Most people who use computers use a mouse. However, if you need to complete tasks that take minutes in seconds, you can't rely solely on the mouse. Instead, you'll need to use shortcuts. In this post, we've listed over 100 computer keyboard shortcuts everyone should know.
Ctrl A to Z Shortcut Keys
All the common computer shortcuts we might need in our daily computer use are listed in the table below. See the table below to learn all the basic computer keyboard shortcuts, from A to Z, that can be executed with the Ctrl key.
| Shortcut Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A (Select All) | Use this to select all the content on a page. |
| Ctrl + B (Bold) | Bolds the selected text. |
| Ctrl + C (Copy) | Copies the selected text to the clipboard. |
| Ctrl + D (Add Bookmark) | Use this to bookmark the currently open web page or add it to favorites. Note: The usage of this computer shortcut key may vary across different software. |
| Ctrl + E (Center Align) | Use this to align the selected text to the center of the page. |
| Ctrl + F (Find) | Use this shortcut key to quickly find words in a document. |
| Ctrl + G (Go To) | Use this shortcut key to open the Go To dialog box in MS Word. |
| Ctrl + H (Find and Replace) | Use this shortcut key to open the Find and Replace dialog box in MS Word. |
| Ctrl + I (Italic) | Italicizes the selected text. |
| Ctrl + J (Justify) | Use this to justify your paragraph in a word processor. Justifying means that you equalize the corners of all the lines in your paragraph on both sides. |
| Ctrl + K (Insert Link) | Use this to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, which lets you insert a link into a document. |
| Ctrl + L (Align Left) | Use this shortcut key to align a paragraph or line to the left side of the screen. |
| Ctrl + M (Indent the Paragraph) | This keyboard shortcut key is used to indent a paragraph from the left. |
| Ctrl + N (Create New Document) | It is used to create a new document in Word. |
| Ctrl + O (Open Documents) | This opens the Open dialog box from where you can view and open all your saved documents. |
| Ctrl + P (Print) | This keyboard shortcut is used to print a document or page. |
| Ctrl + Q (Clear Formatting) | It is used to remove the formatting of the highlighted paragraph. |
| Ctrl + R (Align Right) | This computer shortcut key is used to align the text to the right side of the screen. |
| Ctrl + S (Save) | This shortcut key is used to save the current document. |
| Ctrl + T (Hanging Indent) | It is used to create a hanging indent in Word. |
| Ctrl + U (Underline) | This keyboard shortcut is used to underline the selected text. |
| Ctrl + V (Paste) | Pastes the copied text. |
| Ctrl + W (Close) | This computer shortcut key is used to close an open document. |
| Ctrl + X (Cut) | Cuts the selected text and saves it in the clipboard so that you can paste it anywhere. |
| Ctrl + Y (Redo) | Use this shortcut key to reverse your last undo. You can reverse multiple undos. |
| Ctrl + Z (Undo) | Use this computer shortcut key to reverse your previous action. |
Useful Computer Shortcut Keys
Some useful keyboard shortcut keys are included in the table below, using which you will be able to do your daily computer tasks very quickly and easily.
| Shortcut Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| Double-click (Select a Word) | Selects a single word in the document. |
| Triple-click (Select a Paragraph) | Use this to select an entire paragraph. |
| Ctrl + Backspace (Remove a Word) | Pressing this shortcut key removes the entire word instead of one character at a time. |
| Ctrl + ←/→ (Move one word backward/forward) | This moves one word back/forward in the document. |
| Fn + F2 (Rename) | Use this shortcut key to rename any file on your computer. |
| Fn + F5 (Refresh Desktop) | Works to refresh the Windows desktop. |
| Ctrl + Home (Move cursor to the beginning) | Places the mouse cursor at the beginning of the document. |
| Ctrl + End (Move cursor to the end) | Places the mouse cursor at the end of the document. |
| Prt Scr (Screenshot) | This copies the screenshot of the open window to the clipboard, which you can then paste into Paint. |
| Shift + Delete (Delete Permanently) | This deletes the file permanently without saving it to the recycle bin. |
| Ctrl + Mouse Scroll Wheel (Zoom In/Out) | Zooms in and out of a page. |
| Alt + F4 (Shut Down) | Remember, to use this keyboard shortcut, you must first go to the desktop screen. This shortcut opens the shutdown window. You can then shut down your computer by clicking the OK button. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Del (Restart Computer) | Restarting the computer works. |
Advanced Computer Shortcut Keys
Using shortcut keys for simple computer tasks is common, but if you can use them to create a new folder, you're no less than a pro. See the table below for some advanced computer shortcut keys.
| Shortcut Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| Alt + Tab (Switch Apps) | Use this computer shortcut key to switch between open apps on your computer. |
| Alt + F4 (Close Window) | This shortcut is used to close open windows or apps. |
| Ctrl + Esc (Open Start Menu) | This shortcut opens the Start menu. |
| Fn + F3(Search Quick Access) | This computer shortcut key is used to search anything in the file explorer of the computer. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Open Task Manager) | This opens the Windows taskbar. |
| Alt + Enter(Open Properties) | This shortcut opens the properties of the selected files, folders and programs on the computer. |
| Alt + F (File Menu) | Open opens the program's file menu options. |
| Fn + F1 (Help) | Opens the help and support system of the active program. |
| Ctrl + Click (Select Multiple File) | Use this shortcut to select multiple files, folders, and objects on your computer. Select one file, then hold down the Ctrl key and click the other files to select them. |
| CTRL + SHIFT + N (Create New Folder) | Use this keyboard shortcut to create a new folder on the desktop. |
Window Shortcut Keys
See the table below to know the shortcut keys used in Windows operating system.
