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Keyboard Shortcuts for Managing Items Pinned to the Windows 7 Taskbar
If you have Windows 7, you are probably aware of the handy feature that allows programs to be pinned to the taskbar. But did you know that it is possible to carry out all sorts of operations on these pinned items without ever touching your mouse? There's an assortment of keyboard shortcuts and here they are:
| Keyboard shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows key + [number] | For [number] substitute one of the ten single digits 0 to 9. With labels running left to right and zero representing "10", the command opens the corresponding pinned item. Equivalent to clicking the item. |
| Windows key + T | Puts the focus on the first pinned item. Repeating the shortcut moves the focus to the next pinned item on the right. Can be repeated until you get to the end of the pinned objects. |
| Left or Right Arrow key | Moves the focus from one pinned item to another in the direction indicated. |
| Shift + Windows key + T | Moves the focus to the next item on the left |
| Spacebar | Opens the pinned item that has the focus. Equivalent to clicking it |
| Menu key (see this link) | Displays the jump list for a pinned item that has the focus |
| Shift + F10 | Displays the context menu of a pinned item that has the focus |
Note that you can tell when a pinned item has the focus by a slight change in the appearance of the icon and the brief and slightly delayed appearance of a pop-up tooltip. There will be a small "glow" at the bottom of the icon. Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy to see. Personally, I think the design could have been better. Don’t confuse this glow with the slight highlighting that an icon for an open application has. If you are using an Aero theme, open programs will show a thumbnail view when they receive the focus.
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This tips section is maintained by Vic Laurie. Vic runs several websites with Windows how-to's and tutorials, including a computer education website and a site for learning about the command line.
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