It doesn’t make sense to memorise these individual combinations, but because they’re visible on screen, they’re easy to use when you need them. So in Notepad Alt-O then W will access the Format menu, then Word Wrap. On the menu itself, individual items will also be underlined and you can access them simply by hitting the letter.
#Useful windows keyboard shortcuts windows#
In traditional Windows apps, the underlined letter on a menu will open that menu in conjunction with the Alt key (so Alt-F will open the File menu). Many users save Control-Alt-Del for when their system freezes, but it can be useful at other times. Control-Alt-Del: Lockscreenįrom Control-Alt-Del, you can launch the Task Manager, lock your machine or log off. Want to quickly check which version of Windows you’re running or how much RAM you have? Windows-Break goes straight to system information. It’s a really handy option when you want multiple application windows neatly arranged (such as copying information from a web page into a spreadsheet or document). Windows-Right sends it to the right, Windows-Down places it in the middle of the screen, and Windows-Up maximises. Type Windows-Left Arrow and the active application will shift to fill the left half of the screen. Using Alt-PrtSc captures just the current window. I will add it to the list.There are plenty of dedicated screen capture tools with more nuanced options, but if you just need a basic screen grab, hitting PrtSc will copy the entire screen to your clipboard, ready for pasting into any image editor. If you think I missed any of your favorite keyboard shortcuts the comment below and share it with me. Bookmark this page so that you can revisit if you forget any keyboard shortcut. F2 Allow you to rename a file, folder, or drive in the file explorer and other programs. Shift + Del Permanently delete a file or folder bypassing the recycle bin. Alt + Double Click Open file, folder, or drive properties window. When on the desktop, the shortcut will show Shutdown Windows prompt to shutdown, restart, or sign out of Windows 10. Alt + P Enable or disable preview pane in the file explorer (useful to preview pictures). Alt + Shift Switch between keyboard languages. Ctrl+ Alt + Tab Persistent application switcher (same as alt + tab but the app switch will not close until you select an application). Ctrl + Shift + Number (1 – 8) Change the file layout style in file explorer. Ctrl + Shift + N Create a new empty folder in file explorer. Ctrl + L Focus on the address bar in file explorer and browsers.
Ctrl + W Close the active file explorer window or the active tab in the browser. Ctrl+ E Focus on the search bar in the file explorer and address bar in any browser. The item will go straight to the recycle bin. Alt + Tab Switch between opened applications. Ctrl + Shift + Esc Open the task manager. Win + Shift + Up Arrow Expand the active window to touch both the top and bottom of the screen (not fully maximize). Win + Shift + S Open Snip & Sketch tool and take a screenshot by dragging the mouse. Win + Ctrl + F4 Close active or current virtual desktop. Win + Ctrl + Right Arrow Navigate to the right virtual desktop. Win + Ctrl + Left Arrow Navigate to the left virtual desktop. Win + Ctrl + D Create a new virtual desktop. Win + Pause Open system properties window. Maximizes the minimized windows when you press again. Win + Home Minimize all windows but the active one.
Win + Down Arrow Minimize the active window. Win + Up Arrow Maximize the active window. Win + Right Arrow Snap active window to right. Win + Left Arrow Snap active window to left. Win + Number (1 – 9) Open the pinned application on the taskbar according to the number. (Follow these steps to add timeline feature to chrome and firefox). Win + PrtScn Take a screenshot of the screen and save it to the Pictures folder in your home folder. Win + R Open the Run dialog box to run commands and environment variables. Win + X Open the Power User menu Win + L Lock Windows computer (use this method to lock computer automatically). Win + U Open the Ease of Access settings page. Win + K Opens the wireless display panel to cast the screen. Win + G Open the Game Bar to record screen or gameplay.
#Useful windows keyboard shortcuts windows 10#
Here are the 50 useful Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts that every user should know.ĥ0 Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard Shortcut Description of What it Does Win + I Opens the Settings app.