Those of you who must use a computer every day are surely aware of how time-consuming many computer operations can be. Clicking through various application windows and program menus can easily become as confusing as the task you are trying to accomplish.
To make the use of your computer much easier, Microsoft provides many keyboard shortcuts, universally shared within all editions of Windows 7, which can make your life much simpler and make common tasks a breeze to perform.
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.
Most programs also provide accelerator keys that can make it easier to work with menus and other commands. Check the menus of programs for accelerator keys. If a letter is underlined in a menu, that usually means that pressing the Alt key in combination with the underlined key will have the same effect as clicking that menu item.
Here are some of the most common Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts along with their specified function:
General Keyboard Shortcuts
- F1 – Display help
- Ctrl+C – Copy the selected item
- Ctrl+X – Cut the selected item
- Ctrl+V – Paste the selected item
- Ctrl+Z – Undo the most recent action
- Ctrl+Y – Redo the most recent action
- Alt+Tab – Switch between open items/windows
- Shift+Delete – Permanently delete the selected item (skipping the recycle bin)
Windows Key Keyboard Shortcuts
The following keyboard shortcuts make use of the Windows logo key (
).
- Windows key – Open or close the start menu
- + Pause – Display the System Properties dialog box
- + D – Display the desktop
- + M – Minimize all windows
- + E – Open Computer
- + F – Search for a file or folder
- + L – Lock your computer or switch users
- + R – Open the Run dialog box
- + T – Cycle through open programs
- + Up Arrow – Maximize the window
Taskbar Keyboard Shortcuts
The following keyboard shortcuts work with items on the taskbar.
- Shift+Click on taskbar button – Open a program or quickly open another instance of a program
- Ctrl+Shift+Click on taskbar button – Open a program as administrator (may require password).
- Shit+Right Click on taskbar button – Show the window menu for the program
- Shift+Right Click on grouped taskbar button – Show the window menu for the group
- Ctrl+Click on grouped taskbar button – Cycle through the windows of the group
This is only a sampling of all of the keyboard shortcuts available in Windows 7. The more you use these shortcuts for commonly performed tasks, the better you will remember them, and the more productive you will become when using your Windows PC.
For a more detailed list of all available keyboard shortcuts in Windows 7, visit Microsoft’s Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts page.
