Windows keyboard shortcuts overview

Use shortcut keys as an alternative to the mouse when working in Windows. You can open, close,
and navigate the Start menu, desktop, menus, dialog boxes, and Web pages using keyboard
shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts may also make it easier for you to interact with your computer.

Click a heading, or press TAB to highlight a heading, and then press ENTER.

General keyboard shortcuts

Press To

CTRL+C Copy.

CTRL+X Cut.

CTRL+V Paste.

CTRL+Z Undo.

DELETE Delete.

SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item

in the Recycle Bin.

CTRL while dragging an item Copy selected item.

CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an Create shortcut to selected item.

item

F2 Rename selected item.

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.

CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous
word.

CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next
paragraph.

CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous
paragraph.
Press To

CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow Highlight a block of text.

keys

SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or
select text within a document.

CTRL+A Select all.

F3 Search for a file or folder.

ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item.

ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program.

ALT+Enter Displays the properties of the selected object.

ALT+SPACEBAR Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.

CTRL+F4 Close the active document in programs that allow you to

have multiple documents open simultaneously.

ALT+TAB Switch between open items.

ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened.

F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the

desktop.

F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows

Explorer.

SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.

ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window.

oa Display the Start menu.

ALT+Underlined letter in a menu Display the corresponding menu.

Press To

name

Underlined letter in a command Carry out the corresponding command.

name on an open menu

F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program.

RIGHT ARROW Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.

LEFT ARROW Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.

F5 Refresh the active window.

BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows

Explorer.

ESC Cancel the current task.

SHIFT when you insert a CD into Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
the CD-ROM drive

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

Press To

CTRL+TAB Move forward through tabs.

CTRL+SHIFT+TAB Move backward through tabs.

TAB Move forward through options.

SHIFT+TAB Move backward through options.

ALT+Underlined Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
letter

ENTER Carry out the command for the active option or button.
Press To

SPACEBAR Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.

Arrow keys Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.

F1 Display Help.

F4 Display the items in the active list.

BACKSPACE Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open
dialog box.

Natural keyboard shortcuts

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts with a Microsoft Natural Keyboard or any other
compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key ( ) and the Application key ( ).

Press To

Display or hide the Start menu.

Display the System Properties dialog box.

+BREAK

+D Show the desktop.

+M Minimize all windows.

Restores minimized windows.

+Shift+M

+E Open My Computer.

+F Search for a file or folder.

CTRL+ Search for computers.

+F
Press To

+F1 Display Windows Help.

+L Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if
you are not connected to a network domain.

+R Open the Run dialog box.

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.

+U Open Utility Manager.

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Press To

Right SHIFT for eight seconds Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.

+U Open Utility Manager.

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Press To

END Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME Display the top of the active window.

Press To

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
keypad (*)

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric Display the contents of the selected folder.
keypad (+)

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric Collapse the selected folder.

keypad (-)

LEFT ARROW Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select

parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select

first subfolder.

Windows system key combinations

 F1: Help

 CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu

 ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs

 ALT+F4: Quit program

 SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently

 Windows Logo+L: Lock the computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE)

Windows program key combinations

 CTRL+C: Copy

 CTRL+X: Cut

 CTRL+V: Paste

 CTRL+Z: Undo

 CTRL+B: Bold

 CTRL+U: Underline

 CTRL+I: Italic
Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects

 SHIFT+right click: Displays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands

 SHIFT+double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)

 ALT+double click: Displays properties

 SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin

General keyboard-only commands

 F1: Starts Windows Help

 F10: Activates menu bar options

 SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking
an object

 CTRL+ESC: Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)

 CTRL+ESC or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press
SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)

 CTRL+SHIFT+ESC: Opens Windows Task Manager

 ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box

 ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the
TAB key to view the task-switching window)

 SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the
automatic-run feature

 ALT+SPACE: Displays the main window's System menu (from the System menu, you can
restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)

 ALT+- (ALT+hyphen): Displays 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)

 CTRL+TAB: Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI)
program

 ALT+underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu

 ALT+F4: Closes the current window

 CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window

 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)
Shell objects and general folder/Windows Explorer shortcuts
For a selected object:

 F2: Rename object

 F3: Find all files

 CTRL+X: Cut

 CTRL+C: Copy

 CTRL+V: Paste

 SHIFT+DELETE: Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin

 ALT+ENTER: Open the properties for the selected object

To copy a file
Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.

To create a shortcut
Press and hold down CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.

General folder/shortcut control

 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.

 F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer

 CTRL+G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)

 CTRL+Z: Undo the last command

 CTRL+A: Select all the items in the current window

 BACKSPACE: Switch to the parent folder

 SHIFT+click+Close button: For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders

Windows Explorer tree control

 Numeric Keypad *: Expands everything under the current selection

 Numeric Keypad +: Expands the current selection

 Numeric Keypad -: Collapses the current selection.

 RIGHT ARROW: Expands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to
the first child
  LEFT ARROW: Collapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the
parent

Properties control

 CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Move through the property tabs

Accessibility shortcuts

 Press SHIFT five times: Toggles StickyKeys on and of

 Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and of

 Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and of

 Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK: Toggles MouseKeys on and of

 Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and of

Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys

 Windows Logo: Start menu

 Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box

 Windows Logo+M: Minimize all

 SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all

 Windows Logo+F1: Help

 Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer

 Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders

 Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop

 CTRL+Windows Logo+F: Find computer

 CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the
system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick
Launch toolbar and the system tray)

 Windows Logo+TAB: Cycle through taskbar buttons

 Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box

 Application key: Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item

Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed

 Windows Logo+L: Log of Windows

 Windows Logo+P: Starts Print Manager

  Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel

 Windows Logo+V: Starts Clipboard

 Windows Logo+K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box

 Windows Logo+I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box

 Windows Logo+A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)

 Windows Logo+SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys

 Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and of

Dialog box keyboard commands

 TAB: Move to the next control in the dialog box

 SHIFT+TAB: Move to the previous control in the dialog box

 SPACEBAR: If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control
is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option, this selects
the option.

 ENTER: Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)

 ESC: Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button

 ALT+underlined letter in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item