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.

How-to: Windows Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts for the Windows CMD shell and PowerShell.

Switch to/from full screen mode.	Alt ENTER
Cancel the current command (if nothing is selected).	Ctrl C
Enter Mark mode.	Ctrl M
Select text in mark mode.	Shift ←/→
Copy the selected text.	Ctrl C (or Ctrl Insert)
Paste the selected text.	Ctrl V (or Shift Insert)
Move the cursor in the direction specified.	Arrow keys
Move the cursor by one page up.	Page up
Move the cursor by one page down.	Page down
Move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer.	Ctrl Home (Mark mode)
Move the cursor to the end of the buffer.	Ctrl End (Mark mode)
Autocomplete folder/file name.	[Tab]
Scroll through history of typed commands.	↓ / ↑
Toggle full screen.	Alt Enter or F11
Clear command line.	ESC
Toggle Insert/Overwrite.	INSERT
Erase line to the left.	Ctrl Home
Erase line to the right.	Ctrl End
Move one word to the left (backward).	Ctrl ←
Move one word to the right (forward).	Ctrl →
Erase character to the left.	⌫
Move to beginning of line.	[Home]
Move to end of line.	[End]
Scroll window up.	⇧ PgUp
Scroll window Down.	⇧ PgDn

New Windows Terminal Keyboard shortcuts

Application-level shortcuts:
Find.	Ctrl ⇧ F
Open the dropdown.	Ctrl ⇧ Space
Open settings files.	Ctrl ,
Open settings files.	Ctrl Alt ,
Tab management shortcuts:
New tab.	Ctrl ⇧ T
New tab.	Ctrl ⇧ 1 thru 9
Duplicate tab.	Ctrl ⇧ D
Open next tab.	Ctrl Tab
Open previous tab.	Ctrl ⇧ tab
Open a specific tab.	Ctrl Alt 1 thru 9
Pane management shortcuts:
Move pane focus.	Alt Up/Down/Left/Right
Resize a pane.	Alt ⇧ Up/Down/Left/Right
Split a pane.	Alt ⇧ D or Alt ⇧ — or Alt ⇧ +
Close pane.	Ctrl ⇧ W
Clipboard integration:
Copy the selected text.	Ctrl C or Ctrl ⇧ C or Ctrl-Insert
Paste the selected text.	Ctrl V or Ctrl ⇧ V or Shift-Insert
Scrollback:
Scroll up/Down.	Ctrl ⇧ Up/Down
Scroll up one page.	Ctrl ⇧ pgup
Scroll down one page.	Ctrl ⇧ pgdn
Visual adjustment:
Adjust font size.	Ctrl =
Adjust font size.	Ctrl —
Reset font size.	Ctrl 0
Toggle High Visibility screen mode.	Left Alt + Left ⇧ + PrtScn

⊞ Windows Key shortcuts — Explorer / General.

Open or Close the Start Menu.	⊞
Launch a Start Menu app ‘As Admin’	⇧ Ctrl+click app
Open the Action Center.	⊞ A
Activate Cortana listening mode.	⊞ C
Show Desktop / Minimize all. Press a second time to restore.	⊞ D
Open Windows File Explorer.	⊞ E
Open the Feedback Hub.	⊞ F
Open Find computers.	⊞ Ctrl F
Open Settings.	⊞ I
Open Connect.	⊞ K
Lock the PC.	⊞ L
Minimize all windows.	⊞ M
Restore windows that were minimized with ⊞ +M.	⊞ ⇧ M
Presentation display mode.	⊞ P
Open the «Run Program Or File» Window.	⊞ R
Search.	⊞ S
Open the Ease of Access center. Reverse with ⊞+⇧ Shift+V (Win 1810+)	⊞ U
Cycle through notifications.	⊞ V
Quick link menu (like right clicking on START).	⊞ X
Open an app that is pinned to taskbar position #	⊞ #
Open the Emoji panel.	⊞ . (or ⊞ ; )
Open the task view.	⊞ Tab ↹
Minimize all but the active desktop window.	⊞ Home
Snap the active window to the right or left of the screen.	⊞ → or ←
Maximize or Minimize the active window.	⊞ ↑ or ↓
Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen.	⊞ ⇧ ↑ or ↓
Auto-correct a display issue/lockup.	⊞ Ctrl ⇧ B
Opens properties of My Computer	⊞ Pause or ⊞+Break
Open Windows Help.	⊞ F1
Zoom in.	⊞ + Magnifier
Zoom out.	⊞ — Magnifier
Open a quick look at the desktop.	⊞ ,
Screenshot region of screen.	⊞ ⇧ S
Save a fullscreen screenshot.	PrtScn
Save a screenshot of the active window.	Alt PrtScn
Close window.	Alt F4

CMD shell Command History shortcuts:

Print characters of the previous command one by one.	F1
Repeat part of the previous command; up to character Z	F2 Z
Repeat the previous command.	F3
Beginning from the current cursor position, delete up to character Z.	F4 Z
Scroll through history of typed commands (↑).	F5
Scroll the screen up or down one line.	Ctrl ↑ / ↓
Show history of previous commands.	F7
Clear command history.	ALT F7
Move backwards through the command history, but only display commands matching the current text at the command prompt.	F8
Run a specific command from the command history.	F9
Signal end-of-file.	Ctrl Z

Virtual Desktops

Create a new virtual desktop. .	⊞ Ctrl D
Switch between virtual desktops.	⊞ Ctrl ← / →
Switch Monitors.	⊞ Shift ← / →
Close the active virtual desktop.	⊞ Ctrl F4
Task View/Timeline, press ⊞ Tab then Right-click an app to show across all desktops. With multiple monitors, ⊞ +Tab shows which apps are open on each monitor	⊞ Tab

Group Policy GPO

Mark all settings on the page as «green» (apply all).	F5
Mark current settings on the page as «green» (apply this setting).	F6
Mark current settings as «red» (don’t apply this setting).	F7
Mark all settings on the page as «red» (don’t apply).	F8
Display a list of available variables.	F3

⇧ is the Shift key
⌫ is the Backspace key
⊞ is the Windows Key

Add Custom shortcut keys

If you have a shortcut anywhere on the Start Menu or Desktop you can create a keyboard shortcut for it.

For example if you have a shortcut to the traditional Control Panel in the Start Menu, right click it and choose More > Open file location. Right click on the shortcut file and select Properties. Under Shortcut>Shortcut Key you can assign a hotkey,
pressing Ctrl+C will assign the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+C.

How to disable one or more ⊞ (Windows Key) Keyboard Shortcuts:

In the Windows registry add a new String Value called “ DisabledHotkeys » under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Set the value data for this key to the hotkey characters you want to disable.
For example: to disable the hotkeys Win + X and Win + R, set the value to RX
(n.b. This will also affect other modifier key combinations like Win + Shift + X)

Restart Explorer or Logoff/reboot and the new settings will apply to this user account.

The hotkeys specified will be disabled and unassigned and thus available to any third party app which allows you to assign global hotkeys.

«If NumLock is on, pressing a key on the numeric keypad while holding SHIFT overrides NumLock and instead generates an arrow key»