Speed up your performance with keyboard shortcuts

Submitted by David Jackson

We love keyboard shortcuts and the satisfaction of racing through computing. If you're in the middle
of typing, your fingers already in place, why move your hand to control the mouse? You could be
saving yourself seconds, perhaps even minutes, every day. Plus, you get the feeling of being an
"insider," knowing Windows' secrets.

OK, maybe not for you. But some of us (ahem) admit that saying, "Oh, here, let me print that email
message for you," and hitting Tab Tab Shift-Tab Enter Alt+F P has a certain bare-bones coolness
factor. On today's "Call for Help" Cat reveals her favorite shortcuts.

Fun with the Shift key

Hold down Shift:

When inserting a CD-ROM to skip auto-run.

While holding down Ctrl and dragging to the desktop or to a folder to create an instant shortcut. (Of course, you can do the same thing by clicking and holding the right mouse button, letting go on the desktop, and choosing "create shortcut.")

With F10 for the equivalent of right-click

With Del to delete things immediately, without removing them to the Recycle Bin

With Tab to moves to a previous control in the dialog box (Tab alone goes forward, Shift+Tab backward)

Fun with Function keys in Explorer

F2 -- rename object.

F3 -- find all files.

F4 -- selects the "Go to A Different Folder" box on the task bar, and moves down the entries.

F5 -- refreshes current window.

F6 -- moves among panes.

Fun with the Windows key

If you have a keyboard with a Windows key, you have access to all kinds of shortcuts. Hold down the
Windows key:

By itself to bring up the Start Menu.

With R to open the Run dialog box.

With M to minimize all.

With Shift+M to undo minimize all.

With E to launch Windows Explorer.

With F to find files or folders.

With D to minimize all open windows and show desktop.

With Ctrl+F to "find" on the computer.

With Tab to cycle through Task Bar buttons.

With Break to show the System Properties dialog box.

For a longer list of keyboard shortcuts, visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Return to Tips Page

If you have a question that might make a good tip or have a tip, please forward them to us.