Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
I love keyboard shortcuts; however, there are some that I just can’t remember and have to Google every single time. How do I do a screen capture again? Instead of mousing over and finding what you need in a menu, memorize these Windows keyboard shortcuts to save a little time. Plus, it will make you look way smarter to coworkers when you perform fancy keyboard moves in front of them.
Bookmark this page, or download the printable Windows Keyboard Shortcuts (PDF) and post it up in your cubicle.
The New Control, Alt, Delete
You’ll want to remember this one. If a program is acting up or frozen, Task Manager lets you “End Task” and get back to work. I’ve always used Control + Alt + Delete and selected Task Manager from the list. Here’s an even quicker way.
Control + Shift + Escape = brings up task manager
Close that Pop-Up Window
This keyboard shortcut is good for when a pop up comes up on your screen. You can avoid clicking it by using this key combination.
Alt + F4 = closes the active program on the screen
Cut, Copy, Paste and Other Basics
You all probably know these, but a shortcut list wouldn’t be complete without the basic cut, copy and paste commands.
Control + X = cut
Control + C = copy
Control + V = paste
Control + S = save
F12 = save as
Ctrl + P = print
Select All, or Just Select a Few
When you’re in a folder or program and want to select all files or just select the ones you want, here’s how.
Control + A = select all
Control + Click = to select only those you want
Find Something in a Document, or even on a Webpage
The “find” function around here has become a new favorite among staff. If you’re on a webpage and want to find something quickly, or if you’re looking for something within a large document, this keyboard shortcut is your friend.
Control + F = find
Undo, Undo!!
When you’ve made a huge mistake and typed over your coworker’s really important document, no worries. This only works if you haven’t hit save and closed the document though. Otherwise, back away slowly and blame it on the intern.
Control + Z = undo (You may have to Control Z several times to get yourself out of trouble.)
Stylize That Memo Like a Boss
Bold, underline, italic, get fancy with these text editing keyboard shortcuts. Select the copy you want it to apply it to, then:
Shift + B = bold
Shift + I = italics
Shift + U = underline
Next, press the ALT key and then press keys N and P one after another. The Insert Picture dialog box appears. Insert the funny photo, you know you want to.
“Did You Clear your Cache?”
The web developers over here are always telling me to apply this keystroke when I’m seeing something different in my browser window than I should be. It will refresh your screen to match the latest version of the webpage.
Shift + F5 = reloads your current webpage, ignoring previously cached content
Open, Close and Switch Between Programs
This is the fancy way to switch to another open program on your computer. Give it a try.
Alt + Tab – switch between programs
Alt + F4 = close current program
Ctrl + N – creates a new document in most programs, or a new browser window
Ctrl + O – opens a document
Open All The Tabs
How many tabs do you have open currently? I have seven.
Ctrl + T – new browser tab
Ctrl + F4 – close browser tab
Screen Capture
When you want to share a picture your screen with someone to prove that you’re not crazy.
PrtScn = copy the screen to the clipboard
Windows + PrtScn = save the screen to a file
Or, just use the built-in Snipping Tool to capture just a part of your screen
