Why you need keyboard shortcuts ? Yes ! we need keyboard shortcut to improve our productivity faster output on screen.Keyboard shortcuts provide a quick way to navigate and operate the experience and features using a single press of one or multiple keys, which otherwise will take several clicks and more time to accomplish using the mouse.
Keyboard shortcuts are keys or combinations of keys that provide an alternate way to do something you’d typically do with a mouse.
In this tutorial will instruct you all the most useful keyboard shortcuts to navigate and operate the desktop and apps in Windows 10 or other versions of Windows.
Page Contents
Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts
- Common and Popular Shortcuts
- File Explorer Shortcuts
- Desktop Shortcuts
Common And Popular Shortcuts
These are the essential keyboard shortcuts that every Windows user should know.
| INPUT | OUTPUT |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert | Copy selected content to clipboard |
| Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert | Paste content from clipboard |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo an action, including delete file |
| Ctrl+Y | Re-do an action |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new folder on file explorer, desktop |
| Alt + F4 | Close active windows |
| Ctrl + D | Delete items to recycle bin |
| Shift + Delete | Delete selected items permanently |
| F2 | Rename selected item |
| ESC | Close current activities |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps |
| Windows key + I | Open settings app |
| Windows key + E | To Open file explorer |
| Windows key + A | Open action center |
| Windows key + D | Display and hide the desktop |
| Windows key + L | Screen lock |
| Windows key + V | Open clipboard bin |
| Windows key + Period (.) or semicolon (;) | open emoji pannel |
| PrtScreen | Take full screenshot of the display |
| Windows key + PrtScn | Capture full screenshot in screenshot folder |
| Windows key + Shift + S | Capture part of the screen with snip and sketch |
| Windows key + Left arrow key | Snap app or windows left |
| Windows key + Right arrow key | Snap app or windows right |
File Explorer Shortcuts
Below shortcuts will help you to work with File Explorer more efficiently.
| INPUT | OUTPUT |
|---|---|
| Windows key + E | Open file explorer |
| Alt + D | Select address bar |
| Ctrl + N | Open a new window |
| Ctrl + E or N | Select search box |
| Ctrl + W | Close active windows |
| Ctrl + F or F3 | Start search |
| Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel | Change view file and folder |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Expands all folders from the tree in the navigation pane. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create new folder in desktop or file explorer |
| Ctrl + L | Focus on address bar |
| Ctrl + Shift + Number (1-8) | Change the folder view |
| Alt + P | Display preview panel |
| Alt + Enter | Open Properties settings for the selected item |
| Alt + Right arrow key | View next folder |
| Alt + Left arrow key (or Backspace) | View previous folder |
| Alt + Up arrow | Move up a level in the folder path |
| F11 | Switch active window full screen mode |
| F5 | Refresh file explorer’s current view and instance |
| F2 | Rename selected items |
| F4 | Switch focus to address bar |
| F6 | Cycle through elements on the screen |
| Home | Scroll to top of the window |
| End | Scroll to bottom of the window |
Desktop Shortcuts
These are the shortcuts to work with your desktop.
| INPUT | OUTPUT |
|---|---|
| Windows key (or Ctrl + Esc) | Open start menu |
| Ctrl + Arrow keys | Change Start menu size |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager |
| Ctrl + Shift | Switch keyboard layout |
| Alt + F4 | To Close active windows ,if not then shutdown windows will appear |
| Ctrl + F5 | Refresh current windows |
| Ctrl + Alt + Tab | View open apps |
| Ctrl + Arrow keys (to select) + Spacebar | Select multiple items on desktop or File Explorer |
| Alt + Underlined letter | Runs command for the underlined letter in app |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps while pressing Tab multiple times |
| Alt + Left arrow key | Go back |
| Alt + Right arrow key | Go forward |
| Alt + Page Up | Move up one screen |
| Alt + page down | Move down one screen |
| Alt + Esc | Cycle through open windows |
| Alt + Spacebar | Open context menu for the active window |
| Alt + F8 | Reveals typed password in Sign-in screen |
| Shift + Click app button | Open another instance of an app from the taskbar |
| Ctrl + Shift + Click app button | Run app as administrator from the taskbar |
| Shift + Right-click app button | Show window menu for the app from the taskbar |
| Ctrl + Click a grouped app button | Cycle through windows in the group from the taskbar |
| Shift + Right-click grouped app button | Show window menu for the group from the taskbar |
| Ctrl + Left arrow key | Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word |
| Ctrl + Right arrow key | Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word |
| Ctrl + Up arrow key | Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph |
| Ctrl + Down arrow key | Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph |
| Ctrl + Shift + Arrow key | Select block of text |
| Ctrl + Spacebar | Enable or disable Chinese IME. |
| Shift + F10 | Open context menu for selected item |
| F10 | Enable app menu ba |
| Shift + Arrow keys | Select multiple items |
| Windows key + X | Open Quick Link menu |
| Windows key + Number (0-9) | Open app in number position from the taskbar |
| Windows key + T | Cycle through apps in the taskbar |
| Windows key + Alt + Number (0-9) | Open Jump List of the app in number position from the taskbar |
| Windows key + D | Display and hide the desktop |
| Windows key + M | Minimize all windows |
| Windows key + Shift + M | Restore minimized windows on the desktop |
| Windows key + Home | Minimize or maximize all but the active desktop window |
| Windows key + Shift + Up arrow key | Stretch desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen |
| Windows key + Shift + Down arrow key | Maximize or minimize active desktop windows vertically while maintaining width |
| Windows key + Shift + Left arrow key | Move active window to monitor on the left |
| Windows key + Shift + Right arrow key | Move active window to monitor on the right |
| Windows key + Left arrow key | Snap app or window left |
| Windows key + Right arrow key | Snap app or window right |
| Windows key + S ( or Q) | Open Search |
| Windows key + Alt + D | Open time and date in the taskbar |
| Windows key + Tab | Open Task View |
| Windows key + Ctrl + D | Create a new virtual desktop |
| Windows key + Ctrl + F4 | Close the active virtual desktop |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow | Switch to the virtual desktop on the right |
| Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow | Switch to the virtual desktop on the left |
| Windows key + P | Open Project settings |
| Windows key + A | Open Action center |
| Windows key + I | Open Settings app |
| Backspace | Return to Settings app home page |
Best view i have ever seen !