Windows Key

Windows Key

On either side of the spacebar, outside the Alt key, is a key with the
Windows logo. Holding the Windows key down and pressing another
key will initiate quite a few actions. Some of the more common are
listed in the table below:

Displays the Start Menu.

+D

Minimizes all windows and shows the Desktop.

+D

Opens all windows and takes you right back to where you were.

+E

Opens a new Explorer Window. Probably one of the hottest

Windows keyboard shortcuts. This one gets a lot of hoorahs!

+F

Displays the Find all files dialog box.

+L

Lock your Windows XP computer. Logoff in Windows Pre-XP.

+M

Minimizes all open windows.

+ Shift + M

Restores all previously open windows to how they were before you
Minimized them.

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 +R

Displays the Run command.

+ F1

Displays the Windows Help menu.

+ Pause/Break

Displays the Systems Properties dialog box.

+ Tab

Cycle through the buttons on the Task Bar

Control Key
Ctrl

Depressing the Ctrl key while clicking allows multiple selections. Holding
the Ctrl key down and pressing other key combinations will initiate quite a
few actions. Some of the more common ones are listed below.

Ctrl + A

Select All items

Ctrl + B

Add or remove Bold formatting

Ctrl + C

Copy, places the selected/highlighted copy on the clipboard.

Ctrl + C + C

Opens the clipboard.

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Ctrl + F

Opens the Find what: dialog box. Great for finding references on a web
page while using your favorite web browser.

Ctrl + H

Replace, brings up the Find and Replace dialog box. Great for global find
and replace routines while working in normal and html views in your
favorite WYSIWYG editors like FrontPage. You can also use this to find
and replace content within your Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets,
etc...

Ctrl + I

Add or remove Italic formatting.

Ctrl + N

Window, In Internet Explorer, opens a New Window. In Outlook, opens a

New Mail Message. In most publishing programs like Word, opens a New
Document.

Ctrl + O

Open, brings up a browse dialog and allows you to select a file to open.

Ctrl + P

Print

Ctrl + S

Save

Ctrl + U

Add or remove Underline formatting.

Ctrl + V

Paste, inserts the copy on the clipboard into the area where your flashing
cursor is positioned or the area you have selected/highlighted.

Ctrl + W

Close, will close the document currently open.

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Ctrl + X

Cut, removes the selected/highlighted copy and places it on the clipboard.

Ctrl + Y

Redo last command. Many software programs offer multiple Redo's by

pressing Ctrl + Y + Y + Y...

Ctrl + Z

Undo last command. Many software programs offer multiple Undo's by

pressing Ctrl + Z + Z + Z...

Ctrl + Esc

Open the Start menu (or use the Windows Key if you have one).

Ctrl + =

Spell checker (pre WinXP).

Ctrl

While dragging a file to copy the file.

Ctrl + Shift

While dragging a file to create a shortcut.

Ctrl + Tab

Allows movement (toggle) from one open window to the next in an

application with more than one open window.

Ctrl + F4

Close a window in an application without closing the application.

Ctrl + F5

In Internet Explorer, Ctrl + F5 will Refresh the web page bypassing cache
(all images and external file references will be reloaded).

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Alt Key
Alt

Located on either side of the space bar. Holding the Alt key down and
pressing another key will initiate various actions. Some of the more
common ones are listed below:

Alt + F4

Closes the current active window. If there is no active window this opens
the Shut Down dialog box.

Alt + underlined letter in menu

To carry out the corresponding command on the menu.

Alt + left/right arrows

In a browser moves forward or back through the pages visited in a

window.

Alt + Space Bar

Displays the current window's system menu. This is the same as left
clicking on the application icon at the top left of the window.

Alt + Enter

Displays a selected items properties. This can also be done with Alt +
double-click.

Alt + PrtScrn

Captures the top window of the active application.

Alt + Space Bar

Displays the main window's system menu. This is the same as clicking on
the application icon at the left end of the title bar.

Alt + Space Bar + C

After the system menu is displayed (see above), this combination will
close a window. This works the same way as Alt + F4 but requires less
stretch.

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 Alt + - (hyphen)

Displays the current window's system menu. This is the same as left
clicking on the application icon at the top left of the window.

