Keyboard shortcuts for Windows

On this page:

Windows system key combinations 

Windows program key combinations 

Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects 

General keyboard-only commands 

Shell objects and general folder/Windows Explorer shortcuts To copy a file To create a shortcut 

General folder/shortcut control 

Windows Explorer tree control 

Properties control Accessibility shortcuts 

Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys 

Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed 

Dialog box keyboard commands 

Windows system key combinations table with 2 columns and 5 rows 

• F1: Help  
• CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
• ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs  
• ALT+F4: Quit program  
• SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently  table end Windows program key combinations table with 2 columns and 7 rows 
• CTRL+C: Copy  
• CTRL+X: Cut  
• CTRL+V: Paste  
• CTRL+Z: Undo  
• CTRL+B: Bold  
• CTRL+U: Underline  
• CTRL+I: Italic  table end Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects table with 2 columns and 4 rows 
• 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  table end General keyboard-only commands table with 2 columns and 15 rows 
• 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)  
• 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)  
• CT RL+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: table with 2 columns and 7 rows 
• 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  table end 

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 table with 2 columns and 8 rows 

• 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  table end Windows Explorer tree control table with 2 columns and 5 rows 
• 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  table end Properties control 
• CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Move through the property tabs Accessibility shortcuts table with 2 columns and 5 rows 
• 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  table end Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys table with 2 columns and 13 rows 
• 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  table end Bacrosoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed table with 2 columns and 9 rows 
• 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  table end Dialog box keyboard commands table with 2 columns and 6 rows 
• 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 

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