100 Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)
Posted by vincekool
Last Updated: March 13, 2012

The General Shortcuts

We’ll kickoff the list with some really general shortcuts that you often used.

  • 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)

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts

  • 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

  • Win (Display or hide the Start menu)
  • Win+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
  • Win+D (Display the desktop)
  • Win+M (Minimize all of the windows)
  • Win+Shift+M (Restore the minimized windows)
  • Win+E (Open My Computer)
  • Win+F (Search for a file or a folder)
  • CTRL+Win+F (Search for computers)
  • Win+F1 (Display Windows Help)
  • Win+ L (Lock the keyboard)
  • Win+R (Open the Run dialog box)
  • Win+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)
  • Win +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+* (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
  • NUM LOCK++ (Display the contents of the selected folder)
  • NUM LOCK+- (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 Nor mal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts

  • CTRL+O (Open a saved console)
  • CTRL+N (Open a new console)
  • CTRL+S (Save the open console)
  • CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item)
  • CTRL+W (Open a new window)
  • F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
  • Alt+Spacebar (Display the MMC window menu)
  • Alt+F4 (Close the console)
  • Alt+A (Display the Action menu)
  • Alt+V (Display the View menu)
  • Alt+F (Display the File menu)
  • Alt+O (Display the Favorites menu)

MMC Console Window Keyboard Shortcuts

  • CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane)
  • Alt+- (Display the window menu for the active console window)
  • Shift+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
  • F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
  • F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
  • CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
  • CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)
  • Alt+Enter (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
  • F2 key (Rename the selected item)
  • CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

  • CTRL+Alt+END (Open the m*cro$oft Windows NT Security dialog box)
  • Alt+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
  • Alt+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
  • Alt+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
  • Alt+HOME (Display the Start menu)
  • CTRL+Alt+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
  • Alt+Delete (Display the Windows menu)
  • CTRL+Alt+- (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
  • CTRL+Alt++ (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing Alt+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Internet Explorer navigation

  • CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
  • CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)
  • CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)
  • CTRL+H (Open the History bar)
  • CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)
  • CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)
  • CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
  • CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)
  • CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)
  • CTRL+R (Update the current Web page)
  • CTRL+W (Close the current window)
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