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Tech how-to: Create your own keyboard shortcuts
You probably know that using keyboard shortcuts is a great way to save time and increase efficiency. You may not know every amazing thing you can do with a shortcut, though.
For example: How do you open a Windows application? Do you roll the mouse pointer over to an icon? Or do you lift your finger up and then tap on a tile? If yes, you are wasting plenty of time and exerting undue strain on your shoulder.
Good news: there’s a shortcut for that! With a keyboard, you can quickly manage any task you usually do with your touchpad or mouse. All you have to do is simultaneously press one or two keys. Amazing right? Let’s get into it so you can start saving precious time ASAP.
Clever keyboard shortcuts you’ll wish you knew sooner
Memorizing all of these shortcuts will likely take some time. That’s why you should print them out and leave them next to your keyboard. This lets you quickly reference these shortcuts whenever you need to use them. So, let’s focus on the ones that you need to use more regularly.
Windows 10 offers you hundreds of commands. However, you will likely use only a few of those commands regularly. To save time and effort, use these simple Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts. With only a little effort, you can easily open files, edit your content, find content and more!
Basic shortcuts
- Ctrl + A: Selects all the items in a window
- Ctrl + Shift + Insert: Pastes highlighted or selected items
- Ctrl + Insert or Ctrl + C: Copies highlighted or selected item
- Ctrl + X: Cuts highlighted or selected item
- Ctrl + Z: Undo a previous action
- Ctrl + Y: Redo action
New Windows 10 shortcuts
| Keyboard shortcut | Function |
| Win + C | Opens Cortana for any voice input |
| Win + S | Opens Search |
| Win + I | Opens Settings |
| Win + A | Opens Action Center |
| Win + X | Opens Quick Link menu |
| Win + Left arrow | Snaps active window to the left |
| Win + Right arrow | Snaps active window to the right |
| Win + Up arrow | Maximizes the current window |
| Win + Down arrow | Minimizes or removes the current window |
| Win + Ctrl + D | Creates a new virtual desktop |
| Win + TAB | Accesses all desktops and applications in Task View |
| Win + PrtSc | Takes a screenshot and saves it to the Screenshots folder |
| Win + G | Opens Game bar |
Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 10 to switch between apps
Do you work with many applications at the same time? In that case, you can easily and quickly switch between these apps, all without moving away from the keyboard.
- Alt + Tab – Note that by repeatedly pressing your Tab key while holding Alt pressed, you will be able to cycle through open apps and windows. You can release the Tab key on the app or window that you would like to open.
- Windows + Tab – This shortcut opens Task view, and this is where you can easily switch between various open windows.
- Ctrl + Tab + Alt – This shortcut will display the list of all open windows and applications. It also keeps the list on your screen even after you have released the keys. After that, you can navigate through open apps and windows using the mouse or arrow keys.
Command Prompt shortcuts
| Keyboard Shortcut | Function |
| Shift + Left arrow | Highlights text to the left of the cursor |
| Shift + Right arrow | Highlights text to the right of the cursor |
| Ctrl + C | Copies selected text to the clipboard |
| Ctrl + V | Pastes text from the clipboard |
| Ctrl + A | Selects all text |
Keyboard Shortcuts to manage app windows
Apart from switching between apps, you can manage multiple application windows on the screen more quickly by doing it exclusively from your keyboard:
- Windows + Up Arrow: This shortcut maximizes your active window both horizontally and vertically.
- Windows + Down Arrow: Use this shortcut to restore your active window to the initial state or minimize it.
- Windows + Shift + Up Arrow: This shortcut maximizes your active window vertically but maintains its width.
- Windows + Shift + Down Arrow: This shortcut restores or minimizes the active window vertically and maintains its width.
Snip and Sketch shortcuts
- CTRL + N: Creates new snip
- CTRL + O: Opens a file
- SHIFT + Arrow keys: Moves cursor to select the rectangular snip area
- CTRL + E: Selects Eraser
- CTRL + P: Print annotation
- CTRL + Z: Undo annotation
Taking screenshots
- PrtScn: Screenshot your whole desktop
- Alt + PrtScn: Screenshot the selected window
File Explorer shortcuts
- ALT + D: Selects the address bar
- CTRL + F or CTRL + E: Selects the Search box
- CTRL + N: Opens a new window
- CTRL + W: Closes the active window
These keyboard shortcuts will help you complete tasks efficiently and quickly. And you will not have to click laboriously through the various menus. If you’ve been looking for a way to increase productivity, this is a great start.
Tags: apps, Command Prompt, commands, computer, efficiency, File Explorer, keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft Windows 10, Productivity, screenshots, tech how-to
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