General Shortcut Keys

To do this Press this key

Copy selected icon(s) CTRL+C

Cut selected icons(s) CTRL+X

Paste cut or copied text or item(s) to

current folder CTRL+V

Undo your most recent action CTRL+Z

Delete selected icon(s) to Recycle Bin DELETE or DEL

Delete selected icons(s) without moving to Recycle Bin SHIFT+DELETE

Rename selected icon(s) F2

SHIFT+any
Extend selection through additional icons arrow key

Select all items in a document or window CTRL+A

Search for a file or folder F3

Display properties for selected icon ALT+ENTER

Close program in the active window ALT+F4

Open the shortcut menu for the active

window ALT+SPACEBAR

Close the active document in multiple

document program CTRL+F4

Show Flip 3D ~WS+TAB

Switch between open programs ALT+TAB

Cycle through open programs in the order

they were opened ALT+ESC
 Cycle through screen elements on the
desktop or in a window F6

Display the shortcut menu for the

selected item SHIFT+F10

Open/close the Start menu CTRL+ESC or ~WS

Open menu or perform menu command ALT+underlined letter

View menu bar in active program F10 or Alt

Move left or right in menu bar ¬ and ®

Move up or down in menu and ¯

Select highlighted menu command ENTER

Refresh the active window F5

View the folder one level up Windows

Explorer BACKSPACE

Cancel the current task ESC

Open Task Manager CTRL+SHIFT+ESC

Copy dragged item to destination CTRL+drag

Move dragged item to destination CTRL+SHIFT+drag

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts

Description Key

Choose option with underlined letter ALT+letter

Select a button if the active option is a

group of option buttons Arrow keys
 Open a folder one level up if a folder is
selected in the Save As or Open dialog box BACKSPACE

Go to previous tab CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

Go to next tab CTRL+TAB

Same as clicking OK ENTER

Same as clicking Cancel ESC

Help F1 key

Display the items in the active list F4 key

Move to previous option SHIFT+TAB

Select or deselect the check box SPACEBAR

Move to next option TAB

Windows Explorer Keyboard

Shortcuts
Description Key

Collapse the selected folder – on numeric keypad

Display all the subfolders under selected

folder * on numeric keypad

Select or collapse parent folder ¬

Expand current folder or move to next

subfolder ¯

Display the contents of the selected

folder + on numeric keypad
 Display the bottom of the active window END

Display the top of the active window HOME

Open selected folder in new instance SHIFT+Double-Click

Ease of Access Keyboard Shortcuts

Description Key

Open Ease ofAccessCenter ~WS+U

Switch the MouseKeys either on or off LEFT ALT+LEFT SHIFT+NUM LOCK

Switch High Contrast either on or off LEFT ALT+LEFT SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN

Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off NUM LOCK for five seconds

