Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.

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Ease of Access keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that can help make your computer easier to use.

Press this key	To do this
Right Shift for eight seconds	Turn Filter Keys on and off
Left Alt+Left Shift+PrtScn	Turn High Contrast on or off
Left Alt+Left Shift+Num Lock	Turn MouseKeys on or off
Shift five times	Turn Sticky Keys on or off
Num Lock for five seconds	Turn Toggle Keys on or off
Windows logo key+U	Open Utility Manager

General keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains general keyboard shortcuts.

Press this key	To do this
F1	Display Help in a dialog box
Ctrl+C	Copy
Ctrl+X	Cut
Ctrl+V	Paste
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Delete	Delete
Shift+Delete	Delete the selected item permanently without moving it to the Recycle Bin
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	Highlight 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+A	Select all
F3	Search for a file or folder
Alt+Enter	View 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
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 items in the active list in a dialog box
Menu key	Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
Ctrl+Esc	Display the Start menu
Alt+underlined letter	Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option in a dialog box
Alt+underlined letter in a menu name	Display the corresponding menu
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 (or Ctrl+R)	Refresh the active window
Backspace	View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
Esc	Cancel the current task
Shift when you insert a CD	Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for use in dialog boxes.

Press this key	To do this
Ctrl+Tab	Move forward through tabs
Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Move back through tabs
Tab	Move forward through options
Shift+Tab	Move back through options
End	Display the bottom of the active window
Alt+underlined letter	Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
Enter	Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
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	Display Help
F4	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

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows logo key.

Press this key	To do this
Windows logo key	Open or close the Start menu
Windows logo key+B	Set focus on a notification
Windows logo key+Ctrl+F	Search for computers
Windows logo key+Pause Break	Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows logo key+D	Show the desktop.
Windows logo key+M	Minimize all windows.
Windows logo key+Shift+M	Restore minimized windows
Windows logo key+E	Open Computer
Windows logo key+F	Search for a file or folder.
Windows logo key+L	Lock your computer or switch users
Windows logo key+R	Open the Run dialog box.

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