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The Three Most Under-utilized Keyboard Shortcuts
I was standing behind my wife the other day quietly watching her use her computer to write an email. The more I watched the clearer it became just how much extra work she was creating for herself by not using Windows keyboard shortcuts.
Most average users know a few keyboard shortcuts such as ^C for Copy, ^X for Cut, and ^V for Paste but here are three additional shortcuts that many folks under-utilize. If you spend a few moments learning them you'll find them incredibly useful (Note: When I write ^C it means to press down the Ctrl key and while holding it down, press the C key. You then release both together)
The first is ^A. This selects (highlights) everything in the current window or field. So for example you want to copy this entire article into an email, hit ^A to select everything then ^C to copy it to the clipboard. Open your email and then type ^V to insert it. Try ^A now, it should select this whole web page. Click anywhere to remove the highlighting.
^A is also really useful when you want to delete the contents of a form field or dialog box. Just hit ^A then Delete. I use it a lot to clear the address box in my browser.
The second handy shortcut is ^Home. This takes you to the top of a document or web page. Similarly ^End takes you to the bottom. It's much faster than scrolling. Try it now.
The third shortcut is probably the most useful of all. It involves using the Shift key when selecting long lists or text passages.
Let's say you want to select a section of this page covering several paragraphs. The way most users would do this would be to left mouse click at the start, hold the mouse button down and then move the mouse curser to the end of the text to be selected.
That's fine but if the text covers more than one screen it can get tricky. Here's a much better way.
First, left click at the start of the text and release the mouse button. Then scroll down to the end of the text and left click again while holding down Shift key. All the text in between will be selected.
Try it now on this page. Neat eh?
The same technique works well when selecting items on a list.
Incidentally, if you want to select or deselect individual items that aren't consecutive, you can do that by using the Ctrl key when left clicking. But hey, that's a fourth shortcut and I said I was only going to give you three :>) If you really want more, there's a complete list here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449
- Article type:
Comments
The most useful shortcut I have seen is the Autoscroll shortcut for Adobe PDF Reader. Wish it was there for other applications. Avoid using the scroll wheel or middle button altogether.
^ + "Shift" + "H" starts scrolling the page.
Useful if you are reading long documents. Numeric pad "0" to "9" controls speed of scrolling from slowest to fastest. Page Up and Page Down still works simultaneously.
I have an "every day" working of the shortcuts of this article... This PDF one is brilliant... thanks
Everyone here seems to know about the Ctrl+Left/Right arrow to jump by one word in a text field. But do people know that Ctrl+Backspace or Ctrl+Delete will delete words quickly?
Also, Alt+F6 to switch between multiple windows of the same program. This is one I never knew until I found it on the Microsoft website - can be better than Alt-Tab when you want to just switch between Word Docs for example
^tab does pretty much the same thing as alt+f6
My Shift+Insert shortcut is not working. How can I repair or restore this shortcut?
is there a way to tab through sheets in an ms excel workbook?? (i know ctrl+tab will swap between different workbooks)
right alt key + 4 = €
You can change sheets in a workbook by pressing Ctrl and PageUp or PageDown.
Windows+L Locks the computer. A handy one when you leave your computer.
Very handy. I was disappointed that I already I knew the "3 under-utilized" ones, but Windows L is fantastic for when you are at work and just want a tiny bit of privacy when you leave the computer. Just enough security so people aren't reading your email while you step away. Thanks for that.
My own contribution then: many people would already know this but using control then left or right arrow gives steps the cursor back over words in a text entry box (or any other text typing service). If you make a mistake and want to jump back to it without taking your hands off the keyboard, control left arrow makes it much faster.
All these are simply amazing. Thank you everyone. I'd add one but all the ones I know have already been posted.
Here's something interesting!
Create your own keyboard shortcuts to programs so they open up quick!
Create keyboard shortcuts here
my favorite command: shift+enter
opens file/folder in a new window (explorer)
There's a hidden shortcut on the dialog box that gives you choices for "Yes", "Yes To All", and "No". You can also use Shift+No to mean “No To All”
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holding Ctrl while you press left or right key in a text box will move one word left or right respectively.
I notice that many folks don't know about the context menu key, it's usually wedged between the right Alt and the right Ctrl keys. Hit it with your right thumb and you get the current context menu, and you'll find the arrow keys will be right under your finger tips - goodbye right click.
ctrl/left and ctrl/right arrow keys move the text insertion caret to the prior and next words respectively, ctrl/shift/left and ctrl/shift/right select the prior and next word respectively.
I can't believe I've completely neglected that key all this time. There are many times when I end up troubleshooting a computer that either has no mouse or for one reason or another the mouse isn't working properly. I can navigate around pretty well using the keyboard for most things, but for those things that can only be accessed easily via a right-click, I've always been stymied. And yet the answer has always been there, hidden under my right palm.
