50+ Windows keyboard shortcuts that effectively improved my work productivity

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Home windows has a ton of keyboard shortcuts for useful actions in Home windows 11.
• Most individuals solely know the fundamentals: CTRL and C to repeat textual content. 
• Mastering these shortcuts may also help increase your general productiveness with much less clicks and quicker navigation.

Keyboard shortcuts have been a staple characteristic in Home windows for many years, however most customers solely know the fundamentals. At first look, they do not appear all that helpful since you may also do these actions along with your mouse, however I problem you to attempt them over the course of a workday; I wager you may discover a lift in productiveness. 

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There are many various kinds of shortcuts in Home windows 11, however one of the best ones prevent time by changing the necessity to click on by way of completely different context menus. A couple of of those are common throughout purposes and platforms. Ctrl + C, for instance, copies textual content or information in any app, from Microsoft Phrase to images in Google Drive. 

Here is an inventory of greater than 50 Home windows PC keyboard shortcuts you must know.

Productiveness shortcuts

Productiveness shortcuts are the important thing combos you may end up utilizing probably the most. They’re simple to make use of and enable you handle your work. Over time, these keystrokes turn out to be second nature.

1. Ctrl + C — Copy highlighted textual content or a file.
2. Ctrl + V — Paste no matter you simply copied. Retains the textual content’s format.
3. Ctrl + Shift + V – Paste no matter you copied, however it removes the formatting.
4. Home windows key (Win, for brief) + V — Opens the Clipboard software, which accommodates an inventory of beforehand copied textual content. This helps in conditions the place you would possibly’ve “erased” the earlier copied merchandise.
5. Ctrl + X — Cuts the highlighted merchandise. Ctrl + V restores it.
6. Ctrl + Z — Undoes the final motion, resembling restoring deleted textual content or returning a moved file.
7. Ctrl + Y — Redoes the motion that was simply undone.
8. Ctrl + F — Opens the Discover software, so you possibly can seek for particular phrases or phrases.
9. Ctrl + A — Spotlight each single merchandise in a window or textual content in a doc.
10. Ctrl + S — Fast save your work.
11. Ctrl + Backspace — Delete all the earlier phrase
12. Ctrl + Delete — Delete all the subsequent phrase.

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Accessibility shortcuts

Home windows 11 has varied accessibility shortcuts that make the OS simpler to make use of. These shortcuts assist individuals with motion limitations or situations which will prohibit their utilization of Home windows. That stated, anyone can use them to enhance their expertise.

1. Win + Plus (+) — Prompts the Magnifier software and mechanically zooms in on the display.
2. Win + Minus (-) — Zooms out whereas the Magnifier software is activated. Hitting Win + Esc exits out of Magnifier.
3. Win + Ctrl + Enter — Launches Narrator, a text-to-speech operate that verbally describes what’s on display.
4. Press the Shift key 5 instances in succession — Activates Sticky keys, which change how shortcuts work so you do not have to press and maintain a number of keys to set off them. For instance, below Sticky Keys, double-tapping Ctrl then C has the identical impact as Ctrl + C.
5. Ctrl + E — Opens the search bar. This works throughout Home windows 11 and net browser apps.
6. Left Shift + Left Alt + Print Display — Toggles excessive distinction mode for simpler readability.
7. Left Shift + Left Alt + Num Lock — Toggles Mouse Keys, which helps you to management the cursor utilizing the numeric keypad. 
8. Win + Ctrl + C — Toggles coloration filters like grayscale. The filters may be modified within the Accessibility menu to invert colours or assist individuals with deuteranopia (also called red-green coloration blindness).
9. Win + U — Opens the Accessibility menu in Settings, the place you possibly can activate or deactivate accessibility-related options.
10. Win + Ctrl + O — Opens the on-screen keyboard.

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Navigation shortcuts

Navigation shortcuts enable customers to maneuver round completely different apps on Home windows 11 with out ever needing to carry their fingers off the keyboard. They’re particularly helpful for multitaskers juggling a number of applications directly. When you grasp them, navigating your PC will really feel seamless.

1. Ctrl + Alt + Tab — Reveals all open apps. Use the arrow keys to hop from one to the opposite.
2. Win + S — Opens Home windows Search.
3. Win + Tab — Opens Job View, revealing all open home windows and all open desktops. 
4. Win + D — Hides each window in your desktop. Urgent the keys once more reveals them.
5. Win + Left or Proper Directional Arrow — Snaps the present window to the facet of the display that the arrow is pointing to.
6. Win + Up Arrow — Maximizes a window.
7. Win + Down Arrow — Minimizes the identical window.
8. Win + Ctrl + D — Create a brand new desktop.
9. Win + Ctrl + F4 — Closes a desktop.
10. Win + Quantity Key — Opens a taskbar app pinned to that quantity. For instance, Win + 3 might open Microsoft Edge whereas Win + 4 opens the Microsoft Retailer.

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File Administration shortcuts

The Home windows 11 File Explorer has its personal set of keyboard shortcuts to assist customers reorganize folders and information. As an alternative of right-clicking by way of menus or dragging objects round to scrub up litter, these easy key presses make managing paperwork a breeze.

1. Win + E — Opens File Explorer.
2. F2 — Rename the chosen file or folder. Relying on the keyboard, you may additionally have to carry Fn.
3. F3 — Opens search bar to find information.
4. F4 — Selects the tackle bar on the prime.
5. F5 — Refresh the window.
6. F6 — Cycle by way of elements of an lively window.
7. Shift + Delete — Completely deletes an merchandise. Hitting simply Delete solely sends the file to the recycling bin.
8. Shift + F10 — Open Context Menu for a specific merchandise.
9. Ctrl + N — Opens a brand new File Explorer window. It stays on the web page of the earlier window.
10. Ctrl + Shift + N — Create a brand new folder.
11. Alt + Enter — Opens the Properties window for a file and folder.
12. Alt + Left or Proper Arrow — Transfer ahead or backward by way of your File Explorer Historical past.
13. Alt + Up Arrow — Return one folder degree.

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Browser shortcuts

Browser shortcuts are just like Productiveness shortcuts in that they do comparable issues, like copying and pasting objects or highlighting total paperwork. Nevertheless, there are a couple of distinctive instruments, like the power to create tabs. The next have been examined and confirmed to work throughout varied browsers: Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

1. Ctrl + T — Open a brand new tab.
2. Ctrl + Shift + T — Reopen the final closed tab. (This one is large!)
3. Ctrl + W — Shut the present tab.
4. Ctrl + Tab — Transfer proper by way of tabs.
5. Ctrl + Shift + Tab — Transfer left by way of the tabs.
6. Ctrl + Shift + N — Open new personal looking window. On Firefox, that is Ctrl + Shift + P.
7. Alt + Left or Proper Arrow — Transfer forwards and backwards by way of tab historical past.
8. Ctrl + D — Bookmark web page.
9. Ctrl + H — Open browser historical past.
10. Ctrl + N — Open a model new browser window.