Alt + Tab

Displays a list of open application windows. Keeping Alt depressed and

selecting Tab cycles through the list. Releasing selects the highlighted
application window.
Alt + Ctrl

The Application key has an image of a mouse pointer on a menu (between

the Alt and Ctrl keys ( ) to the right of your Space Bar). Depressing this
key will display the selected item's shortcut window. This is the menu that
is displayed by right-clicking.

FUNCTION KEYS
Esc

Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button. In PowerPoint the Esc key will
stop a running slide show. On a web page with animations, the Esc key
will stop the animations. On a web page that is loading, the Esc key will
stop the page from loading. The keyboard combination Ctrl + Esc will
open the Start Menu.
F1

While working in an application, depressing this key will bring up the

applications help menu. If there is no open application F1 will open
Windows Help.
F2

Choose this key to rename a selected item or object.

F3

Depressing this key will display the Find: All Files dialog box.

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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. In Internet Explorer, F5 will Refresh the

web page.
F6

Moves among panes in Windows Explorer.

F7 Check MS WORD Shortcut Keys

F8

F9

F10

Activates menu bar options. Use right and left arrows to select menus and
down arrows to display pull down menus.(Check MS WORD Shortcut Keys)
F11

In Internet Explorer this key will allow you to toggle between full screen
viewing mode and normal viewing mode.
F12

Print Screen/SysRq

Usually located at the upper right hand corner of your keyboard next to the
Scroll Lock and Pause/Break keys. Often abbreviated PrtScr, the Print
Screen key is a useful key supported on most PCs. In DOS, pressing the
Print Screen key causes the computer to send whatever images and text
are currently on the display screen to the printer. Some graphics programs
and Windows, use the Print Screen key to obtain Screen Captures.
Tab

This key can be used to move forward through options in a dialog box.
Ctrl + Shift + Tab can be used to move backward through the options.
Ctrl + Tab allows movement from one open window to the next in an
application with more than one open window.

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 Alt + Tab displays a list of open application windows. Keeping Alt
depressed and selecting Tab cycles through the list. Releasing selects the
highlighted application window.

Caps Lock

Locks the keyboard in "Capitals" mode (only applies to Alpha keys). The
Caps Lock key should be used with caution. Using ALL CAPS is a
usability no-no as many have difficulty scanning text that is ALL CAPS.
Also, when sending email in all caps, this could be misconstrued as
shouting at someone.
Shift

The obvious use of this key is to allow selection of capital letters when
depressing the alphabet characters, or selecting the characters above other
non-alpha keys.
Depressing the Shift key while inserting a CD-ROM will bypass auto play.
Shift + Delete to permanently delete a selected item, bypasses the Recycle
Bin.

Space Bar

Insert a space between words. It is suggested that you utilize Tabs (or other
formatting commands) to put distance between elements. Using the space
bar to insert visual space works but would not be considered a best practice
in page design. Double spaces between sentences are no longer required.
This is a carryover from the days of fixed width fonts on a typewriter such
as Courier, Orator, Prestige Elite, etc.
Pressing the Space Bar while viewing a web page in Internet Explorer will
scroll the page downwards. Shift + Space Bar will scroll the page upwards.
Enter

Creates a new Paragraph <p> ( ) or what is referred to as a Hard

Return. In any dialog box a selected button or command can be selected
by depressing this key. Selected buttons can be recognized by their darker
(dotted) borders, or what is referred to as Focus.

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Shift + Enter

Creates a new Line Break <br> ( ) or what is referred to as a Soft

Return.

Shift + Arrow

Shift + Arrow Up, Down, Left or Right. Position your cursor at the
beginning of the area you wish to highlight for copying. Now use the up,
down, left or right arrow keys to select areas of content to be highlighted,
copied, pasted, etc.
Backspace

While working with text, use this key to delete characters to the left of the
insertion point.
Insert

Home

Depress and hold the Ctrl key as you select Home to go to the first line of a
document.
Page Up

In a browser window use the Page Up key to move up one full screen on a
web page.
Delete

While working with text, use this key to delete characters to the right of the
insertion point. This key can also be used to delete selected files. If you use
the keyboard combination Shift + Delete the item is permanently deleted,
bypassing the Recycle Bin.
End

Depress and hold the Ctrl key as you select End to go to the last line of a
document.