Thank you so much for that one.
what about Alt and Tab to move between open programs (hold Alt then Tab if multipul are open) and Alt F4 to close programs.
Just discovered that Ctrl while scrolling changes the Zoom - good for bifocal users.
Ctrl + 0 will reset zoom to normal
Alt+tab scrolls through open windows applications.
ctrl + enter adds www. & .com to whatever you typed in address bar
shift + enter adds www. & .net to whatever you typed in address bar
Don't know if there's a .org one, as asked above.
Windows key + F1 opens the otherwise useless Help and Support for walking newbs through remote invites. Nowadays I just install cross-loop on all my clients' computers and log them in with a spare yahoo mail account.
Desktop and start menu shortcuts can be easily assigned ctrl + alt + any 3rd key combo. Right click icon >>> left click properties >>> left click "shortcut-key" field and hit ctrl+alt+ 3rd key of your choice.
The puzzler I have is when a shortcut is deleted the key assignment does not become available again. Anyone know how to get it back? I haven't found assignments in the registry and have been unable to find the answer anywhere on MS sight, TechNet nor the world wide intertubes. Also, if you move a shortcut, the key combo will not work until after a reboot.
.org is Shift + Ctrl + Enter
If you highlite a weblink in opera, right click and choose "go to"
Here are my favorites:
Windows Key + Pause/Break = System Properties
Windows Key + E = Windows Explorer (I use this one constantly)
Windows Key + F = Search
Windows Key + R = Run Command
Ctrl + Shift + Left/Right Arrow Key = Highlight segments of text to the next space
Ctrl + Shift + Esc = Task Manager
Ctrl + Insert = Copy
Shift + Insert = Paste
Windows Key + D = Show desktop
Thanks a lot
It's amazing to see how few people know that you can type in the just name of a website in the address bar, then hit ^Enter. It will take you straight there without having to type in the "www" or the ".com". I use the shift-tab all the time in forms and it's SUCH a timesaver.
These are NOT shortcuts! They would take considerably longer than the right way.
Who are you anyway? I've been using keyboard shortcuts since Adam was a choir boy.. Most of these shortcuts work with Linux and Linux apps too. Owing to the proliferation of icons (everyone has a better idea - like Ford) its hard to tell most of the time what they do. However, keyboard shortcuts are almost universal, and they speed up the work considerably. Please think before you write, and learn to touch-type.
In Firefox you can do some interesting text selection using both CTRL and SHIFT:
You can select many individual separate sections of text all at once.
Alas, IE7 does not do this. Ctrl-L-click in IE7 selects an entire paragraph. FF's version of paragraph-select is triple-L-click. Personally, I like the Firefox way because it's more flexible.
Not to mention FF's way to select table cells - ctrl-L-drag selects only the row, column, or block of table that you want, rather than the whole thing. Only featured in IE7's dreams!
Another for FF: center-click a link to open it in a new tab (needs 3-button mouse, obviously, unless your mouse driver allows you to set a chord-click (left-and-right-click) to emulate a center-click).
FF has so many great little usability perks that it's hard to understand IE's market share. No contest for me!
ctrl-shift-T: undo close tab in firefox.
Wow, I feel silly for not knowing that. But that great!
Windows also has a built-in feature to set a shortcut key to start your favorite programs:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/kbshortcuts.mspx
Keyboard shortcuts for many programs: http://www.keyxl.com/
in firefox if i want to google something:
first, i select the text:
ctrl-c: copy to clipboard
ctrl-K: cursor jumps to search windows
ctrl-v: paste text
Enter: firefox opens a new tab with the search
That looks tedious. You can just select the text, right click and click "Search Google for " and a new tab will open with the search results.
If you install hyperwords extension you can set it up so that after selecting the text it brings up a context menu that allows you to do lots of things - copy, search engines, dictionaries, ebay, craigslist, translate ....
Great extension - warning latest version does not work alongside Toolbar Buttons, Hyperwords and Codefisher are working on that problem - I hope.
I know in the past I have often been surprised that so many pC users are not familiar with such basic keyboard shortcuts. Similarly many are unaware of the use of the windows key.
One thing I discoverd recently happened when a blind workmate found his mouse stopped working. The Application key (I think it is called) to the right of the Windows key on the right hand side of the spacebar simulates a mouse right click.
Mahn oh mahn, one thing is really clear, Gizmo, you da mahn.
Thank you very much. I did not know the last two.
The shortcut I use the most every day is Ctrl-Enter to frame a web name. Those of us who do a lot of research a fed up with typing www. the name.com when "the name" followed by Ctl-Enter will do the trick. I know there are shortcuts for .net and .org, but can never remember the combinations. Anyone?
