Using your keyboard

Whether you’re writing a letter or calculating numerical data, your keyboard is the main way to enter information into your computer. But did you know you can also use your keyboard to control your computer? Learning a few simple keyboard commands(instructions to your computer) can help you work more efficiently.

How the keys are organized

The keys on your keyboard can be divided into several groups based on function:

Typing (alphanumeric) keys. These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys found on a traditional typewriter.

Control keys. These keys are used alone or in combination with other keys to perform certain actions. The most frequently used control keys are Ctrl, Alt, the Windows logo key , and Esc.

Function keys. The function keys are used to perform specific tasks. They are labeled as F1, F2, F3, and so on, up to F12. The functionality of these keys differs from program to program.

Navigation keys. These keys are used for moving around in documents or webpages and editing text. They include the arrow keys, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Delete, and Insert.

Numeric keypad. The numeric keypad is handy for entering numbers quickly. The keys are grouped together in a block like a conventional calculator or adding machine.

The following illustration shows how these keys are arranged on a typical keyboard. Your keyboard layout might be different.

Typing text

Whenever you need to type something in a program, e‑mail message, or text box, you’ll see a blinking vertical line ( ) called the cursor or insertion point. It shows where the text that you type will begin. You can move the cursor by clicking in the desired location with the mouse, or by using the navigation keys (see the «Using navigation keys» section of this article).

In addition to letters, numerals, punctuation marks, and symbols, the typing keys also include Shift, Caps Lock, Tab, Enter, the Spacebar, and Backspace.

Press Shift in combination with a letter to type an uppercase letter. Press Shift in combination with another key to type the symbol shown on the upper part of that key.

Press Caps Lock once to type all letters as uppercase. Press Caps Lock again to turn this function off. Your keyboard might have a light indicating whether Caps Lock is on.

Press Tab to move the cursor several spaces forward. You can also press Tab to move to the next text box on a form.

Press Enter to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line. In a dialog box, press Enter to select the highlighted button.

Press the Spacebar to move the cursor one space forward.

Press Backspace to delete the character before the cursor, or the selected text.

Using keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcutsare ways to perform actions by using your keyboard. They’re called shortcuts because they help you work faster. In fact, almost any action or command you can perform with a mouse can be performed faster using one or more keys on your keyboard.

In Help topics, a plus sign (+) between two or more keys indicates that those keys should be pressed in combination. For example, Ctrl + A means to press and hold Ctrl and then press A. Ctrl + Shift + A means to press and hold Ctrl and Shift and then press A.

Find program shortcuts

You can do things in most programs by using the keyboard. To see which commands have keyboard shortcuts, open a menu. The shortcuts (if available) are shown next to the menu items.

Keyboard shortcuts appear next to menu items.

Choose menus, commands, and options

You can open menus and choose commands and other options using your keyboard. In a program that has menus with underlined letters, press Alt and an underlined letter to open the corresponding menu. Press the underlined letter in a menu item to choose that command. For programs that use the ribbon, such as Paint and WordPad, pressing Alt overlays (rather than underlines) a letter that can be pressed.

Press Alt + F to open the File menu, then press P to choose the Print command.

This trick works in dialog boxes too. Whenever you see an underlined letter attached to an option in a dialog box, it means you can press Alt plus that letter to choose that option.

Useful shortcuts

The following table lists some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts. For a more detailed list, see Keyboard shortcuts.

Windows logo key

Open the Start menu

Switch between open programs or windows

Close the active item, or exit the active program

Save the current file or document (works in most programs)

Copy the selected item

Cut the selected item

Paste the selected item

Select all items in a document or window

Display Help for a program or Windows

Windows logo key + F1

Display Windows Help and Support

Cancel the current task

Open a menu of commands related to a selection in a program. Equivalent to right-clicking the selection.

Using navigation keys

The navigation keys allow you to move the cursor, move around in documents and webpages, and edit text. The following table lists some common functions of these keys.

Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow

Move the cursor or selection one space or line in the direction of the arrow, or scroll a webpage in the direction of the arrow

Move the cursor to the end of a line or move to the top of a webpage

Move the cursor to the end of a line or move to the bottom of a webpage

Move to the top of a document

Move to the bottom of a document

Move the cursor or page up one screen

Move the cursor or page down one screen

Delete the character after the cursor, or the selected text; in Windows, delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin

Turn Insert mode off or on. When Insert mode is on, text that you type is inserted at the cursor. When Insert mode is off, text that you type replaces existing characters.

Using the numeric keypad

The numeric keypad arranges the numerals 0 though 9, the arithmetic operators + (addition), — (subtraction), * (multiplication), and / (division), and the decimal point as they would appear on a calculator or adding machine. These characters are duplicated elsewhere on the keyboard, of course, but the keypad arrangement allows you to rapidly enter numerical data or mathematical operations with one hand.

To use the numeric keypad to enter numbers, press Num Lock. Most keyboards have a light that indicates whether Num Lock is on or off. When Num Lock is off, the numeric keypad functions as a second set of navigation keys (these functions are printed on the keys next to the numerals or symbols).

You can use your numeric keypad to perform simple calculations with Calculator.

Open Calculator by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Calculator, and then, in the list of results, click Calculator.

Check your keyboard light to see if Num Lock is on. If it isn’t, press Num Lock.

Using the numeric keypad, type the first number in the calculation.

On the keypad, type + to add, — to subtract, * to multiply, or / to divide.

Type the next number in the calculation.

Press Enter to complete the calculation.

So far, we’ve discussed almost every key you’re likely to use. But for the truly inquisitive, let’s explore the three most mysterious keys on the keyboard: PrtScn, Scroll Lock, and Pause/Break.

