Albert

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

            Why use your arms when you can use your fingers?  When using a computer, if you can use the keyboard to perform a task, why take your hands off the keyboard to use the mouse?  These keyboard shortcuts to common functions are good to know for improved efficiency and in the case that your mouse doesn’t work at some point.

            Below are the keystrokes for Windows users.  Many of them also apply to MacOS, but you use the Command, “open Apple” key (that curly thing) instead of the Ctrl key.

            Ctrl-Esc – Bring up the Start Menu

            Alt-Tab – Move from one application to another

            Alt-Esc – Move from one application window to another

            Alt-F4 – Close the currently active window

            Ctrl-A – Select All (especially useful in MS Word but works universally)

            Ctrl-B – Turn on or off bolding

            Ctrl-C – Copy (copies highlighted text or any file that is selected)

            Ctrl-F – Find (open the search feature)

            Ctrl-I – Turn on or off italics

            Ctrl-N – New document

            Ctrl-O – Open existing document

            Ctrl-P – Print

            Ctrl-S – Save

            Ctrl-U – Turn on or off underlining

            Ctrl-V – Paste

            Ctrl-W – Close the currently active window

            Ctrl-X – Cut

            Ctrl-Z – Undo

            Ctrl-Enter – Add a page break in a Word document

            PrtSc – Capture the image on the screen.  Then use Ctrl-V to paste it into a Word document or a graphics program.

            F1 – Help in whatever application is active

            F2 – Rename.  Highlight a file and then press F2 and type in the new name.

            F3 – Search.  With a folder open (not a document in an application,) press F3 to search for a file on your computer.

            F5 – Refresh.  Especially useful if you’ve been moving files around and want to see what the current folder really contains.

            F7 – Spelling and grammar options in most applications.

            Ctrl-Alt-Del – Bring up the Task Manager menu in Windows, which can be used to terminate a program or shut down the computer.

            If your mouse really does fail, use Ctrl-Enter to bring up the Start menu.  Use arrow keys to move from one option to another.  Use Enter to select the highlighted option.  If you have a dialog box to fill out, use the Tab key to move from one option to another or from one tab to another.  To select options or check and un-check boxes, use the space bar. 

Reviewed/Approved 9/22/09