Shortcuts: Windows

Saturday February 10th • Shortcuts, Windows Category

This is the first of a collection of posts that I’m going to be making about shortcuts in applications. I’m constantly on the lookout for keyboard shortcuts to aid in improving the speed of my day to day activities, and I thought it’d be a good idea to start sharing them with you. These posts will probably get edited a few times over the course of their lives as I find more shortcuts :)

Below is a list of shortcuts that I use for generally getting around Windows. Note that when I refer to the WIN key I am referring to the Windows/Start key that lies between CTRL and ALT on the keyboard. Most of these shortcuts will work regardless of the application you’re currently using as these shortcuts are ‘unwritten laws’. Some of these are pretty obvious, but I’ll stick them in anyway. Some of them might be XP specific, but most of them will work regardless of the Windows version.

  • WIN + E - Open a new Windows File Explorer window.
  • WIN + R - Open the ‘Run’ dialog.
  • WIN + F - Open a new Windows Search/Find window.
  • WIN + U - Open the Utility Manager (most people don’t even know this exists!).
  • WIN + M - Minimise all windows.
  • WIN + SHIFT + M - Restore all windows to the state they were in before pressing WIN + M.
  • WIN + D - Toggles minimise/restore in the same way that WIN + M and WIN + SHIFT + M do.
  • WIN + Pause/Break - Open the System Properties dialog.
  • WIN + L - Lock the workstation.
  • CTRL + ALT + DEL - If logged in to your machine as a domain user, this will bring up a user options dialog which allows you to change password, lock workstation, etc. If logged into a home machine that is not part of a domain this will invoke the Windows Task Manager.
  • CTRL + ESC - Open the Start menu (handy for those without a Windows key).
  • CTRL + SHIFT + ESC - Open the Windows Task Manager.
  • ALT + TAB - Cycle through applications.
  • ALT + SHIFT + TAB - Cycle through applications in the other direction.
  • CTRL + TAB - Cycle through any tabs in the current application (eg. Firefox).
  • CTRL + SHIFT + TAB - Cycle through any tabs in the current application in the other direction.
  • ALT + SPACE + N - Minimise the current window.
  • ALT + SPACE + X - Maximise the current window.
  • ALT + SPACE + M - Move the current window.
  • CTRL + F4 - Close the current document/tab.
  • ALT + F4 - Close the current application.
  • CTRL + C - Copy the current folder/file/text/image/etc to the clipboard.
  • CTRL + X - Cut the current folder/file/text/image/etc to the clipboard.
  • CTRL + V - Paste the current folder/file/text/image/etc from the clipboard.
  • CTRL + Z - Undo.
  • CTRL + Y - Redo.
  • Print Scrn - Take a screenshot of the entire desktop (including open Windows) and store it on the clipboard.
  • ALT + Print Scrn - Take a screenshot of the current window.

Now we’re past the shortcuts, I’d also like to show you some of the other commands that I frequently punch into the ‘Run’ dialog (WIN + R) to quickly launch to applications instead of using the Start menu.

  • services.msc - Open the Windows Services dialog.
  • compmgmt.msc - Open the Computer Management dialog. This is great as it has all the bits that you need to manage your machine, such as IIS, Services, Security, etc.
  • eventvwr - Open the Windows Event Log viewer.
  • iisreset - Reset IIS (if you have it installed).
  • cmd - Open a command prompt.
  • msconfig - Open the System Configuration Utility.
  • calc - Open the Windows Calculator.
  • notepad - See if you can figure this one out yourself ;).
  • drive:\path\to\folder - Open a Windows File Explorer window at the specified location.
  • mspaint - Open MS Paint for quick creation of images files from screen captures.

There the ones I can think of at the moment, if I think of some more I’ll add them. Please give me a shout if you use one that I haven’t mentioned!

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2 Comments

  1. Rob G
    February 12, 2007

    I use most of these, but I also installed a utility called SlickRun which activates anytime you hit WIN + Q (very handy) and you can setup a TON of shortcuts to any app you have installed. In fact, you don’t even need to setup most short-cuts. It’s either already got them built in (like for Firefox and MS Office etc) or it scans your PC for exe’s. For instance, I installed Gaim ( for instant messaging as you suggested) and on the next restart I realised I hadn’t put it in my start-up programs. I hit CTRL+Q and just typed “Gaim” and the bastard found it! Hot damn! I was chuffed. Since installing this little app, I’ve got shortcuts for just about everything I run, and I don’t think I’ve clicked on the Start button in over a month…

  2. OJ
    February 12, 2007

    SlickRun was cool, but didn’t quite do it for me. I’m currently using Launchy instead and that suits me nicely. It’s a little more in your face that SlickRun, but since it’s not on screen the whole time it suits me fine. It doesn’t scan the system for exes (which I’m not keen on anyway) but you can specify folders you want it to search and you can even tell it file types to search for.

    I hope that soon there’ll be no need for me to even see the task bar, let alone the start menu ;)

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