| Shortcut Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| Win (Start menu) | Opens/hides the Start menu. |
| Win + A (Open Action Center) | This computer shortcut key opens the Windows Action Center. |
| Win + D (Desktop) | Shows/hides the desktop screen. |
| Win + E (File Explorer) | Opens File Explorer. |
| Win + I (Settings) | Quickly opens computer settings. |
| Win + L (Lock) | Locks the computer screen. |
| Win + M (Minimize All Windows) | Minimizes all currently open windows on your desktop. |
| Win + Shift + M (Restore Minimized Windows) | Restores the minimized window. |
| Win + Q (Search) | Opens the Start menu search. |
| Win + R (Run) | Opens the Run dialog box. |
| Win + T (Navigate on Taskbar) | By pressing this keyboard shortcut, you can move between the apps in the taskbar. |
| Win + X (Quick Link Menu) | Opens the Quick Link Menu. |
| Win + 1 to 9 (Open Taskbar App) | Whichever number you press with the Windows key opens the program corresponding to that number in the taskbar. |
| Win + UP arrow (Maximize Window) | Maximizes the open window. |
| Win + Down Arrow (Minimize Window) | Minimizes the open window. |
| Win + Left Arrow (Maximize Window Left) | This keyboard shortcut maximizes the window to the left side of the screen. |
| Win + Right Arrow (Maximize Window Right) | This keyboard shortcut maximizes the window to the right side of the screen. |
| Win + Home (Minimize All Unactive Window) | Minimizes all open windows except the active window. |
| Win + Space (Switch Input Language) | Changes the computer's input language and keyboard layout. |
| Win + (+/-) (Zoom In/Out) | Zooms in/out on the screen using the Magnifier. |
Web Browser Shortcut Keys
We use web browsers extensively to search for information and perform various tasks online. In the table below, we've included shortcut keys that, once learned, will prevent you from using your mouse to access any browser.
| Shortcut Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| Alt + Left/Right Arrow (Back/Forward) | Use this computer shortcut key to move back and forth within a browser tab. |
| Alt + Home (Homepage) | Use this to return to the browser's homepage. |
| Ctrl + F5 (Refresh) | This refreshes the current webpage. If this keyboard shortcut doesn't work, you may need to enable FN lock first. |
| Alt + D (Select Address Bar) | This selects the address bar. |
| F11 (Full-Screen Mode) | Pressing this key opens the current window in full-screen size. You can exit full-screen by pressing the F11 key again. |
| Home (Scroll to Top) | Use it to quickly scroll to the top of a webpage. |
| End (Scroll to Bottom) | Use it to quickly scroll to the bottom of a webpage. |
| Spacebar (Scroll Down) | Use it to scroll down the webpage. |
| Shift + Spacebar (Scroll Up) | Use it to scroll up on a webpage. |
| Ctrl + D (Bookmark) | Bookmarks the current web page |
| Ctrl + Shift + D (Bookmark All) | Saves all open tabs as bookmarks. |
| Ctrl + Shift + O (Bookmark Manager) | Opens the Bookmark Manager. |
| Ctrl + F (Find) | Pressing this keyboard shortcut opens the find search bar, with the help of which you can find any text or phrase in the current webpage. |
| Ctrl + H (History) | Opens the browser's search history. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Clear Browsing Data) | Opens the Clear browsing data dialog box. |
| Ctrl + J (Downloads) | Opens the Downloads tab. |
| Ctrl + S (Save Page) | Downloads and saves the current web page. |
| Ctrl + T (New Tab) | Opens a new tab in the browser. |
| Ctrl + F4 (Close Tab) | Closes the open tab. |
| Ctrl + Shift + T (Open Closed Tab) | Opens the recently closed tab. |
| Ctrl + N (New Window) | Opens a new browser window. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N (Incognito Window) | Opens the Incognito window. |
| Shift + Esc (Task Manager) | This opens the browser task manager. |
| Ctrl + Tab (Switch Between Tabs) | There is a forward switch between open tabs. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab (Switch Backward) | There is a switch on the back between open tabs. |
| Alt + F4 (Close Window) | Use this shortcut to close the browser. |
| Ctrl + 1 to 9 (Jump to Tabs) | Whichever number you press with the Ctrl key, you will reach that tab. |
| Ctrl + Left Click (Open Link in a New Tab) | Opens the link in a new tab. |
Computer Shortcut Keys – FAQ
What is the shortcut to select an entire line of text?
To select an entire line of text, position the cursor at the beginning of the line, then press Shift and the down arrow key.
How to Copy and Paste on a Computer?
To copy and paste text on a computer, press the Ctrl + C key and the Ctrl + V key, respectively.
What is the shortcut key for Select All?
Press the Ctrl key along with the A key to select all.
How to Shut Down Your Computer Shortcut Key?
To shut down your computer, go to the desktop screen and press the Alt key plus F4 on your keyboard.
What is the shortcut key to close a window?
Press the Alt + F4 shortcut key to close an open window.
So, in this post, we've covered shortcut keys from basic to advanced levels. I hope you learned something new from this post. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post, please leave a comment below.
Comments
Post a Comment