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Page Down

In a browser window use the Page Down key to move down one full
screen on a web page.
Up Arrow

Navigate in a document to the line above. Hold the Ctrl key down as you
press this key to move to the beginning of the second line above.
Right Arrow

Navigate in a document one character to the right. Hold the Ctrl key down
as you press this key to move one word to the right.
Down Arrow

Navigate in a document to the line below. Hold the Ctrl key down as you
press this key to move to the beginning of the second line below.

Left Arrow -- Navigate in a document one character to the left. Hold the Ctrl key
down as you press this key to move one word to the left.

Keypad Keys
Num Lock

If you want to use the numeric keypad on the right end of the keyboard to
display numbers, the Num Lock key must be selected (usually a light
above the Num Lock will indicate that it is on). If you want to use the
keypad to navigate within a document, turn off Num Lock by pressing the
key (the light will go off).

* (Asterisk)

In Windows Explorer this expands everything under the current selection.

Caution: do not try this with the C Drive icon selected.

- (Minus Sign)

In Windows Explorer this collapses the current selection.

+ (Plus Sign)

In Windows Explorer this expands the current selection.

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Keyboard shortcuts specific to MS Word

Cut- Removes the selection from

Open a new word document
Ctrl+N Ctrl+X the active document and places it
quickly.
on the clipboard.
Opens a previously saved Copies the selection to the
Ctrl+O Ctrl+C
document. clipboard
Paste - Inserts the contents of the
Closes the active window,
Ctrl+W Ctrl+V clipboard at the insertion point
but does not Exit Word.
(cursor) or whatever is selected.
Saves the active document
Selects all text and graphics in the
Ctrl+S with its current file name, Ctrl+A
active window.
location and format.
Prints the active file, also
Find - Searches for specified text
Ctrl+P gives the opportunity to Ctrl+F
in the active document
change print options
Bold - Formats selected text;
Exit - Closes Microsoft
Alt+F4 Ctrl+B make text bold, or remove bold
Word.
formatting
Undo the last action. This
Italic - Formats selected text;
Ctrl+Z selection can be repeated Ctrl+I
make text italic or remove italic
several times.
Redo - After an action has Underline - Formats selected text;
Ctrl+Y been undone, it can be Ctrl+U make text underlined or remove
reinstated in the document. underline

Less commonly used keyboard combinations

Apply
Increase selected text in increments like
superscript
the drop down font menu (Thanks Daniel)
formatting
Apply
Decrease selected text in increments like
subscript
the drop down font menu
formatting
Copy
Increase selected text one point
formats
Paste
Decrease selected text one point
formats
Single space
Change case of the letters
lines

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 Set 1.5 line
Underline words but not spaces
spacing
Double
Double underline text
space lines
Delete one
Center a paragraph word to the
left
Delete one
Justify a paragraph word to the
right
Right align a
Left align a paragraph
paragraph
Insert a line
Indent a paragraph from the left
break
Reduce a
Create a hanging indent hanging
indent
If text is already selected and you want to extend the selection area
Extend
selection one
Extend selection one character to the left
character to
the right
Extend
selection to
Extend selection to the end of a word the
beginning of
a word
If you want to move the cursor
One
One character to the right character to
the left
One word to
One word to the right
the left
To the
To the end of a document beginning of
a document

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USAGE OF FUNCTION KEYS IN MS WORD
Escape - Esc is used to back out of situations. When you find yourself in a place where
you don't want to be, try the Esc key. In PowerPoint this key will stop a running slide
show. The keyboard combination Ctrl + Esc will open the Start menu.

F1

• While working in an application, depressing this key will bring up the

applications help menu. If there is no open application F1 will open Windows
Help.

F2

• Choose this key to rename a selected item.

• Alt + Ctrl + F2 to open a new document in MS Word
• Ctrl + F2 to open print preview in MS Word

F3

• Depressing this key will display the Find: All Files dialog box.
• Shift + F3 will change case in MS Word. Continue to press F3 (with the Shift
key depressed) to toggle through all choices.

F4

• Holding down the Alt key while depressing F4 closes the current active window.
If there is no active window this opens the Shut Down dialog box.
• Repeat an action with F4. For example, if your last action was to format a word as
Bold, you can repeat the procedure by highlighting another word and depressing
F4. This continues to work until your next action.

