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Appendix A: Keyboard Shortcuts
Although most all commands in Windows Vista can be controlled using the mouse, to point and click, sometimes using a keyboard key or combination of keys (either refered to as a keyboard shortcut) is faster or more convenient that moving, pointing and clicking the mouse. In time, you may learn a few keyboard shortcuts which will make your time at the computer more productive.
The Keyboard
As you all know, the keyboard consists of keys with letters of the alphabet, digits, punctuation and function control keys. It is used for entering commands and data into the computer.
The keyboard is much the same as the typewriter keyboard, but has more keys. The computer keyboard has grown to 104 keys (and more), and some multimedia keyboards have special keys to handle specific media and access functions.
A computer keyboard has some special keys you may not be too familiar with:
The Windows key 
placed between the left side Ctrl and Alt keys
opens the Windows Start menu that you can then navigate with the arrow keys. Plus
it is used in combination with other keys for specific functions.
The Application key 
placed between the right side Alt and Ctrl
keys simulates the right mouse button; in most applications it brings up a
context-sensitive pop-up menu.
Function keys are the 12 keys located across the top of the keyboard labeled F1, F2, etc. They are used for specific commands.
The Control keys (Shift, Ctrl and Alt) are used in combination with other keys to issue commands.
The Escape (Esc) key is used to back out of situations. Occasionally you find yourself in a place you don’t want to be; Esc will often get you out of the situation without doing any damage.
The Enter key is used mostly to signal that you have finished typing a paragraph or some data. You do not use the Enter key to end each line of typing (as people used to do when using a typewriter).
The two Shift keys work like they do on a typewriter. To type a capital letter, hold down one of the Shift keys while you type. Shift keys also give you the upper set of characters on the top row of keys. Press the CapsLock key and all the letters will be upper case (capital). CapsLock will NOT however, give you the upper set of characters on other keys.
The Backspace key will move the insertion point one position to the left and is also used to delete the character to the left at the same time.
The Delete key will delete the character to the right of the insertion point.
Directional keys move the insertion point. You can move the insertion point by pressing the Ctrl key and the directional keys as shown below:
Keyboard Shortcuts – General
The following tables, with information gleaned taken from Microsoft, contains general keyboard shortcuts that can be used when on the desktop or in any application.
|
Press these
keys |
To do this |
|
F1 |
Display Help |
|
CTRL+C |
Copy the selected item |
|
CTRL+X |
Cut the selected item |
|
CTRL+V |
Paste the selected item |
|
CTRL+Z |
Undo an action |
|
CTRL+Y |
Redo an action |
|
DELETE |
Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin |
|
SHIFT+DELETE |
Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first |
|
F2 |
Rename the selected item |
|
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+SHIFT with an arrow key |
Select a block of text |
|
SHIFT with any arrow key |
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document |
|
CTRL with any arrow key+SPACEBAR |
Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop |
|
CTRL+A |
Select all items in a document or window |
|
F3 |
Search for a file or folder |
|
ALT+ENTER |
Display properties for the selected item |
|
ALT+F4 |
Close the active item, or exit the active program |
|
ALT+SPACEBAR |
Open 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 |
|
CTRL+ALT+TAB |
Use the arrow keys to switch between open items |
|
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel |
Change the size of icons on the desktop (may have to click down on wheel first) |
|
Windows logo key |
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D |
|
CTRL+Windows logo key |
Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D |
|
ALT+ESC |
Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened |
|
F6 |
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop |
|
F4 |
Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer |
|
SHIFT+F10 |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item |
|
CTRL+ESC |
Open the Start menu |
|
ALT+underlined letter |
Display the corresponding menu |
|
ALT+underlined letter |
Perform the menu command (or other underlined command) |
|
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 |
|
ALT+UP ARROW |
View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer |
|
ESC |
Cancel the current task |
|
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC |
Open Task Manager |
|
SHIFT when you insert a CD |
Prevent the CD from automatically playing |
+TABKeyboard Shortcuts – Windows Explorer
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Windows Explorer windows or folders.
|
Press these
keys |
To do this |
|
CTRL+N |
Open a new window |
|
END |
Display the bottom of the active window |
|
HOME |
Display the top of the active window |
|
F11 |
Maximize or minimize the active window |
|
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) on numeric keypad |
Display all subfolders under the selected folder |
|
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) on numeric keypad |
Display the contents of the selected folder |
|
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN (-) on numeric keypad |
Collapse the selected folder |
|
LEFT ARROW |
Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder |
|
ALT+LEFT ARROW |
View the previous folder |
|
RIGHT ARROW |
Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder |
|
ALT+RIGHT ARROW |
View the next folder |
|
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel |
Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons |
|
ALT+D |
Select the Address bar |
Keyboard Shortcuts – Word Processing
The following is a list of Control key combinations and other keys that work in many word processing applications.
|
Press
these keys |
To do this |
|
[Ctrl}+[N] |
New |
|
[Ctrl]+[O] |
Open |
|
Ctrl]+[S] |
Save |
|
[Ctrl]+[P] |
|
|
[Ctrl]+[F] |
Find |
|
[Ctrl]+[H] |
Replace |
|
[Ctrl]+[B] |
Bold |
|
[Ctrl]+[I] |
Italic |
|
[Ctrl]+[U] |
Underline |
|
[Ctrl]+[E] |
Center Align |
|
[Ctrl]+[L] |
Left Align |
|
[Ctrl]+[R] |
Right Align |
|
Left / Right Arrow |
Moves insertion point one character left or right |
|
Up / Down Arrow |
Moves insertion point one line up or down |
|
PgUp / PgDn |
Moves insertion point up or down page in increments |
|
Home |
Moves insertion point to beginning of the line |
|
End |
Moves insertion point End of the line |
|
Ctrl+Home |
Moves
insertion point to beginning of the document |
|
Ctrl+End |
Moves
insertion point to end of the document |
There are even more keyboard shortcuts than presented here. But if you only learn a handful of these common ones you will improve your productivity.