Handy Windows Keyboard Shortcuts You Never Knew About

[paularoid]

CTRL and A Selects all the items in the active window.
CTRL and C Copies the item or items to the Clipboard and can be pasted using CTRL and V.
CTRL and F Displays the Find all files dialog box.
CTRL and G Displays the Go to folder dialog box.
CTRL and N Displays the New dialog box.
CTRL and O Displays the Open dialog box.
CTRL and P Displays the Print dialog box.
CTRL and S Displays the Save dialog box.
CTRL and V Pastes the copied item or items from the Clipboard.
CTRL and X Cuts the item or items selected to the Clipboard.
CTRL and Z Undoes the last action.
CTRL and F4 Closes the active document window.
CTRL while dragging an item Copy the selected item
CTRL+SHIFT with arrow keys Highlight a block of text
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
CTRL and F6 Opens the next document window in the active application.
ALT+ENTER View the properties for the selected item
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Open the shortcut menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between the open items
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened
F1 key Gives help on the active window or selected item.
F2 key Rename the selected item
F3 key Search for a file or a folder
F4 key Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 key Update the active window
F6 key Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 key Activate the menu bar in the active program
Windows Logo Display or hide the Start menu
Windows Logo+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+D Display the desktop
Windows Logo+M Minimize all of the windows
Windows Logo+SHIFT+M Restore the minimized windows
Windows Logo+E Open My Computer
Windows Logo+F Search for a file or a folder
CTRL+Windows Logo+F Search for computers
Windows Logo+F1 Display Windows Help
Windows Logo+ L Lock the keyboard
Windows Logo+R Open the Run dialog box
Windows Logo+U Open Utility Manager
TAB Move forward through the options
SHIFT+TAB Move backward through the options
CTRL+TAB Move forward through the tabs
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB Move backward through the tabs
ALT+Underlined letter Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option
ENTER Perform the command for the active option or button
SPACEBAR Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
F1 key Display Help
F4 key Display the items in the active list
Arrow keys Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
BACKSPACE Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box
END Display the bottom of the active window
HOME Display the top of the active window
NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder
NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) Display the contents of the selected folder
NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) Collapse the selected folder
LEFT ARROW Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder
RIGHT ARROW Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder

[Green Monkey]

If you buy the Ginzu knives now, you get all these extra secret Windows keyboard shortcuts!!!

(These are off the top of my head, they were not in the first list)

Escape means 'Cancel', for example:
ESC = Cancel current modal dialog box
ESC = Close open text edit and discard any changes to text in the edit
ESC = Stop loading current web page

Shift+click = Extend selection of items, or extend selection of text in an open text edit (note: does not work on the desktop, only in folders or text edits)

Ctrl+click = Discontiguous selection of items

Ctrl+Shift+Click = Discontiguously extend selection of items (note: does not work on the desktop or text edits, only in folders)

Double-click in an open text edit = select a 'word'

Shift+End = Extend selection of text to end of line from insertion caret in open text edit
Shift+End = Extend selection of items from item with focus to last item
Shift+Home = Extend selection of text to start of line from insertion caret in open text edit
Shift+Home = Extend selection of items from item with focus to first item

Ctrl+SpaceBar, then X = Maximize Window (clunky, huh? :p )

F11 = Full screen the browser window (IE)

Ctrl+A, then F2 = Rename all the items in a folder

Ctrl+D = Delete selected item(s) on Windows desktop or from folder (yeah Delete is easier, huh? :p )

Ctrl+W = Close Document (does not work everywhere)

The following work in most document-oriented applications, such as the Office apps, et al:

Ctrl+B = Bold the selected text or cell
Ctrl+I = Italicize the selected text or cell
Ctrl+U = Underline the selected text or cell
Ctrl+D = Duplicate selected object(s)
Ctrl+Y = Redo


For what its worth, the Keyboard shortcuts of X,C,V, and Z date back at least to the first Lisa and Mac OS's, perhaps earlier (I did not reserach how far back, I'm going from fond memory). Of course, the Mac had/has a funny looking 'Apple key' that was used with these keyboard shortcuts. The shortcuts N, O, P and S are also at least that old.

I've suplimented Paularoid's list because I use the ones I listed above all the time, so I think they're useful for people to know.

Cheers,

GM :D

[Agnes]

Thanks, guys. :) Quite a few I didn't know, I must admit.

[Margay]

CTRL+ALT+DELETE = will solve any problem :p

But, while we're at it. I have a question about keyboard combinations.

Windows XP gives me two options for my keyboard, US (international) and NL (Netherlands). I can change it from the taskbar, if I choose to display the language-taskbar. BUT I don't want to change it because this is a laptop computer and it has an international keyboard permanently stuck to it.
I don't know how I do it, but every once in a while I manage to set the keyboard to Netherlands while typing. I tend to use a lot of keyboard shortcuts so it probably happens when I mess up with them. I usually notice when my questionmarks turn into slashes. What is it that changes my keyboard settings?