Computers are meant to make our daily tasks easier but anyone who’s been using a computer long enough knows that you waste a lot of time with arm and finger movements performing commands with the mouse, keyboard or trackpad.
You probably don’t even realize it but if you think about it, you’re doing a ton of repetitive actions during the course of the day. For example, you’re typing on the keyboard, then you reach over to your mouse to perform a separate task, and then you move your hand back again, rinse and repeat. There has to be an easier way, right?
Thankfully, to streamline your workflow, there are plenty of Windows keyboard shortcuts you can start learning now. And they go beyond the Control+C to copy and Control+V to paste shortcuts.
There are actually dozens of really useful keyboard shortcuts in Windows, including new ones you can use only on Windows 10. Here are some of the most useful ones plus some of our favorite classic Windows keyboard shortcuts.
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General Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
| Keyboard shortcut | Function |
| Win | Display or Hide the Start screen |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open the Task Manager |
| Win + M | Minimize all windows |
| Win + Shift + M | Restore minimized windows on the desktop |
| Win + R | Open the Run dialogue box |
| Win + F1 | Open Windows Help and Support |
| Win + Up arrow | Maximize the desktop window |
| Win + Down arrow | Minimize the desktop window |
| Win + plus (“+”) or minus (“-“) | Zoom in or out using Magnifier |
| Win + L | Lock your PC or switch accounts. |
| Alt + F4 | Close the active item or exit the active app |
| Alt + Enter | Display properties for the selected item |
| Control + C | Copy the selected item |
| Control + X | Cut the selected item |
| Control + V | Paste the selected item |
| Control + Y | Redo an action |
| Control + Z | Undo an action |
| F1 | Display Help |
| F2 | Rename the selected item |
| F3 | Search for a file or folder |
| F4 | Display the address bar list in the File Explorer |
| F5 | Refresh the active window |
| F10 | Activate the menu bar in the active app |
New shortcuts for Windows 10
Here are exclusive keyboard shortcuts designed for Windows 10. These are great time-savers for power users and multi-taskers who use multiple virtual desktops.
| Keyboard shortcut | Function |
| Win + Q | Open Cortana for voice input |
| Win + S | Open Cortana for text input |
| Win + I | Open Windows settings pane |
| Win + A | Open Windows 10 Action Center |
| Win + X | Open Start button context menu |
| Win + Left | Snap active window to left |
| Win + Right | Snap active window to right |
| Win + Up | Snap active window to top of screen |
| Win + Down | Snap active window to bottom of screen |
| Win + Ctrl + D | Create a new virtual desktop |
| Win + Crtl + Left | Cycle through desktops to the left |
| Win + Ctrl + Right | Cycle through desktops to the right |
| Win + Ctrl + F4 | Close current desktop |
| Win + TAB | Access all desktops and apps in Task View |
| Win + PrtSc | Take a screenshot and save it to Pictures folder |
| Win + G | Open the Game DVR recorder |
| Win + Alt + G | Start recording current activity on screen |
| Win + Alt + R | Stop recording |
Windows 10 secrets only the pros know
Do you want more power user tips? Here are Windows 10 secrets only the pros know!
