Chuck The Geek.com

Power geeking: Advanced keyboard shortcuts

January 23rd, 2006 by Chuck Sharp

These shortcuts can really take you to the next level of PC efficiency. Let’s face it, you probably don’t look the keyboard much when you type. However, every time you put your hand on the mouse, you’re working on hand-eye coordination. In addition to the extra time it takes to move a mouse just-so and click, often times these shortcuts do in one keystroke what takes 2 or 3 or more steps when using a mouse.

Advanced Windows Operations

• Alt + Space - Open the current window’s system menu, allowing you to minimize, maximize, and close the window.
• Win (Windows key) + D - This hides all the currently open windows, almost like minimizing them, so that you can access the desktop. To bring back the windows, press Win + D again. Very handy to get access to those desktop icons quickly.
• Win + M - Minimizes all windows. This is handy for uncluttering your screen.
• Win + L - Instantly locks the desktop, just like if the screensaver came on and required a password to unlock the desktop. I think this may be one of the handiest shortcuts of them all.

System Shortcuts

• Win + E - Brings up a new Windows Explorer window. Very useful.
• Win + Pause/Break - Brings up the System Properties dialog - where Device Manager, etc. live.
• Win + F - Brings up the Find dialog
• Win + R - Brings up the Run dialog. Very useful.

Windows Explorer Shortcuts

• Shift + mouse click - Selects all files from currently selected file to the clicked-on file.
• Control + mouse click - Selects the clicked-on file in addition to any other selected files.
• F2 - Rename the currently selected file.
• Delete key - Move the selected files/folders to the Recycle Bin.
• Shift + Delete key - Delete the selected files/folders after a confirmation. This deletes the files, it does not move them to the Recycle Bin. This means you can’t un-delete the files without much hassle.
• Control + X, C, V - Cut, copy, and paste file selections just like text, except this only works folder to folder.
• Backspace - Go back to the parent folder.

Dialog Box Shortcuts

• Tab, Alt + Tab - Select the next/previous field or button in the dialog.
• Control + Tab, Control + Shift + Tab - Switch to the next/previous tab in the dialog box.
• Enter - Like clicking the default button - the default button is usually highlighted with a little black border around it.
• Escape - Like clicking the Cancel button.
• Alt + - If there are fields or buttons in dialogue that have an underlined letter in their labels, you can hold down Alt and press that letter to select it/move the cursor to it/press that button.

Other Keyboard Shortcuts

• Control + S - In many applications, Control + S will save your document without any further steps.

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Entry Filed under: PC Basics, Productivity