Keyboard shortcuts have been around for many years. Yet, so few people utilize this functionality of their computers.
Taking the time to learn some of the most common shortcuts in Windows, your web browser, and your productivity products can speed up how quickly things are done on your computer. With that said, I want to bring your attention some of the most common shortcuts and how they relate to Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Office products:
Shortcut | Microsoft Windows | Microsoft Internet Explorer | Microsoft Office |
Windows Key | Opens the Start Menu | N/A | N/A |
Windows Key + R | Opens the Run box to input a Command | N/A | N/A |
F1 | Lauches Windows Help & Support | Opens the Help area for the browser | Opens the help area for the application |
F3 | Opens a dialogue to search your computer | Opens a dialogue to find content on the current page | Opens a dialogue to find content within the current document or folder |
F5 | Refreshes the content of your active screen | Reloads the current web page | Varies depending on the program |
CTRL+C | Copies the selected file or folder | Copies the selected text and/or image | Copies the selected text, cells, messages, or images |
CTRL+X | Moves the selected file or folder | Only usable in the address bar to remove text | Moves the selected text, cells, messages, or images |
CTRL+V | Pastes files or folders that were copied or cut | Pastes content that was copied into a form or the address bar | Pastes text, cells, messages, or images |
CTRL+S | Functionality varies depending on area of Windows | Saves the current web page to a location on your computer | Saves the current document |
CTRL+P | Functionality varies depending on area of Windows | Opens the print dialogue to for the current web page | Opens a dialogue to print the current document |
ALT+F4 | Closes the current application & Windows | Closes the current IE window and all active tabs | Closes the open application |
CTRL+F4 | Functionality varies depending on area of Windows | Closes the active tab | Closes the active document or email |
CTRL+N | Functionality varies depending on area of Windows | Creates a new IE window | Creates a new document or email |
CTRL+T | N/A | Creates a new tab in IE | N/A |
This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are some of the most-commonly used shortcuts. Many work across other operating systems, web browsers, and applications.
For more information on shortcuts, see these links:
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449
Internet Explorer Shortcuts: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306832