward and backwards between applications is happening directly on the taskbar. To launch an application you press enterto activate the respective element. Combine it with shift and you reverse the order."