Keyboard Shortcuts

Learning common keyboard shortcuts can help to speed up routine computer actions and make your workflow more efficient.

The Windows key has this picture on it: It's located between your CTRL & ALT keys. Hold down the "Windows" key and press:

M - Minimizes all windows

SHIFT + M - Undo minimize all windows

E - Opens Windows Explorer

D - Switches between minimizing all open programs and showing them all.

F - Opens the Find Window

R - Opens the Run Window

BREAK / PAUSE- Opens System Properties

TAB - Cycles through items on the task bar

Or just press the Windows key to open the Start menu.

General Shortcuts

ALT + F4 - Quit a program / Shut down

ALT + TAB - Hold down the ALT key and hit tab to cycle through open windows.

CTL + ESCAPE - Display the Start menu

SHIFT + TAB - Tab backwards through a form

CTRL + X - Cut

CTRL + C - Copy

CTRL + V - Paste

F1 - Help menu

CTRL + Z - Undo

SHIFT & Restart - To restart just windows and not your whole computer, hold down the shift key when you click the OK button on the shutdown screen. Saves lots of time.

CRTL + TAB - Navigate tabs on a tabbed screen

File & Desktop Shortcuts

Hold SHIFT while inserting a CD - Prevents the CD from "autorunning"

If an item is selected:

CTRL while dragging a file - Copies the file

CTRL + SHIFT while dragging a file - Creates a shortcut to the file

SHIFT + DELETE - Deletes an item without sending it to the recycle bin.

ALT + ENTER - Display a file's properties.

F2 - To rename the file

In Windows Explorer:

LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection if it is expanded

NUM LOCK + MINUS SIGN (-) - Collapse the selected folder

RIGHT ARROW - Expand the current selection if it is collapsed -Or- Select the first subfolder

NUM LOCK - * Expand all folders below the current selection

NUM LOCK- PLUS SIGN (+) - Expand the selected folder

F6 - Switch between left and right panes

In My Computer:

BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up

ALT + RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous view

ALT + LEFT ARROW -Move backward to a previous view

 

The COMMAND key has this picture on it: It's located between the OPTION key and the SPACE BAR, and is also known as the APPLE key.

Hold down the COMMAND key and press:

H - Hide current window/application (very useful when working with many programs at a time)

OPTION + H - Hide all windows/applications except for the current one

O - Open file

S - Save file

SHIFT + S - Save as

P - Print

M - Minimize window

OPTION + M - Minimize all windows

W - Close current window

OPTION + W - Close all windows

Q - Quit current application

OPTION + ARROW KEYS - Scroll through/select open applications

Z - Undo

X - Cut

C - Copy

V - Paste

A - Select All

? - Open Mac Help (highly recommended for answers to any OSX questions)

In the Finder, hold down COMMAND and press:

N - New Finder window

SHIFT + N - New Folder

L - Make Alias (Shortcut) to selected file

F - Find

O - Open selected file

RIGHT ARROW - Expand folder (list view)

OPTION + RIGHT ARROW - Expand folder and nested subfolders (list view)

LEFT ARROW - Collapse folder (list view)

OPTION + LEFT ARROW - Open parent folder and close current window

DELETE - Move to Trash

SHIFT + DELETE - Empty Trash

In folder/file windows, hold down COMMAND and press:

1 - View as Icons

2 - View as List

3 - View as Columns

[ - Back

] - Forward

SHIFT + C - Open Computer

SHIFT + A - Open Applications Folder

For a complete list of Mac OSX Keyboard Shortcuts, click COMMAND - ? to open Mac Help, then do a search for "keyboard shortcuts"

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