All About Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts

While computing, to save time keyboard shortcuts are very helpful. It is a combination of keystrokes on a computer keyboard to invoke commands and actions in the software. Most keyboard shortcuts are combinations of Alt / Ctrl / Shift and Windows keys with other alphabets or numbers to trigger a command. Using a single key or a sequence of keystrokes one after other makes keyboard shortcuts and increase your productivity. Few computer shortcuts require pressing and holding combination of several keys simultaneously to initiate a command. Keyboard shortcuts may vary depend on the Operating System, Product, Software or the keyboard layout.

Here, we have bucketized all possible shortcuts into different categories. Please follow these links to browse through all shortcut keys with functions.

Windows 10 keyboard Shortcut keys :

Function Keys

General Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Browser Keyboard Shortcuts

Function Keys

List of actions when you are on your Desktop screen or on Windows Explorer.

F1	Display Help / Open Help Center
F2	Rename the selected item
F3	Search for A File or Folder in Explorer
F4	Display the Address Bar List in File Explorer
F5	Refresh the Active Window
F6	Cycle Through Screen Elements in A Window or on The Desktop
F10	Activate the Menu Bar in The Active App
F11	Activate Full Screen Mode

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Also Read: How to Fix ‘Windows Could Not Automatically Detect Network Proxy Settings’ Error?

General Keyboard Shortcuts

General Keyboard shortcuts are most common and frequently used keyboard shortcuts for a regular user. These can be used with applications or with Windows explorer.

ALT + F4	Close an active item, or exit an active app
ALT + ESC	Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
ALT + Underlined Letter	Perform the command for that letter in Menu or in menu dialog box
ALT + ENTER	Display properties for the selected item
ALT + SPACEBAR	Open the shortcut menu for the active window
ALT + LEFT	Back
ALT + RIGHT	Forward
ALT + PAGE UP	Move up one screen
ALT + PAGE DOWN	Move down one screen
ALT + TAB	Switch between open apps (except desktop apps)
CTRL + F4	Close the active document (in apps that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
CTRL + A	Select all items in a document or window
CTRL + C / CTRL + INSERT	Copy the selected item
CTRL + D / DELETE	DELETE the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
CTRL + R / F5	Refresh the active window
CTRL + V / SHIFT + INSERT	Paste the selected item
CTRL + X	Cut the selected item
CTRL + Y	Redo an action
CTRL + Z	Undo an action
CTRL + + / –	Zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen
CTRL + MOUSE SCROLL WHEEL	Change the size of desktop icons or zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen
CTRL + RIGHT ARROW	Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
CTRL + LEFT ARROW	Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL + DOWN ARROW	Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL + UP ARROW	Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
CTRL + ALT + TAB	Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps
CTRL + ARROW + SPACEBAR	Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
CTRL + SHIFT ARROW	Select a block of text
CTRL + ESC	Open the Start screen
CTRL + SHIFT + ESC	Open Task Manager
CTRL + SHIFT	Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available
CTRL + SPACEBAR	Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off
SHIFT + F10	Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
SHIFT + ARROW	Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
SHIFT + DELETE	Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
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
ESC	Stop or leave the current task

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Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows keyboard shortcuts are basically Operating System shortcuts to perform different tasks smartly. These shortcuts also include Windows (Flag) key to give a command. Most of them were introduced with Windows 8 Metro user interface and can be used with Windows 8 and above versions.

