Open Your “Windows”-through shortcuts – For all windows
4,100Windows Shortcuts Complete List
keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8 and Windows RT
Kyu Darta Hai Tu Yaar,Mujpe Daav Laga!!! Yes my friend this line is taken from the famous windows 8 advertisement and it is rightly said so!!
This graphical interface operating system which is being developed and marketed by Microsoft has come a long way from being used as graphical OS for MS DOS till its latest release of Windows 8.So what if your mouse has stopped working!!Keyboard shortcuts offers you wide variety keyboard tricks to keep you working with this fabulous range of operating system.

If you’re not familiar with keyboard shortcuts—or you’d like to see a list of shortcuts in one place—see the bigger list of keyboard shortcuts which is available below.
Here are some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts for Windows which will prevent from getting stranded while using Windows:
Press this | To do this |
---|---|
Windows logo key
![]() |
Search your PC |
Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-) |
Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen |
Ctrl+scroll wheel |
Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the charms |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the Search charm to search files |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the Share charm |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the Settings charm |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Switch the main app and snapped app |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the Devices charm |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Lock the screen orientation (portrait or landscape) |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the Search charm to search apps |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Open the Search charm to search settings |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Show the commands available in the app |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Switch input language and keyboard layout |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Change to a previously selected input |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Cycle through open apps (except desktop apps) |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Cycle through open apps (except desktop apps) and snap them as they are cycled |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Cycle through open apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Move the Start screen and apps to the monitor on the left (Apps in the desktop won’t change monitors) |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Move the Start screen and apps to the monitor on the right (apps in the desktop won’t change monitors) |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Snaps an app to the left |
Windows logo key
![]() |
Snaps an app to the right |
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)
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
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
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
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.
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 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.
So here was the list of all possible keyboard shortcuts for all the range of Windows OS…Keep exploring with latest Windows Server 2012 which is already making waves and if you are still craving for more then hold breath because Microsoft is ready with their latest OS Windows 8.1….
Next time we will come back with more shortcuts of latest OS so till then, keep in touch…..
Your feedbacks are welcome below in comments
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE-
Title
[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]
Sites we Like…
[…] Every once in a while we choose blogs that we read. Listed below are the latest sites that we choose […]…
Free GIF Animator
[…]below you will find the link to some web sites that we believe you need to visit[…]
Wittaya Muay Thai
[…]here are some hyperlinks to internet sites that we link to for the reason that we think they may be worth visiting[…]
Title
[…]The facts talked about within the report are a number of the very best accessible […]
Informative and precise
Its difficult to find informative and accurate info but here I found
baby cover
[…]check below, are some entirely unrelated web-sites to ours, however, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
Title
[…]check below, are some absolutely unrelated web-sites to ours, even so, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]