Switch FilterKeys either on or off RIGHT SHIFT for eight seconds

Switch the StickyKeys either on or off SHIFT five times

Windows Help Shortcut Keys

To do this Press this key

Open Windows Help and Support F1 or ~WS+F1

Display the Table of Contents ALT+C

Display the Connection Settings menu ALT+N

Display the Options menu F10

Move back to the previously viewed topic ALT+¬

 Move forward to the next (previously
viewed) topic ALT+¯

Display the customer support page ALT+A

Display the Help home page ALT+HOME

Move to the beginning of a topic HOME

Move to the end of a topic END

Search the current topic CTRL+F

Print a topic CTRL+P

Move to the Search box F3

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts

Description Key

Display or hide the Start menu ~WS

Lock the computer ~WS+L

Display the System Properties dialog box ~WS+BREAK

Show the desktop ~WS+D

Open Computer folder ~WS+E

Search for file or folder ~WS+F

Search for computers CTRL+~WS+F

Display Windows Help ~WS+F1

Minimize all the windows ~WS+M

 Restore all minimized windows ~WS+SHIFT+M

Open the Run dialog box ~WS+R

Show Flip 3D ~WS+TAB

Open Ease ofAccessCenter ~WS+U

OpenWindowsMobility
Center ~WS+X

Text Navigation and Editing Shortcuts

Description Key

Move cursor down one line ¯®

Move cursor left one character ¬

Move cursor right one character ®¯

Move cursor up one line

Delete character to left of cursor BACKSPACE

Move cursor to start of next paragraph CTRL+¯®

Move cursor to start of previous

paragraph CTRL+

Move cursor to start of previous word CTRL+¬

Move cursor to start of next word CTRL+®¯

Select all CTRL+A

Copy to Clipboard CTRL+C

Copy the selected text to destination CTRL+drag

Select to end of paragraph CTRL+SHIFT+®

Select to end of word CTRL+SHIFT+Æ

Select to beginning of word CTRL+SHIFT+¬

Select to beginning of paragraph CTRL+SHIFT+

Select to end of document CTRL+SHIFT+END

Select to top of document CTRL+SHIFT+HOME

Paste Clipboard contents to cursor

position CTRL+V

Cut to Clipboard CTRL+X

Undo last action CTRL+Z

Delete selected text or character at

cursor DEL

Cancel the current task ESC

Select to character in line above SHIFT+

Select to character in line below SHIFT+¯®

Select character to left SHIFT+¬

Select character to right SHIFT+®¯

Select from cursor to here SHIFT+Click

Select to end of line SHIFT+END

Select to beginning of line SHIFT+HOME

Select text down one screen SHIFT+PAGE DOWN

Select text up one screen SHIFT+PAGE UP

Windows Character Map Shortcut
Keys
Key Description

Move up one row

¯ Move down one row

Move to the left or to the end of the

¬ previous line

Move to the right or to the beginning of

® the next line

CTRL+END Move to the last character

CTRL+HOME Move to the first character

END Move to the end of the line

HOME Move to the beginning of the line

PAGE DOWN Move down one screen at a time

PAGE UP Move up one screen at a time

SPACEBAR Switch between Enlarged and Normal modes

Microsoft Internet Explorer Shortcuts

To do this Press this

Add “www.” to the beginning and “.com” to

the end of text in address bar CTRL+ENTER

Add the current page to favorites CTRL+D

Click the Information bar SPACEBAR

Close current tab (or the current window

if tabbed browsing is disabled) CTRL+W

Close other tabs CTRL+ALT+F4

Close Print Preview ALT+C

Close the current window (if you have

only one tab open) CTRL+W

Copy selection to Clipboard CTRL+C

Display a list of addresses you’ve typed F4

Display a shortcut menu for a link SHIFT+F10

Display first page to be printed ALT+HOME

Display last page to be printed ALT+END

Display next page to be printed ALT+¯

Display previous page to be printed ALT+¬

Display zoom percentages ALT+Z

Find on this page CTRL+F

Go to home page ALT+HOME

Go to selected link ENTER

Go to the next page ALT+¯

Go to the previous page ALT+¬ or BACKSPACE

Go to the Toolbar Search box CTRL+E

Help F1

Move back through the items on a Web SHIFT+TAB

page, the address bar, or the links bar

Move back through the list of

AutoComplete matches ®

Move backward between frames (if tabbed

browsing is disabled) CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

Move focus to the Information bar ALT+N

Move forward through frames and browser

elements (if tabbed browsing is disabled) CTRL+TAB or F6

Move forward through the items on a Web

page, the address bar, or the links bar TAB

Move forward through the list of

AutoComplete matches ¯

Move selected item down in the Favorites

list in the Organize Favorites dialog box ALT+¯

Move selected item up in the Favorites

list in the Organize Favorites dialog box ALT+

Move the cursor left to the next

punctuation in the address bar CTRL+¬

Move the cursor right to the next

punctuation in the address bar CTRL+®

Move to the beginning of the page HOME

Move to the end of the page END

Open a new tab in the foreground CTRL+T

Open a new tab in the foreground from the

address bar ALT+ENTER

Open a new Web site or page CTRL+O

Open a new window CTRL+N

Open Favorites CTRL+I

Open Feeds CTRL+J

Open History CTRL+H

Open links in a new background tab CTRL+click

Open links in a new foreground tab CTRL+SHIFT+click

Open search query in a new tab ALT+ENTER

Open the Organize Favorites CTRL+B

Page Setup ALT+U

Paste Clipboard contents CTRL+V

Print the current page or active frame CTRL+P

Refresh the current Web page F5

Refresh the current Web page regardless

of timestamp CTRL+F5

Save the current page CTRL+S

Scroll down a line ¯

Scroll down a page PAGE DOWN

Scroll up a line

Scroll up a page PAGE UP

Select all items on the current Web page CTRL+A

Select frames to print in framed Web site ALT+F

Select the text in the address bar ALT+D

Set printing options and print the page ALT+P

 Stop downloading a page ESC

Switch between tabs CTRL+TAB or CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

CTRL+n (where n is a number between 1 and

Switch to a specific tab number 8)

Switch to the last tab CTRL+9

Toggle between full-screen and regular

views F11

Toggle Quick Tabs on or off CTRL+Q

Type the number of the page you want

displayed ALT+A

Zoom in ALT+PLUS SIGN

Zoom in 10 percent CTRL+PLUS SIGN

Zoom out ALT+MINUS SIGN

Zoom out 10 percent CTRL+MINUS SIGN

Zoom to 100 percent CTRL+0

Summary
Article Name
The complete guide to Windows 7 Shortcut Keys
Description
A complete list of all shortcuts that are available on Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.
Author
Mike Halsey

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ABOUT MIKE HALSEY MVP

Mike Halsey is a Microsoft MVP (Windows Expert) and the author of "Troubleshooting
Windows 7 Inside Out" from Microsoft Press, "Office 365 Security Essentials" and several
forthcoming books about Windows 8. He is a recognised Windows expert having been awarded
a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) certification in 2011. You can follow Mike
on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or on his own website The Long Climb
View all posts by Mike Halsey MVP →
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 Comments
1. Mark McC said on September 27, 2011 at 8:35 pm
REPLY

The Natural Keyboard list only seems to have Windows XP shortcuts.

Windows 7 also allows:

WS+UP – Maximize window

WS+SHIFT+UP – Maximize window only vertically
WS+DOWN – Minimize window
WS+LEFT/RIGHT – Aero Snap window to left/right
WS+SHIFT+LEFT/RIGHT – Move window between monitors
WS+HOME – Minimize all windows except the current one (same as Aero Shake)
WS+[1-0] on main keyboard – Activate or launch corresponding pinned taskbar icon.
WS+G – Bring desktop gadgets to front
WS+P – Open projector/monitor swticher
There’s probably a few more still waiting to be discovered.