If you use Windows a lot, using these Windows keyboard shortcuts is sure to boost your productivity.
Below is a list of exclusive shortcuts to help you with your daily tasks.
You probably know some of them, but there are definitely some hidden gems you’ve never heard of before.
Once you start using them, you realize how easy Windows has become to navigate and operate.
I also show you where they are, but don’t mind: I use a german keyboard (didn’t found another online) – so they describtion is different, but the places are the same.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Basic shortcuts
- 1. Ctrl + Z = Undo
- 2. Ctrl + C = Copy
- 3. Ctrl + A = Select all
- 4. Ctrl + V = Paste
- 4.1 Ctrl + Shift + V = Paste Plain
- 5. Ctrl + X = Cut
- 6. Alt + Tab = Switch screen / tabs
- 7. Ctrl + Alt + Del = Task manager
- 8. Alt + F4 = Close App
- 9. Ctrl + F = Find
- 10. Ctrl + H = Find an replace
- 11. Ctrl + E = Search Box
- 12. Ctrl + N = Open a new window / file
- 13. Ctrl + Mouse wheel = Zoom in / out
- 14. Win + A = Side menu
- 15. Ctrl + S = Save document
- Advanced shortcuts
- 16. Win + L = Lock screen
- 17. Win + D = Show desktop
- 18. Win + Tab = Toggle task view
- 19. Win + C = Open Cortana
- 20. Win + PrtSc = Save Screenshot
- 21. Win + I = Open settings
- 22. Win + S = Search for Windows
- 23. Win + X = Hidden menu
- 24. Win + Ctrl + B = Open program that displays a notification
- 25. Win + Shift + S = Screenshot cut out
Basic shortcuts
1. Ctrl + Z = Undo
Sometimes it’s called the zombie shortcut, because it brings back your last input.
It is definitly a livesaver and your mistakes can be undone on a fast way
2. Ctrl + C = Copy
Maybe one of the most used shortcuts.
You select the part you want to copy and paste it where do you want it.
I really like this shortcut, because sometimes you can’t copy something with the mouse, but you can select it.
In that case you can use Ctrl + C and can (most of the time) copy it.
3. Ctrl + A = Select all
That shortcut is very helpful, because you can select a big text, image, folders or elements fast.
You can grab everything you want, instead of spending your time dragging your cursor all over the page.
Especially on long texts it’s very helpful.
4. Ctrl + V = Paste
It doesn’t matter how (with shortcut or without) or what (text, file, image or folder) you copied something and can insert it.
4.1 Ctrl + Shift + V = Paste Plain
That’s the same like number 4. with the difference that you’ll get here only the text without the original formatting.
5. Ctrl + X = Cut
With this shortcut you can cut out a piece of text, file, image or table where you don’t want it.
The piece you select gets removed and copied. After that you can use the paste shortcut (4.) to paste it where do you need it.
6. Alt + Tab = Switch screen / tabs
This one was a bit new for me, because I never used it or need it, but it’s still there for a longer time.
I also don’t know if I will use it that much in the future.
But what you can do is, that it opens a short screen for the next screen / tab.
If you hold down the Alt button and tapping on the Tab button you can move and choose between different screens and tabs.
7. Ctrl + Alt + Del = Task manager
Some of your programms or apps stops responding. Maybe your whole system stands still?
Here you’ll find the task manager. It will open up, when you press these key at the same time.
There you can check out which programs where making your system slow or don’t respond.
You can shut them down and bring your Computer back to life.
Also you can check some details, the program history, look at the programs which start when the PC get’s booted and other stuff.
8. Alt + F4 = Close App
This is an old shortkey and it simply close the program you are using right now.
But you should save your work before doing it, because it works like a hard cut.
Most of the time it is samrt enough to ask you if you want to save your work.
9. Ctrl + F = Find
You know those days where you can remember that you wrote a sentence or read something but you don’t know where it was?
Maybe you need to find a keyword (like me when I wrote my Magister theory for the university)?
