Here is a list of commonly used shortcut keys that can provide an easier and quicker method of using computer programs.
There is no doubt in saying that computers have become a very important part of daily life! If you are frequent computer user then you must know about the keyboard shortcut keys. Basically, a computer shortcut is a set of one or more keys that invoke a command in software or an operating system. So, you can increase your productivity by invoking commands with a few keystrokes, otherwise, it will be accessible only through a menu, a mouse, or through any other aspect.
A computer short cut keys function quickly and make your work easy.
Here is a list of commonly used short-cut keys that can provide an easier and quicker method of using computer programs:
List of basic computer shortcut keys:
- Alt + F–File menu options in the current program.
- Alt + E–Edits options in the current program.
- F1–Universal help (for any sort of program).
- Ctrl + A–Selects all text.
- Ctrl + X–Cuts the selected item.
- Ctrl + Del–Cut selected item.
- Ctrl + C–Copy the selected item.
- Ctrl + Ins– Copy the selected item.
- Ctrl + V–Paste the selected item.
- Shift + Ins — Paste the selected item.
- Home — Takes the user to the beginning of the current line.
- Ctrl + Home–Go to the beginning of the document.
- End — Go to the end of the current line.
- Ctrl + End — Go to the end of a document.
- Shift + Home — Highlight from current position to beginning of the line.
- Shift + End — Highlight from current position to end of the line.
- Ctrl + (Left arrow) — Move one word to the left at a time.
- Ctrl + (Right arrow) — Move one word to the right at a time.
Microsoft Windows shortcut keys list
- Alt + Tab — Switch between open applications.
- Alt + Shift + Tab — Switch backward between open applications.
- Alt + Print Screen — Create screenshot for the current program.
- Ctrl + Alt + Del — Reboot/Windows task manager.
- Ctrl + Esc — Bring up the start menu.
- Alt + Esc — Switch between applications on the taskbar.
- F2 — Rename selected icon.
- F3 — Start find from the desktop.
- F4 — Open the drive selection when browsing.
- F5 — Refresh contents.
- Alt + F4 — Close current open program.
- Ctrl + F4 — Close window in program.
- Ctrl + Plus Key– Automatically adjust widths of all columns in Windows Explorer.
- Alt + Enter — Open properties window of selected icon or program.
- Shift + F10 — Simulate right-click on selected item.
- Shift + Del — Delete programs/files permanently.
- Holding Shift During Boot up — Boot safe mode or bypass system files.
- Holding Shift During Boot up — When putting in an audio CD, will prevent CD Player from playing.
Word shortcut keys
- Ctrl + A — Select all contents of the page.
- Ctrl + B — Bold highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + C — Copy selected text.
- Ctrl + X — Cut selected text.
- Ctrl + N — Open new/blank document.
- Ctrl + O — Open options.
- Ctrl + P — Open the print window.
- Ctrl + F — Open find box.
- Ctrl + I — Italicise highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + K — Insert link.
- Ctrl + U — Underline highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + V — Paste.
- Ctrl + Y — Redo the last action performed.
- Ctrl + Z — Undo last action.
- Ctrl + G — Find and replace options.
- Ctrl + H — Find and replace options.
- Ctrl + J — Justify paragraph alignment.
- Ctrl + L — Align selected text or line to the left.
- Ctrl + Q — Align selected paragraph to the left.
- Ctrl + E — Align selected text or line to the center.
- Ctrl + R — Align selected text or line to the right.
- Ctrl + M — Indent the paragraph.
- Ctrl + T — Hanging indent.
- Ctrl + D — Font options.
- Ctrl + Shift + F — Change the font.
- Ctrl + Shift + > — Increase selected font +1.
- Ctrl + ] — Increase selected font +1.
- Ctrl + [ — Decrease selected font -1.
- Ctrl + Shift + * — View or hide non printing characters.
- Ctrl + (Left arrow) — Move one word to the left.
- Ctrl + (Right arrow) — Move one word to the right.
- Ctrl + (Up arrow) — Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
- Ctrl + (Down arrow) — Move to the end of the paragraph.
- Ctrl + Del — Delete word to the right of the cursor.
- Ctrl + Backspace — Delete word to the left of the cursor.
- Ctrl + End — Move cursor to end of the document.
- Ctrl + Home — Move cursor to the beginning of the document.
- Ctrl + Space — Reset highlighted text to default font.
- Ctrl + 1 — Single-space lines.
- Ctrl + 2 — Double-space lines.
- Ctrl + 5 — 1.5-line spacing.
- Ctrl + Alt + 1 Change text to heading 1.
- Ctrl + Alt + 2 Change text to heading 2.
- Ctrl + Alt + 3 Change text to heading 3.
- F1 — Open help.
- Shift + F3 — Change case of selected text.
- Shift + Insert — Paste.
- F4 — Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+).
- F7 — Spell check selected text and/or document.
- Shift + F7 — Activate the thesaurus.
- F12 — Save as.
- Ctrl + S — Save.
- Shift + F12 — Save.