PrtScn (or Print Screen)

A long time ago, this key actually did what it says—it sent the current screen of text to your printer. Nowadays, pressing PrtScn captures an image of your entire screen (a «screen shot») and copies it to the Clipboard in your computer’s memory. From there you can paste it (Ctrl + V) into Microsoft Paint or another program and, if you want, print it from that program.

More obscure is SYS RQ, which shares the key with PrtScn on some keyboards. Historically, SYS RQ was designed to be a «system request,» but this command is not enabled in Windows.

Tip: Press Alt + PrtScn to capture an image of just the active window, instead of the entire screen.

ScrLk (or Scroll Lock)

In most programs, pressing Scroll Lock has no effect. In a few programs, pressing Scroll Lock changes the behavior of the arrow keys and the Page Up and Page Down keys; pressing these keys causes the document to scroll without changing the position of the cursor or selection. Your keyboard might have a light indicating whether Scroll Lock is on.

This key is rarely used. In some older programs, pressing this key pauses the program or, in combination with Ctrl, stops it from running.

Some modern keyboards come with «hot keys» or buttons that give you quick, one-press access to programs, files, or commands. Other models have volume controls, scroll wheels, zoom wheels, and other gadgets. For details about these features, check the information that came with your keyboard or computer, or go to the manufacturer’s website.

Tips for using your keyboard safely

Using your keyboard properly can help avoid soreness or injury to your wrists, hands, and arms, particularly if you use your computer for long periods. Here are a few tips to help improve keyboard use:

Place your keyboard at elbow level. Your upper arms should be relaxed at your sides.

Center your keyboard in front of you. If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, you can use the spacebar as the centering point.

Type with your hands and wrists floating above the keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm to reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.

Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while typing. If your keyboard has a palm rest, use it only during breaks from typing.

While typing, use a light touch and keep your wrists straight.

When you’re not typing, relax your arms and hands.

Take short breaks from computer use every 15 to 20 minutes.

Windows 10 keyboard tips and tricks

Whether it’s being productive, staying in touch, or just plain having fun, Windows 10 has lots of little tricks and shortcuts that can help you achieve more. Here are a just a few of them:

Smile and the world smiles with you

Emojis aren’t just for your phone anymore! The new emoji keyboard in Windows 10 lets you express yourself like never before. To use it:

During text entry, type Windows logo key + . (period). The emoji keyboard will appear.

Select an emoji with the mouse, or keep typing to search through the available emojis for one you like.

Type all the symbols like a pro

Sometimes you need to type a character that isn’t on your keyboard, like an em-dash (—) or the copyright symbol (©). If you have a numeric keypad on your keyboard, you don’t have to find one and copy and paste, you can just do it! Here’s how:

Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard.

With the Alt key held down, type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad for the character you want. (Include the leading 0 if that’s required.)

Note: This only works on the numeric keypad. This won’t work on the row of numbers at the top of the keyboard.

Release the Alt key.

Here’s just a few of the characters you can type with the Alt key:

Find your Windows product key

A Windows product key is a 25-character code used to activate Windows. It looks like this:

PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Locate your product key for Windows 10

Depending on how you got your copy of Windows 10, you’ll need either a 25-character product key or a digital license to activate it. A digital license (called a digital entitlement in Windows 10, Version 1511) is a method of activation in Windows 10 that doesn’t require you to enter a product key. Without one of these, you won’t be able to activate your device.

Where to find your product key depends on how you got your copy of Windows.

Select any of the following to see more information:

The product key is preinstalled on your PC, included with the packaging the PC came in, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. For more info, contact your hardware manufacturer, and for pictures of authentic product keys and COA labels, see How to tell your hardware is genuine.

The product key is on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. For more info, contact the retailer that sold you Windows 10. How to tell your software is genuine.

Find your product key in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows 10 or in a digital locker accessible through the retailer’s website.

The product key is in the confirmation email you received after buying your digital copy of Windows. Microsoft only keeps a record of product keys if you purchased from the Microsoft online store. You can find out if you purchased from Microsoft in your Microsoft account Order history.

If you upgraded to Windows 10 for free from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you should have a digital license instead of a product key.

If you bought Windows 10 Home, Professional, or Upgrade to Pro in the Windows 10 Store app, you’ll receive a digital license instead of a product key. You can use the digital license for activation.

If your product key is scratched, blurred, or otherwise unusable, contact the retailer who sold you the product. If you aren’t able to get help from your retailer or have already tried and couldn’t get a working key, call Microsoft Support.

For more information about digital licenses and product keys in Windows 10, see the “Methods of Activation” section in Activate Windows 10.

Locate your product key for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1

A product key is usually required when uninstalling or reinstalling Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Generally, if you bought a physical copy of Windows, the product key should be on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. If Windows came preinstalled on your PC, the product key should appear on a sticker on your device. If you’ve lost or can’t find the product key, contact the manufacturer. To ensure your product key is genuine, see How to tell your software is genuine and How to tell your hardware is genuine.

Related links

For info about how to tell if your copy of Windows is genuine Microsoft software, see the How to tell page.

For more Windows 10 download info, see Download Windows 10.

If you need installation media to install or reinstall Windows, see Create installation media for Windows to learn how to create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

If you need more help with activation, see Activate Windows 10.

If you’re getting an activation error, see Get help with Windows activation errors.

If you’re reinstalling Windows 10, you might not need a Windows product key. See Activation in Windows 10 for more info.

If you’re reinstalling Windows 10 due to a motherboard problem or some other hardware issue, see Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change.

If you’re looking for product keys for Office, apps, games, and more, see Find your Microsoft downloads and product keys