With this shortcut it’s very easy to find it. It opens a quick search bar where you can type in the keyword and it will show your all the matching results in the document.
10. Ctrl + H = Find an replace
Also a good shortcut, especially when you wrote something wrong, like a name and you will replace t with the right name.
After you hit the buttons a box will open and you can insert the word you want to find and replace.
For most of the document types this works pretty well.
11. Ctrl + E = Search Box
This will open up you a search box in your browser or in your file explorer.
You can start typing into it for your search.
Makes it much more easier instead of clicking around with the mouse cursor.
12. Ctrl + N = Open a new window / file
Makes working very comfortable, because if you need a new document or a new browser window, you hit these keys and get what you want.
No more clicking with the mouse. Much easier and faster that way.
13. Ctrl + Mouse wheel = Zoom in / out
Sometimes the text or some images are too small and you get the feeling you need it bigger.
With this keys you can make that easy.
In documents it will make the files themself appear larger.
If you are inyour browser it only will zoom on the page.
14. Win + A = Side menu
Here you get another good shotcut, if you want to set some changes quickly like the night mode, wifi, network, bluetooth or stuff like that.
15. Ctrl + S = Save document
Most of the documents in word, excel, paint and others can be saved by this shortcut.
It’s very easy and when you work a lot with documents it will make everything faster.
Advanced shortcuts
16. Win + L = Lock screen
This one is really important if you are interested in data security.
Maybe you left your place in the office and someone can look at your screen where are files are shown of other peers, customer details you shouldn’t know or stuff like that.
If you leave your place, only hit these two keys and your screen gets locked.
Nobody can open it only you with your password (assuming you have a password set for your system).
17. Win + D = Show desktop
I really like this function, because some people, who are a bit lazy at work use this one to hide what they are doing.
At the other hand I like it, because you know those moments when you have too much files, programs and browsers open?
Like „aaahh, this is too much!“.
For me this is the solution. You can minimize all your stuff and can start again wherever you want.
It’s like a calm down.
18. Win + Tab = Toggle task view
It’s a very similar shourtcut to number 6. (Alt + Tab), but it’s a more advanced mode navigator.
It also works like the Alt + Tab.
19. Win + C = Open Cortana
I really never use this, because I don’t use cortana, but for somebody maybe it can be helpful to know that you can open Cortana with this shortcut.
20. Win + PrtSc = Save Screenshot
Often we use Prt Sc for a Screenshot, but it’s a bit difficult to save it.
With these two keys it’s easy, because there is automatically a folder in your pictures destination where it will be saved.
You don’t need any other tool for it.
21. Win + I = Open settings
Much more easier to open the settings without opening the windows start menu.
22. Win + S = Search for Windows
We all search for stuff on our Computers, because sometimes we put something in a folder and can’t find it anymore.
This key combination opens the search bar and you can find everything on your PC.
You can use it to ask additional questions too.
23. Win + X = Hidden menu
You get a hidden menu in windows, do you know that?
It will give you access to all the essential areas of the system.
(If you right click with your mouse at the Windows start menu button (down left), you’ll get the same menu as well.)
24. Win + Ctrl + B = Open program that displays a notification
Sometimes, when we are working, a notification pops up and needs your attention.
With these keys the explorer will switch to the application that sent you the notification.
25. Win + Shift + S = Screenshot cut out
When a peer of me showed me this shortcut it was mindblowing, because before I know that, I always worked with paint or snipping tool to get a screenshot.
It was very time wasting and complicated…
But this is a very powerful tool which makes you a screenshot from the things you only want to take.
It also works pretty well with some programs when you try to show something.
And last but not least, you’ll get a high quality screenshot.
I hope it helpes you a bit.
Try to use them step by step and not all of them at once, because you’ll forget them and after a while you don’t use them anymore.
If you use some of them again and again, then your brain will remember them much easier.
Do you get another cool shortcuts? Please write them in the comments and if they are pretty cool, I’ll insert them in my article too (you’ll be mentioned).