29 April 2003
Keyboard Shortcut Keys
For those of us who grew up (at least in computer years) on DOS, using the keyboard is as natural as typing. With the advent of the Macintosh and Windows' computers came the decline and eventual demise of keyboarding skills. Occasionally, computer rodents fail and when they do many users are at a loss.
Knowledge of a few key keyboard keystrokes can get you out of a jam when your mouse dies or just freezes on you. The list below is not complete, but represents the more common key combinations available in most Windows applications.
The so-called Windows keyboard is equipped with two special keys (there are actually three, but one is duplicated). The first one is the Windows key … the one with the flag on it. When clicked it brings up the Start Menu. The other key … the one with the list on it … is the Menu key. As the name implies, you use it to bring up a menu.
Some of us dislike the Windows keyboard, preferring the "classic" version. Those extra keys at the bottom of the Windows keyboard make the spacebar smaller and relocate the Alt key to a position that does not favor fast access. If you are using a classic keyboard here is how you replicate those fancy-schmancy keys.
In the list below, a plus sign (+) indicates that you hold the first key while pressing the second (and/or third key). For example, Ctrl + Esc means you hold the Ctrl key and press, then release the Esc key. A comma separates individual keystrokes that do not require more than one finger. Alt, F, X means that you press and release the Alt key, followed by the pressing and releasing of the F key and then the X key. The Alt key is the menu key that is used in combination with the corresponding underlined letter on the menu. For example, to activate the File menu, you would press and release the Alt key, followed by the F key. Across the top of the keyboard are special function keys ... F1 through F12. Multiple Document Interface (MDI) refers to a program’s ability to open more than one document at a time.
| Alt |
Select (or cancel) the menu bar |
| Alt + Backspace |
Undo the last action |
| Alt + Enter |
Switch DOS application between full-screen and windowed display |
| Alt + Enter |
View an icon’s properties |
| Alt + Esc |
Send the active window to the back |
| Alt + Tab |
Switch to the window you last used or switch to another window |
| Alt, F, S |
Save the current document |
| Arrow Keys |
Move through a list or menu |
| Shift + Arrow Key |
Select multiple contiguous items in a list or file folder |
| Alt + Right Arrow |
Move forward to a previous view (in your web browser it will take you to a previous web page) |
| Alt + Left Arrow |
Move backward to a previous view (in your web browser it will take you to a previous web page) |
| Alt + Down Arrow |
Open a drop-down list box |
| Alt + Spacebar |
Display the current window’s system menu (from the System menu, you Alt + Hyphen Display 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) |
| Backspace |
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box |
| Ctrl + Esc |
Display the Start Menu, then use the arrow keys and Enter to select an item (Press shift + F10 for a context menu to open the Programs folder, for example) |
| Ctrl + A |
Select all items on the page or on a list |
| Ctrl + C |
Copy selected text or image |
| Ctrl + X |
Cut selected text or image |
| Ctrl + V |
Paste selected text or image |
| Ctrl + L |
Left-justifies text |
| Ctrl + E |
Center-justifies text |
| Ctrl + R |
Right-justifies text |
| Ctrl + B |
Makes selected text bold or not bold |
| Ctrl + I |
Makes selected text italic or not italic |
| Ctrl + U |
Makes selected text underlined or not underlined |
| F4 |
Close the current window in programs |
| Alt + F4 |
Close the current window or quit a program |
| Ctrl + F4 |
Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window |
| Ctrl + Z |
Undo the last action |
| 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) |
| Ctrl + F6 |
Cycle forward though all the open document windows in a single program |
| Ctrl + Shift + F6 |
Cycle backward though all the open document windows in a single program |
| Delete |
Delete to the Recycle Bin |
| Shift + Delete |
Delete immediately [not to Recycle Bin] |
| Enter |
Click the selected button |
| Esc |
Cancels the pending operation |
| F1 |
Display Help on the selected dialog box item |
| F2 |
Rename file, folder or icon title |
| F3 |
Find (Search) Files |
| F5 |
Refresh a window |
| F10 |
Activate the menu bar in programs |
| Shift + F10 |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right- clicking an object) |
| Spacebar |
Click a button, select or clear a check box, or click an option |
| Tab |
Move forward through options |
| Shift + Tab |
Move backward through options |
| Ctrl + Tab |
Move between tabs on a dialog box |
| Ctrl + Tab |
Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
Move backward through tabs |
| Asterisk (*) |
In Explorer, expands a branch in the folders pane. If Desktop is selected, all directories in all drives will be expanded |
| Shift |
Press and hold down the Shift key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature |
To switch to the Taskbar, first press Ctrl + Esc to bring up the Start Menu. Once the Start Menu appears, press ESC to close the menu while keeping the Taskbar active, then press Tab to switch to the row(s) of running applications on the Taskbar. Use the arrow keys to select the icon or application and then press Enter. Press Tab again to switch to the Desktop.