F5

• Select this key to refresh the contents of a dialog box, such as the Save As or
Open dialog boxes, or in a window such as a Windows Explorer window.
• Open the Find and Replace dialog box in MS Word
• F5 + Ctrl + Shift to insert a bookmark in MS Word
• Use this key to start a slide show in MS PowerPoint

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F6

• F6 + Ctrl + Shift to move to a previous window in MS Word

• F6 + Ctrl + Alt to move to a previous window in MS Word

F7

• Perform Spell and Grammar check in MS Word

• F7 + Shift when a word is highlighted to access the thesaurus in MS Word

F8
F9
F10

• Activates Menu Bar options. Use right and left arrows to select menus and down
arrows to display pull down menus.
• F10 + Shift - Depressing this key combination will display the selected item's
shortcut window. This is the menu that is displayed by right-clicking.

F11

• In Internet Explorer this key will allow you to toggle back and forth between
full screen view (all toolbars compressed into one thin line) and normal view
• In Excel this key will make a chart using data that you have highlighted

F12

• Open a new document in MS Word

• F12 + Ctrl + Shift to print in MS Word
• F12 + Shift to Save in MS Word
• F12 to open the Save As dialog box in MS Word

Print Screen - Don't look at your printer after pressing this key. This sends a copy of
whatever is on the screen to the clipboard. One common use of this action is to paste the
clipboard into Paint to copy a portion of an image for use in another application. If you
wish to copy only the active window, hold down the Alt key, then tap on the Print
Screen key. It will copy only that window that is active, not the whole desktop.

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Scroll Lock

* (Asterisk)

• Ctrl + Shift + * to select the current region around an active cell in MS Excel.
This can be quite useful in creating charts.

Hyphen (dash)

• Ctrl + - (Hyphen) to bring up the Delete dialog box in MS Excel

• Ctrl + [ to decrease font size of highlighted text one point at a time (MS Word
and MS PowerPoint)

• Ctrl + ] to increase font size of highlighted text one point at a time (MS Word and
MS PowerPoint)

• Ctrl + P to print in many applications

• Ctrl + P to bring up the pen if you are in a PowerPoint show

• E to erase whatever you drew using the pen in a PowerPoint show

• Ctrl + A to select all in many applications

• Ctrl + A to replace the pen with the arrow pointer if you are in a PowerPoint
show

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B

• Ctrl + B to make selected text Bold

• B to make the screen Black if you are in a PowerPoint show

• Ctrl + W to close a window

• W to make the screen White if you are in a PowerPoint show

• Ctrl + Z to undo (to Zap an error)

• Ctrl + X to cut selected text or images

• Ctrl + C to copy selected text or images

• Ctrl + V to paste text or images that have been cut or copied

• Ctrl + S to save a document

• Ctrl + D to make a favorite in Internet Explorer

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Ctrl - Depressing the Ctrl key while clicking allows multiple selections. Holding the Ctrl
key down and pressing another key will initiate quite a few actions. Some of the more
common are listed in the table below:

Ctrl + C to copy selected Ctrl + V to paste the

Ctrl + A to select all items
text or items contents of the clipboard
Ctrl + X to cut selected
Ctrl + P to print Ctrl + Z to undo
text
Ctrl + Esc to open the Ctrl + = to bring up spell Ctrl + Shift + *(Asterisk)
Start menu checker (pre Win XP) to select the current region
around an active cell in
Ctrl + B to add/remove Ctrl + I to add/remove MS Excel. This can be
Bold formatting Italic formatting quite useful in creating
charts.
Ctrl + W to close the Ctrl while dragging a file Ctrl + Shift while
active window to copy the file dragging a file to create a
shortcut
Ctrl + P to display the pen Ctrl + A to display the Ctrl + B to turn the screen
in a PowerPoint show arrow in a PowerPoint Black in a PowerPoint
show show
Ctrl + W to turn the screen Ctrl + S to save the current Ctrl + U to add/remove
White in a PowerPoint document Underline formatting
show
Ctrl + 9 to hide rows in Ctrl + Tab allows Ctrl + F4 to close a
MS Excel (add Shift to the movement from one open window in an application
sequence to unhide.) window to the next in an without closing the
application with more than application.
one open window.
Ctrl + Enter while in Internet Explorer - Enter only the domain name then depress
Ctrl before striking Enter/Return. IE automatically fills in the complete URL for a
.com address.
Ctrl + - (Hyphen) to bring Ctrl + C + C to open the Ctrl + 0 to hide columns in
up the Delete dialog box in clipboard. MS Excel (add Shift to the
MS Excel sequence to unhide.)
Ctrl + arrow (in Excel) - In a large worksheet this combination allows you to
quickly move left, right, up, or down. Starting from cell A1, depressing Ctrl and
pressing the right arrow moves to the cell in row 1 adjacent to the first empty cell.
Ever wonder how many rows are in a worksheet? On a blank worksheet hold down
the Ctrl key and press the down arrow.