Win + F1	Open Windows Help and support
Win	Display or hide the Start Menu
Win + B	Sets focus in the notification area
Win + C	Open Charms
Win + D	Display and hide the desktop
Win + E	Open File Explorer
Win + F	Open the Search charm and search for files
Win + H	Open the Share charm
Win + I	Open the Settings charm
Win + K	Open the Devices charm
Win + L	Lock your PC or switch people
Win + M	Minimize all Windows
Win + O	Lock device orientation
Win + P	Choose a presentation display mode
Win + Q	Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within the open app (if the app supports app search)
Win + R	Open the Run dialog box
Win + S	Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web
Win + T	Cycle through apps on the taskbar
Win + U	Open Ease of Access Center
Win + V	Cycle through notifications
Win + SHIFT + V	Cycle through notifications in reverse order
Win + W	Open the Search charm and search for settings
Win + X	Open the Quick Link menu
Win + Z	Show the commands available in the app
Win + ,	Temporarily peek at the desktop
Win + PAUSE	Display the System Properties dialog box
Win + CTRL + F	Search for PCs (if you’re on a network)
Win + SHIFT + M	Restore minimized Windows on the desktop
Win + (NUMBER 1-9)	Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, it switches to that app.
Win + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9)	Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Win + CTRL + (NUMBER 1-9)	Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Win + ALT + (NUMBER 1-9)	Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Win + CTRL + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9)	Open the desktop and open a new instance of the app located at the given position on the taskbar as an administrator
Win + TAB	Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
Win + CTRL + TAB	Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
Win + SHIFT + TAB	Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order
Win + CTRL + B	Switch to the app that displayed a message in the notification area
Win + UP ARROW	Maximize the window
Win + DOWN ARROW	Remove current app from screen or minimize the desktop window
Win + LEFT ARROW	Maximize the app or desktop window to the LEFT side of the screen
Win + RIGHT ARROW	Maximize the app or desktop window to the RIGHT side of the screen
Win + HOME	Minimize all but the active desktop window (restores all Windows on second stroke)
Win + SHIFT + UP ARROW	Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen
Win + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW	Restore/minimize active desktop Windows vertically, maintaining width
Win + SHIFT + LEFT ARROW / RIGHT ARROW	Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to another
Win + SPACEBAR	Switch input language and keyboard layout
Win + CTRL + SPACEBAR	Change to a previously selected input
Win + ENTER	Open Narrator
Win + SHIFT + .	Cycle through open apps
Win + .	Cycle through open apps
Win + /	Initiate IME reconversion
Win + ALT + ENTER	Open Windows Media Center
Win + +/-	Zoom in or out using Magnifier
Win + ESC	Exit Magnifier

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Browser Keyboard Shortcuts

Here is a list of browser keyboard shortcuts compiled for various web browsers like Chrome, Edge and Firefox, using Windows operating system.

CTRL + T	Open a new tab
CTRL + W	Close current tab
CTRL + SHIFT + T	Open previously closed tab
CTRL + TAB	Switch between open tabs
CTRL + 1 to 8	Switch to the tab of the corresponding number from left to right.
CTRL + 1	Switch to the first tab
CTRL + 9	Switch to the last tab
CTRL + N	Open a new browser window
ALT + F4	Close the current browser window. This keyboard shortcut works across all Apps in Windows.
F11	Go Fullscreen
ALT + Home	Open the home page
Backspace or ALT + Left Arrow	Go back
ALT + Right Arrow	Go forward
F5 or CTRL + R	Reload the current page
Esc	Stop the loading of the web page
CTRL + P	Print the web page
CTRL + S	Save the web page to your computer.
CTRL + O	Open a file stored on your computer. Modern browsers support opening PDF files on web browser.
CTRL + H	Open browser history
CTRL + J	Open downloads history
CTRL + D	Add the current web page to the bookmarks
CTRL + Enter	Adds www and .com to the name of the website typed in the address bar.
CTRL +	Zoom-in
CTRL –	Zoom-out
CTRL + 0	Reset zoom
Home	Go to the top of the web page
End	Go to the bottom of the web page
CTRL + F	Search the web page
CTRL + L or F6 or ALT + D	Jump to the address bar. You can also use ALT + Enter to open the web address typed in the address bar in a new tab
CTRL + SHIFT + Delete	Open the Clear Browsing Data option

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Conclusion

We have covered most frequently used Windows keyboard shortcuts, General keyboard shortcuts and browser shortcuts which are essential to smoothen Windows 10 operations. You can save the list of required shortcuts or bookmark this page for future reference. You may also take a printout of these shortcut keys and stick onto your wall. We are sure these useful hacks will surely improve your productivity and just in few days, you would be friendly with these shortcuts. You may follow us to learn more on MS Office keyboard shortcuts.

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