Windows system key combinations
- F1: Help
- CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
- ALT+TAB: Switch between open
programs
- ALT+F4: Quit program
- SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item
permanently - Windows Logo+L: Lock the
computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE)
Windows program key combinations
- CTRL+C: Copy
- CTRL+X: Cut
- CTRL+V: Paste
- CTRL+Z: Undo
- CTRL+B: Bold
- CTRL+U: Underline
- CTRL+I: Italic
Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell
objects
- SHIFT+right click: Displays a
shortcut menu containing alternative commands
- SHIFT+double click: Runs the
alternate default command (the second item on the menu)
- ALT+double click: Displays
properties - SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item
immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin
General keyboard-only commands
- F1: Starts Windows Help
- F10: Activates menu bar
options - SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut
menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object
- CTRL+ESC: Opens
the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
- CTRL+ESC or ESC:
Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or
press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu) - CTRL+SHIFT+ESC: Opens Windows
Task Manager - ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a
drop-down list box - ALT+TAB: Switch to another
running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view
the task-switching window) - SHIFT: Press and hold down
the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run
feature - ALT+SPACE:
Displays the main window's System menu (from the System menu, you can
restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window) - ALT+-
(ALT+hyphen): Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child
window's System menu (from the MDI child window's System menu, you can
restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window) - CTRL+TAB: Switch to the next
child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program - ALT+underlined letter
in menu: Opens the menu - ALT+F4: Closes the current
window
- CTRL+F4: Closes the current
Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
- ALT+F6: Switch
between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the
Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches
between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)
Shell objects and general folder/Windows Explorer
shortcuts
For a selected
object:
- F2: Rename object
- F3: Find all files
- CTRL+X: Cut
- CTRL+C: Copy
- CTRL+V: Paste
- SHIFT+DELETE: Delete
selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin - ALT+ENTER: Open the
properties for the selected object
To copy a file
Press and hold down
the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To create a shortcut
Press and hold down
CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.
General folder/shortcut control
- F4: Selects the Go
To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the
toolbar is active in Windows Explorer) - F5: Refreshes the current
window.
- F6: Moves among panes in
Windows Explorer
- CTRL+G: Opens the Go To
Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only) - CTRL+Z: Undo the last command
- CTRL+A: Select all the items
in the current window - BACKSPACE: Switch to the
parent folder - SHIFT+click+Close button: For
folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders
Windows Explorer tree control
- Numeric Keypad *: Expands
everything under the current selection
- Numeric Keypad +: Expands the
current selection
- Numeric Keypad -: Collapses
the current selection. - RIGHT ARROW: Expands the
current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child - LEFT ARROW: Collapses the
current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent
Properties control
- CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Move
through the property tabs
Accessibility shortcuts
- Press SHIFT five times:
Toggles StickyKeys on and off - Press down and hold the right
SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
- Press down and hold the NUM
LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and off
- Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK:
Toggles MouseKeys on and off - Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT
SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and off
Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys
- Windows Logo: Start menu
- Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box
- Windows Logo+M: Minimize all
- SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo
minimize all - Windows Logo+F1: Help
- Windows Logo+E: Windows
Explorer
- Windows Logo+F: Find files or
folders
- Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all
open windows and displays the desktop
- CTRL+Windows Logo+F: Find
computer - CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB: Moves
focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use
RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch
toolbar and the system tray)
- Windows Logo+TAB: Cycle
through taskbar buttons
- Windows
Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box - Application key: Displays a
shortcut menu for the selected item
Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software
installed
- Windows Logo+L: Log off
Windows
- Windows Logo+P: Starts Print
Manager - Windows Logo+C: Opens Control
Panel - Windows Logo+V: Starts
Clipboard - Windows Logo+K:
Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box - Windows Logo+I:
Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
- Windows Logo+A: Starts
Accessibility Options (if installed)
- Windows Logo+SPACEBAR:
Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys - Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS
LOCK on and off
Dialog box keyboard commands
- TAB: Move to the next control
in the dialog box - SHIFT+TAB: Move to the
previous control in the dialog box - SPACEBAR: If the current
control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a
check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an
option, this selects the option.
- ENTER: Equivalent to clicking
the selected button (the button with the outline)
- ESC: Equivalent to
clicking the Cancel button
- ALT+underlined letter
in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item
