Action | Key(s) |
AutoPlay, disable temporarily | Shift (while inserting CD) |
Checkbox, toggle on or off | Spacebar |
Clipboard, copy | Ctrl-C |
Clipboard, copy current window as a bitmap | Alt-PrintScreen |
Clipboard, copy entire screen as a bitmap | PrintScreen |
Clipboard, cut | Ctrl-X |
Clipboard, paste | Ctrl-V |
Close current document | Ctrl-F4 |
Close current window | Alt-F4 |
Close dialog box, message window, or menu | Esc |
Command button, click | Spacebar |
Context menu, open | Shift-F10, or context menu key on some keyboards |
Controls, cycle focus on a dialog box | Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Copy selected item or selected text to the clipboard | Ctrl-C |
Cut selected item or selected text to the clipboard | Ctrl-X |
Date and Time Properties, open | -B, Spacebar |
Delete a file without putting it in the Recycle Bin | Shift-Del or Shift-drag item to Recycle Bin |
Delete selected item | Del |
Desktop, activate | Ctrl-Esc (or ), then Esc, Tab, Tab, Tab |
Desktop, activate by minimizing all windows | -D, or click empty portion of Taskbar and press Alt-M |
Dialog box, cycle through controls | Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Dialog box, cycle through tabs | Ctrl-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Dialog box, click OK | Enter (or Return) |
Dialog box, click Cancel | Esc |
Document, close | Ctrl-F4 |
Document, move to the beginning | Ctrl-Home |
Document, move to the end | Ctrl-End |
Document, switch between | Ctrl-F6 or Ctrl-Tab |
Drop-down listbox, open | Down Arrow or F4 |
Exit an application | Alt-F4 |
Exit Windows | Ctrl-Esc, then Alt-F4 |
File, delete without moving to Recycle Bin | Shift-Del |
File, search | -F (or F3 or Ctrl-F in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop) |
Find a computer on your network | Ctrl- -F |
Find Files or Folders | -F (or F3 or Ctrl-F in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop) |
Focus, move between controls on a dialog box | Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Folder, close current and all parents (Windows Explorer in single-folder view only) | Shift-click Close button |
Folder, expand and collapse folders in tree | Right and left arrows |
Folder, open in two-pane Explorer view | Shift-double-click |
Folder, search | -F (or F3 or Ctrl-F in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop) |
Help (in most applications) | F1 |
Help and Support Services, open | -F1 |
Icon, Activate selected | Enter (or Return) |
Icon, view Properties of selected | Alt-Enter (or Alt-Return) |
Listbox, drop-down | Down Arrow or F4 |
Listbox, select multiple items | Ctrl-click |
Listbox, select or deselected items | Ctrl-Spacebar |
Lock computer | -L (or press Ctrl-Alt-Del and then Spacebar) |
Menu, activate selected item | Enter (or Return) |
Menu, activate specific item with letter x underlined | Alt- x if menu doesn't have focus, x by itself if menu has focus |
Menu, basic navigation | Arrow keys |
Menu, close | Esc |
Menu, move focus to | F10 or Alt (by itself) |
Menu, open context menu | Shift-F10, or context menu key on some keyboards |
Minimize all windows and move focus to Desktop | -D, or click empty portion of Taskbar and press Alt-M |
Minimize current window | -M (hold Shift to undo) |
Panes, move focus between | F6 |
Parent folder, move to (in Windows Explorer) | Backspace |
Paste the contents of the clipboard | Ctrl-V |
Properties, display for an icon | Alt-double-click, or select and then press Alt-Enter |
Refresh (in Windows Explorer, on the Desktop, and some other applications) | F5 |
Rename selected icon or file in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop | F2 |
Run (same as Start Run) | -R |
Screenshot, copy current window as a bitmap to the clipboard | Alt-PrintScreen |
Screenshot, copy entire screen as a bitmap to the clipboard | PrintScreen |
Scroll down one screen | Page Down |
Scroll up one screen | Page Up |
Scroll without moving selection | Ctrl-arrow key |
Search for a computer on your network | Ctrl- -F |
Search for Files or Folders | -F |
Search for Files or Folders (in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop only) | F3 or Ctrl-F |
Select all | Ctrl-A |
Shortcut, create | Alt-drag file |
Start Menu, open | or Ctrl-Esc |
Switch to next application | Alt-Tab or Ctrl-Esc (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Switch to next document window | Ctrl-F6 or Ctrl-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
System menu, show for current document | Alt-hyphen |
System menu, show for current window | Alt-Spacebar |
System Properties, open | -Pause/Break |
Tabs, switch between tabs | Ctrl-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Task Manager, open | Shift-Ctrl-Esc (or press Ctrl-Alt-Del and click Task Manager) |
Taskbar and Start Menu Properties, open | Ctrl-Esc, then Alt-Enter |
Taskbar buttons , cycle through | -Tab |
Undo | Ctrl-Z |
Window, activate next | Alt-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Window, close | Alt-F4 |
Window, drop to bottom of pile | Alt-Esc |
Window, minimize | -M (hold Shift to undo) |
Window, minimize all | -D (hold Shift to undo) |
Window, switch to | Alt-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse) |
Windows Explorer, open | -E |
Windows Explorer, switch between panes | F6 |