- Alt + Shift + D — Insert the current date.
- Alt + Shift + T — Insert the current time.
- Ctrl + W — Close document.
Excel shortcut keys
- F2 — Edit the selected cell.
- F5 — Go to a specific cell.
- F7 — Spell check selected text and/or document.
- F11 — Create chart
- Ctrl + Shift + ; — Enter the current time.
- Ctrl + ; — Enter the current date
- Alt + Shift + F1 — Insert new worksheet.
- Shift + F3 — Open the Excel formula window.
- Shift + F5 — Bring up the search box
- Ctrl + A — Select all contents of a worksheet.
- Ctrl + B — Bold highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + I — Italicize highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + C — Copy selected text.
- Ctrl + V — Paste
- Ctrl + D — Fill
- Ctrl + K — Insert link
- Ctrl + F — Open find and replace options.
- Ctrl + G — Open go-to options.
- Ctrl + H — Open find and replace options.
- Ctrl + U — Underline highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + Y — Underline selected text.
- Ctrl + 5 — Strikethrough highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + O — Open options.
- Ctrl + N — Open new document.
- Ctrl + P — Open print dialog box.
- Ctrl + S — Save.
- Ctrl + Z — Undo last action.
- Ctrl + F9 — Minimize current window.
- Ctrl + F10 — Maximize currently selected window.
- Ctrl + F6 — Switch between open workbooks/windows.
- Ctrl + Page up & Page Down — Move between Excel worksheets in the same document.
- Ctrl + Tab — Move between two or more open Excel files
- Alt + = — Create the formula to sum all of the above cells.
- Ctrl + — Insert the value of above cell into the current cell.
- Ctrl + Shift + ! — Format number in comma format.
- Ctrl + Shift + $ — Format number in currency format.
- Ctrl + Shift + # — Format number in date format.
- Ctrl + Shift + % — Format number in percentage format.
- Ctrl + Shift + ^ — Format number in scientific format.
- Ctrl + Shift + @ — Format number in time format.
- Ctrl + (Right arrow) — Move to next section of text.
- Ctrl + Space — Select entire column.
- Shift + Space — Select entire row.
- Ctrl + W — Close document.
Outlook shortcut keys
- Alt + S — Send the email.
- Ctrl + C — Copy selected text.
- Ctrl + X — Cut selected text.
- Ctrl + P — Open print dialog box.
- Ctrl + K — Complete name/email typed in address bar.
- Ctrl + B — Bold highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + I — Italicize highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + U — Underline highlighted selection.
- Ctrl + R — Reply to an email.
- Ctrl + F — Forward an email.
- Ctrl + N — Create a new email.
- Ctrl + Shift + A — Create a new appointment to your calendar.
- Ctrl + Shift + O — Open the outbox.
- Ctrl + Shift + I — Open the inbox.
- Ctrl + Shift + K — Add a new task.
- Ctrl + Shift + C — Create a new contact.
- Ctrl + Shift+ J — Create a new journal entry.
WINKEY shortcuts
- WINKEY + D — Bring desktop to the top of other windows.
- WINKEY + M — Minimize all windows.
- WINKEY + SHIFT + M — Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D.
- WINKEY + E — Open Microsoft Explorer.
- WINKEY + Tab — Cycle through open programs on the taskbar.
- WINKEY + F — Display the Windows Search/Find feature.
- WINKEY + CTRL + F — Display the search for computers window.
- WINKEY + F1 — Display the Microsoft Windows help.
- WINKEY + R — Open the run window.
- WINKEY + Pause /Break — Open the system properties window.
- WINKEY + U — Open utility manager.
- WINKEY + L — Lock the computer (Windows XP & later).
Special Characters
- ‘ Opening single quote . . . alt 0145
- ’ Closing single quote . . . . alt 0146
- “ Opening double quote . . . alt 0147
- “ Closing double quote. . . . alt 0148
- – En dash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0150
- — Em dash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0151
- … Ellipsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0133
- • Bullet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0149
- ® Registration Mark . . . . . . . alt 0174
- © Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0169
- ™ Trademark . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0153
- ° Degree symbol. . . . . . . . . alt 0176
- ¢ Cent sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0162
- 1⁄4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0188
- 1⁄2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0189
- 3⁄4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0190
- é . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0233
- É . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0201
- ñ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0241
- ÷ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . alt 0247
File menu options in current program
- Alt + E Edit options in current program
- F1 Universal help (for all programs)
- Ctrl + A Select all text
- Ctrl + X Cut selected item
- Shift + Del Cut selected item
- Ctrl + C Copy selected item
- Ctrl + Ins Copy selected item
- Ctrl + V Paste
- Shift + Ins Paste
- Home Go to beginning of current line
- Ctrl + Home Go to beginning of document
- End Go to end of current line
- Ctrl + End Go to end of document
- Shift + Home Highlight from current position to beginning of line
- Shift + End Highlight from current position to end of line
- Ctrl + f Move one word to the left at a time
- Ctrl + g Move one word to the right at a time
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