Basic PC shortcut keys
The below basic shortcut keys are a listing of shortcut keys that will work with almost all IBM compatible computers and software programs. It is highly recommended that all users keep a good reference of the below short cut keys and/or try to memorize the below keys. Doing so will dramatically increase your productivity.
| Shortcut Keys | Description |
| Alt + F | File menu options in current program. |
| Alt + E | Edit options in current program |
| F1 | Universal Help in almost every Windows program. |
| Ctrl + A | Select all text. |
| Ctrl + X | Cut selected item. |
| Shift + Del | Cut selected item. |
| Ctrl + C | Copy selected item. |
| Ctrl + Ins | Copy selected item |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Shift + Ins | Paste |
| Home | Goes to beginning of current line. |
| Ctrl + Home | Goes to beginning of document. |
| End | Goes to end of current line. |
| Ctrl + End | Goes to end of document. |
| Shift + Home | Highlights from current position to beginning of line. |
| Shift + End | Highlights from current position to end of line. |
| Ctrl + Left arrow | Moves one word to the left at a time. |
| Ctrl + Right arrow | Moves one word to the right at a time. |
Commonly known as "function keys", F1 through F12 may have a variety of different uses or no use at all. Depending on the installed operating system and the software program currently open will change how each of these keys operate. A program is capable of not only using each of the function keys, but also combining the function keys with the ALT and/or CTRL keys, for example, Microsoft Windows users can press ALT + F4 to close the program currently active.
F1
- Almost always used as the help key, almost every program will open the help screen when this key is pressed.
- Windows Key + F1 would open the Microsoft Windows help and support center.
- Open the Task Pane.
F2
- In Windows commonly used to rename a highlighted icon or file.
- Alt + Ctrl + F2 opens a new document in Microsoft Word.
- Ctrl + F2 displays the print preview window in Microsoft Word.
F3
- Often opens a search feature for many programs including Microsoft Windows.
- Shift + F3 will change the text in Microsoft Word from upper to lower case or a capital letter at the beginning of every word.
F4
- Open find window.
- Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+)
- Alt + F4 will close the program currently active in Microsoft Windows.
- Ctrl + F4 will close the open window within the current active window in Microsoft Windows.
F5
- In all modern Internet browsers pressing F5 will refresh or reload the page or document window.
- Open the find, replace, and go to window in Microsoft Word.
- Starts a slideshow in PowerPoint.
F6
- Move the cursor to the Address bar in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
- Ctrl + Shift + F6 opens to another open Microsoft Word document.
F7
- Commonly used to spell check and grammar check a document in Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, etc.
- Shift + F7 runs a Thesaurus check on the word highlighted.
- Turns on Caret browsing in Mozilla Firefox.
F8
- Function key used to enter the Windows startup menu, commonly use to get into Windows Safe Mode.
F9
- Opens the Measurements toolbar in Quark 5.0.
F10
- In Microsoft Windows activates the menu bar of an open application.
- Shift + F10 is the same as right-clicking on a highlighted icon, file, or Internet link.
F11
- Full-screen mode in all modern Internet browsers.
F12
- Open the Save as window in Microsoft Word.
- Shift + F12 save the Microsoft Word document.
- Ctrl + Shift + F12 prints a document in Microsoft Word.
General keyboard shortcuts
| • | CTRL+C (Copy) |
| • | CTRL+X (Cut) |
| • | CTRL+V (Paste) |
| • | CTRL+Z (Undo) |
| • | DELETE (Delete) |
| • | SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin) |
| • | CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item) |
| • | CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item) |
| • | F2 key (Rename the 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) |
| • | CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text) |
| • | SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document) |
| • | CTRL+A (Select all) |
| • | F3 key (Search for a file or a folder) |
| • | ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item) |
| • | ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program) |
| • | ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object) |
| • | ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window) |
| • | CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously) |
| • | ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items) |
| • | ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened) |
| • | F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop) |
| • | F4 key (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) |
| • | CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu) |
| • | ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu) |
| • | Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command) |
| • | F10 key (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 key (Update 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-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing) |
| • | CTRL+SHIFT+ESC (Open Task Manager) |
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
If you press SHIFT+F8 in extended selection list boxes, you enable extended selection mode. In this mode, you can use an arrow key to move a cursor without changing the selection. You can press CTRL+SPACEBAR or SHIFT+SPACEBAR to adjust the selection. To cancel extended selection mode, press SHIFT+F8 again. Extended selection mode cancels itself when you move the focus to another control.
| • | CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs) |
| • | CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs) |
| • | TAB (Move forward through the options) |
| • | SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options) |
| • | ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option) |
| • | ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button) |
| • | 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 key (Display Help) |
| • | F4 key (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) |
Microsoft natural keyboard shortcuts
| • | Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu) |
| • | Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box) |
| • | Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop) |
| • | Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows) |
| • | Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows) |
| • | Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer) |
| • | Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder) |
| • | CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers) |
| • | Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help) |
| • | Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard) |
| • | Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box) |
| • | Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager) |
Accessibility keyboard shortcuts
| • | Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off) |
| • | Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off) |
| • | Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off) |
| • | SHIFT five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off) |
| • | NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off) |
| • | Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager) |
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts
| • | END (Display the bottom of the active window) |
| • | HOME (Display the top of the active window) |
| • | NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder) |
| • | NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder) |
| • | NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder) |
| • | LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder) |
| • | RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder) |
Shortcut keys for Character Map
After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:
| • | RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line) |
| • | LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line) |
| • | UP ARROW (Move up one row) |
| • | DOWN ARROW (Move down one row) |
| • | PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time) |
| • | PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time) |
| • | HOME (Move to the beginning of the line) |
| • | END (Move to the end of the line) |
| • | CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character) |
| • | CTRL+END (Move to the last character) |
| • | SPACEBAR (Switch between Enlarged and Normal mode when a character is selected) |
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) main window keyboard shortcuts
| • | CTRL+O (Open a saved console) |
| • | CTRL+N (Open a new console) |
| • | CTRL+S (Save the open console) |
| • | CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item) |
| • | CTRL+W (Open a new window) |
| • | F5 key (Update the content of all console windows) |
| • | ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the MMC window menu) |
| • | ALT+F4 (Close the console) |
| • | ALT+A (Display the Action menu) |
| • | ALT+V (Display the View menu) |
| • | ALT+F (Display the File menu) |
| • | ALT+O (Display the Favorites menu) |
MMC console window keyboard shortcuts
| • | CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane) |
| • | ALT+Minus sign (-) (Display the window menu for the active console window) |
| • | SHIFT+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item) |
| • | F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item) |
| • | F5 key (Update the content of all console windows) |
| • | CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window) |
| • | CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window) |
| • | ALT+ENTER (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item) |
| • | F2 key (Rename the selected item) |
| • | CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console) |
Remote desktop connection navigation
| • | CTRL+ALT+END (Open the Microsoft Windows NT Security dialog box) |
| • | ALT+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right) |
| • | ALT+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left) |
| • | ALT+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order) |
| • | ALT+HOME (Display the Start menu) |
| • | CTRL+ALT+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen) |
| • | ALT+DELETE (Display the Windows menu) |
| • | CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.) |
| • | CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.) |
Microsoft Internet Explorer navigation
| • | CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box) |
| • | CTRL+E (Open the Search bar) |
| • | CTRL+F (Start the Find utility) |
| • | CTRL+H (Open the History bar) |
| • | CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar) |
| • | CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box) |
| • | CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address) |
| • | CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L) |
| • | CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box) |
| • | CTRL+R (Update the current Web page) |
| • | CTRL+W (Close the current window) |