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Keyboard shortcuts specific to MS Excel

Cut- Removes the selection

Open a new workbook
Ctrl+N Ctrl+X from the active document and
quickly.
places it on the clipboard.
Opens a previously saved Copies the selection to the
Ctrl+O Ctrl+C
document. clipboard
Paste - Inserts the contents of
Closes the active window, the clipboard at the insertion
Ctrl+W Ctrl+V
but does not Exit Excel. point (cursor) or whatever is
selected.
Saves the active document
Selects all on the active
Ctrl+S with its current file name, Ctrl+A
worksheet.
location and format.
Prints the active file, also
Find - Searches for specified
Ctrl+P gives the opportunity to Ctrl+F
text in the active document
change print options
Bold - Formats selected text;
Exit - Closes Microsoft
Alt+F4 Ctrl+B make text bold, or remove
Excel.
bold formatting
Undo the last action. This Italic - Formats selected text;
Ctrl+Z selection can be repeated Ctrl+I make text italic or remove
several times. italic
Redo - After an action has
Underline - Formats selected
been undone, it can be
Ctrl+Y Ctrl+U text; make text underlined or
reinstated in the
remove underline
document.

Less commonly used keyboard combinations

To use any of these combinations hold down the first key(s) and tap the last key
one time.
Release the held keys when the action is completed

Move to
Select the Select the
the
next sheet previous
previous
in the sheet in the
workbook
workbook workbook
or window

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Complete Complete a
Move to
a cell entry cell entry
the
and move and move
previous
to the right to the left in
workbook
in the the
or window
selection selection
Complete a
Move to cell entry
Start a new
the next and move
line in the
workbook down in
same cell
or window the
selection
Move to
the next Start a Cancel a
workbook formula cell entry
or window
In print In print
In print
preview, preview,
preview,
move to move to
move to the
the first the last
last page
page when page when
when
zoomed zoomed
zoomed out
out out
In print
Move
preview, Complete a
between
move to cell entry
unlocked
the first and move
cells on a
page when up in the
protected
zoomed selection
worksheet
out
Prints the
active file,
also gives
Insert a
Insert a new the
new
worksheet opportunity
worksheet
to change
print
options
Create a
Select the
chart that Select the
entire
usescurrent entire row
column
range

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Create a
chart that
Enter the Enter the
uses the
time date
current
range
Insert a Fill to the
Fill down
hyperlink right
In a cell
with a
hyperlink, Apply the Remove
this outline outline
activates border borders
the
hyperlink
Select the
Apply the Apply the current
percentage currency region
format format around the
active cell
Insert the
Hide
Hide rows Auto Sum
columns
formula
Display the
un hide un hide Format
rows columns Cells
dialog box
Complete Create
Show, or
a cell entry names from
hide, the
and move row and
Standard
up in the column
toolbar
selection labels

Displays all
formulas in
a
worksheet,
repeat to
hide

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If text is already selected and you want to extend the selection area

Extend selection one Extend selection one

character to the left in the character to the right in the
formula bar, or one cell to formula bar, or one cell to
the left in the worksheet the right in the worksheet
Extend selection to the last Extend selection to the to
non blank cell to the right the last non blank cell to the
or above a selected cell. left or below a selected cell
If you want to move the cursor
One character to the right in One character to the left in
the formula bar or one cell the formula bar or one cell
to the right in the worksheet to the left in the worksheet
One word to the right in the One word to the left in the
formula bar formula bar
To the end of a document To the beginning of a
or to the right edge of the document or to the left edge
formula bar of the formula bar

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