Useful Windows Hotkeys - Compute without a mouse or simply increase productivity!

Despite having enemies and causing problems for a lot of users, the fact is that Windows is still the most widely used Operating System for end-users. Amidst its' strengths and weaknesses there lies a huge array of hotkeys that the average user may never encounter.

Although it may seem somewhat "nerdy" and even ridiculous to think about using your keyboard to replace certain mouse tasks (or even to replace it completely), learning some hotkeys can be a huge benefit to just about everyone regardless of what they use the computer for on a regular basis.

Studies have shown that injuries resulting from excessive use of the mouse far exceed those caused by the keyboard (with carpal tunnel being one of the most frequent/worse ones). In addition to maybe saving yourself some pain, having some of these hotkeys in the back of your brain will even increase productivity a lot of the time, like when you have to perform excessive cut/copy and pasting.

i. General Windows Usage

• Print Screen - Captures a still image of what your monitor is displaying (to be used with paste)
• Control + A - Select all.
• Control + X - Cut the current selection.
• Control + C - Copy the current selection.
• Control + V - Paste the current selection.

ii. Navigating through windows

• Windows Key + M - Minimizes all windows/Shows the desktop.
• Windows Key + D - Toggles Minimizing/Showing all the active windows.
• Alt + Tab - Switching between windows (hold alt and press tab repeatedly to switch to desired window).

iii. Browsing the desktop

• Arrow Keys - Navigate through the items on your desktop
• Enter - Open the current selection.

vi. Browsing the start menu

• Windows Key - Open the start menu (alternately when viewing your desktop keep pressing tab until the start menu is selected then enter/spacebar).
• Up/Down Arrows - Navigate up and down through items in the start menu.
• Left/Right Arrows - Navigate forward and back through different levels of the start menu.
• Enter - Open the current selection.

v. Windows Explorer (when browsing your hard drive or network drives) AND Internet Explorer

• F5 - Reload the current page.
• Enter - Load the current selection.
• Backspace - Return to the previous page.
• Alt Key - Gives focus to the menu bar at the top of the window (use the arrow keys to browse it and press enter to select
  one).
• Alt Key + Left Arrow - Go back a page.
• Alt Key + Right Arrow - Go forward a page.
  
  a) Windows Explorer only (when browsing your hard drive or network drives)
• Arrow Keys - Cycle through the available items.
• Tab Key - Cycle through different controls (Ex: Changing from being in the file displaying area to being in the URL bar).
  
  b) Internet Explorer only
• Arrow Keys - Scroll through a website vertically or horizontally.
• Tab Key - Cycle through elements on the webpage and controls in the browser itself like its buttons, etc.
• Control + Enter - When you're in the URL bar if you type "google" then press this hotkey it will add the "www." prefix and ".com" suffix and begin trying to load "www.google.com".

vi. Miscellaneous

• Home Key - Return to the beginning of the line.
• End Key - Go to the end of the line.
• Control + Home Keys - Return to the beginning of the file.
• Control + End Keys - Go to the end of the file.
• Control + F - Bring up the "Find" menu.
• Control + H - Bring up the "Replace" menu.
• When selecting items, holding down CONTROL will cause an item to be added or removed from the current selection.
• When selecting items, holding down SHIFT will cause a row of items to be added or removed from the current selection.
• When you delete something, holding down SHIFT will cause it to be deleted without going to the recycle bin.

When I started I wasn't sure if I'd have enough really useful ones to even make a decent guide about. While writing, I was using hotkeys all along and I realized how many I actually do use on a regular basis to increase my productivity and hope that this may in turn help save others' time as well.

 

This is very useful for anyone wishing to navigate very quickly. You could also post pictures of a keyboard with highlighted keys on it tho. I give a 6/10.

 

<3 It null!

10/10

 

Prodigious Guide, I found a few very handy and I am sure that I will end up using the others eventually. I'd rate this a 10/10, You even included why they should be used. Amazing.

 

I learned 1 or 2 things. I like it! Great layout!

 

Good idea, I'll have to try finding something somewhat generic so the majority of people can refer to it.

I wanted to make something of quality. I've been somewhat put off by a lot of the simplicity and poor thought put into many of the other User Ed guides. I suppose that's to be expected since writing a few allows you to become an Educator with the rank.

Thanks, I'm no design expert or very artistic but I put some real thought into trying to make something elegant and legible.

 

This is a great guide. When I would fake sick to get out of school my mom would take the mouse away, i knew some of these but not all. 9/10

 

Great guide Nullware, you did a great job presenting the guide. And a great
concept, this will definately help me in more ways than one.

 

These are a good few useful ones, but there are many more simple ones that you could add. Good start though, nice layout, 7/10.

 

Very good guide, almost flawless.

Error: Windows Key + M: It's actually Windows Key + D. Or maybe it might just be my computer but Windows Key + M doesn't work for me but Windows Key + D does.

 

I will add to it whenever I think of it, also I was concentrating more towards making it useful and actually benefiting people than just having it be a useless library of 29852 commands that no one will ever want to read (and which already exists I'm sure).

Windows Key + M shows the desktop and works for me. Windows Key + D seems to toggle between minimizing and showing all the active windows. Another useful one to add, thanks.

 

I just tried it on my computer, and it does the same for me.

 

yea same for me

btw good guide awesome layout 9/10

 

I just retried the Windows Key + M and found out that it in fact does work. I must haven't been pressing it hard enough. I usually just use Windows Key + D because it also brings back up all the windows but Windows Key + M doesn't.

 

This is the best and most useful guide I've read on these forums so far (including my own ), so good going. 10/10.

That would be awkward, because keyboards often have different designs e.g. laptop and desktop ones differ

 

Very helpful

 

how do u go forward in runescape, i always end up clicking backspace with only the client selected and i end up getting sent back to the choose the world screen

 

The alternate way of going back a page is ALT+Left Arrow so pressing ALT+Right Arrow will take you forward one back to the game.

EDIT: Added those to the list.

 

I learned a few things, 8/10

 

7/10 most are not known I barely use any. I know that ctrl + shift changes my keyboard language or something cause I sometimes do that accidently on counter strike, someone once told me to do ctrl+shift and it went back to normal, add that =]