Those were some pretty good tips Gizmo but I'll take slight issue with you especially on those shortcuts that need both hands followed by some mouse manipulation. My experience is that I'm better off sticking with the mouse for the entire selection process rather than moving back and forth from the keyboard. It takes time to make the move and reorient my (old) eyes from the keyboard to the screen. For me at least sticking with the mouse all the way through for some processes is quicker and surer.
Most of the short cut keys are on the left.. so buy placing you little finger on the (ctrl,windows, alt, or shift key) you can reach any of them with one (adult sized) hand.
I am not a typist but I find that after using a key combination for a few days, that my hand can find it with almost no thought or looking.
I LOVE Windows-E.. i bet i use it 50 times a day. when i found it a few years ago i cursed all the times i had open an file explorer the old way because i did not know about the shortcut.
A wile back i was on a friends computer who had an old keyboard with out the "windows key" and i actually forgot how to get a file explorer to open... I felt so dumb. :(
[Windows]+L will lock your computer (same as calling up Task Manager and locking from there)
[Windows]+M will minimize all windows at once
In IE, Alt-D will highlight the web address (similar to ^L, but without separate dialog box)
Anon,
After you lock it with [Window]+L, what unlocks it--repeating the same command?
Wessider
Presumably you found the answer since, but for others stumbling on this later, you would unlock the screen with Ctrl-Alt-Del.
On my computer I had to type in my Windows Logon password.
It can never be unlocked.
I love [Windows]+E to open windows Explorer and [Windows]+D to immediately minimize all open windows so I can access the desktop.
I like holding down CTRL when I click on a hyperlink. It opens the link in another tab.
Some of my favorites haven't been mentioned.
1) The one I use the most is ^L This opens the location (or address bar) in Firefox and Internet Explorer. Way faster and easier than clicking on it
note: it is a little strange in IE, it brings up a small separate box, but type and press enter and it works the same.
2) This is a side note to a previous entry. ^T doesn't move to the right on the tabs in Firefox. It opens a new tab. Which is extremely handy when a sudden idea come to you!
^L opens the speed dial in OPERA.
I use the "ALT" + "SPACEBAR" key combo constantly to open the file menu for any window. From there I usually hit the "C" key to quickly close that window. Or "N" to miNimize or "X" to maXimize it. Use the ALT SHIFT C keys in quick succession and BANG - your window is gone!
Usually the combination happens so fast (when used for troubleshooting someone else's PC and I want to close some windows) that I get asked a lot - what just happened- how did you do that so fast?
I also use ALT + TAB to cycle thru all open windows.
One keyboard shortcut that I rarely see documented is only for Excel. (maybe Microsoft Money too) To quickly enter the date in a cell, hit ^: (control plus colon)
zeus36
The Function keys also have a lot of built in short cuts for IE and Firefox:
F1 Help pane (IE)/Mozilla support (Firefox)
F3 Find
F5 Refresh current page
F6 Highlights entire web address (in the same way as Ctrl L)
F7 Turns on something called Caret Browsing in Firefox (not played with it yet so no idea what it does), does nothing in IE
For some reason I didn't see either of these mentioned on the Microsoft link:
1. Ctrl+Shift+Esc = Task Manager (possibly only on service-based versions of Windows)
2. Alt+Enter can also be used to toggle a DOS window between window and fullscreen view
While not a "Windows keyboard shortcut", I also like to use Ctrl+W to close the current browser tab in FireFox (not sure if this works in IE7 as well).
Ctrl+W does indeed work with IE7 Snork - thanks for posting that!
^y (redo) many times work as the opposite of ^z (undo)
*Buksie*
Here's another good keyboard shortcut tip:
Using the Shift key with some keyboard shortcuts invokes the inverse action of the original shortcut. For example, hitting your backspace key in a web browser takes you "back". If you hit Shift + Backspace, you will go "forward" (if there is a page to go forward to). Also, ^Tab in a web browser will select the next tab, while Shift + ^Tab selects the previous tab. Finally, one of the more productive uses of the Shift keyboard shortcuts is the use of the Tab key. We all know that Tab inserts, well, a tab; however, Shift + Tab removes a tab. This is especially useful for us developers.
^Z allows you to "undo" whatever you've last been typing.
Note: If you're typing in a browser, for example, you won't necessarily be able to "redo" what you've just undone. That won't be a problem in programmes like Word which allow you to "redo" via the toolbar.
PS Good if you've just deleted some useful text...
Holding down shift and the arrow keys moves the cursor along one word at a time. So to select text one word at a time you can hold down control, shift and hit the arrow keys. This works in web addresses too.
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