Accelerator Keys: Most
apps also provide accelerator keys that can make it easier to work with
menus and other commands. Check the menus of apps for accelerator keys.
If a letter of a word is underlined in a menu, it usually means you can
press the Alt key and the underlined key together instead of clicking
that menu item. When you’re using a touch keyboard, you can also see
some shortcuts when you press the Ctrl key.
Pressing the Alt key in some apps, such
as Paint and WordPad, shows commands that are labeled with additional
keys that you can press to use them.
Windows 8 Shortcut Keys
- Win+Start Typing:Search your PC
- Win+B: Set focus in the notification area
- Win+C: Open the charms. In an app, open the commands for the app
- Win+D: Display and hide the desktop
- Win+E: Open File Explorer
- Win+F: Open the Search charm and search for files
- Win+H: Open the Share charm
- Win+I: Open the Settings charm
- Win+K: Open the Devices charm
- Win+L: Lock your PC or switch people
- Win+M: Minimize all windows
- Win+O: Lock device orientation
- Win+P: Choose a presentation display mode
- Win+Q: Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within the open app (if the app supports app search)
- Win+R: Open the Run dialog box
- Win+S: Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web
- Win+T: Cycle through apps on the Taskbar
- Win+U: Open Ease of Access Center
- Win+V: Cycle through notifications
- Win+W: Open the Search charm to search settings
- Win+X: Open the Quick Link menu
- Win+Z: Show the commands available in the app
- Win+Space-bar: Switch input language and keyboard layout
- Win+Ctrl+Space-bar: Change to a previously selected input
- Win+Tab: Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
- Win+Ctrl+Tab: Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
- Win+Shift+Tab : Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order
- Win+Shift+period (.) : Snaps an app to the left
- Win+period (.): Cycle through open apps Or Enter rearrange mode and select apps or dividers across monitors
- Win+F1: Open Windows Help and Support
- Win: Display or hide the Start screen
- Win+Z: Show the commands available in the app
- Win+Shift+V: Cycle through notifications in reverse order
- Win+Plus(+): Temporarily peek at the desktop
- Win+Pause: Display the System Properties dialog box
- Win+Ctrl+F: Search for PCs
- Win+Shift+M: Restore minimized windows on the desktop
- Win+number: Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, switch to that app.
- Win+Shift+number: Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
- Win+Ctrl+number: Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
- Win+Alt+Number: Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
- Win+Ctrl+Shift+Number:Open the desktop and open a new instance of the app located at the given position on the taskbar as an administrator
- Win+Tab: Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
- Win+Ctrl+Tab: Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
- Win+Shift+Tab: Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order
- Win+Ctrl+B: Switch to the app that displayed a message in the notification area
- Win+Up arrow: Maximize the window Or Maximize app Or Close app
- Win+Down arrow: Remove current app from screen or minimize the desktop window
- Win+Left arrow: Maximize the app or desktop window to the left side of the screen Or Move app divider left
- Win+Right arrow: Maximize the app or desktop window to the right side of the screen Or Move app divider right
- Win+Home: Minimize all but the active desktop window (restores all windows on second stroke)
- Win+Shift+Up arrow: Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen
- Win+Shift+Down arrow: Restore/minimize active desktop windows vertically, maintaining width
- Win+Shift+Left arrow or Right arrow: Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to another
- Win+Space-bar: Switch input language and keyboard layout
- Win+Ctrl+Space-bar:Change to a previously selected input
- Win+Enter: Open Narrator
- Win+Shift+period (.): Cycle through open apps
- Win+period (.): Cycle through open apps
- Win+/: Initiate IME re-conversion
- Win+Alt+Enter: Open Windows-Media Center
- Win+plus (+) or minus (-): Zoom in or out using Magnifier
- Win+Esc: Exit Magnifier Or Exit rearrange mode
- Esc: Stop or exit the current task
- F1: Display Help
- F2: Rename the selected item
- F3: Search for a file or folder
- F4: Display the address bar list in File Explorer
- F5: Refresh the active window
- F6: Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
- F10: Activate the Menu bar in the active app
- Ctrl+F4: Close the active document (in apps that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
- Ctrl+A: Select all items in a document or window
- Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert): Copy the selected item
- Ctrl+D (or Delete): Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
- Ctrl+R (or F5): Refresh the active window
- Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert): Paste the selected item
- Ctrl+X: Cut the selected item
- Ctrl+Y: Redo an action
- Ctrl+Z: Undo an action
- Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-): Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen
- Ctrl+ mouse Scroll Wheel: Change the size of desktop icons or zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen
- Ctrl+Right arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
- Ctrl+Left arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
- Ctrl+Down arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
- Ctrl+Up arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
- Ctrl+Alt+Tab: Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps
- Ctrl+arrow key (to move to an item)+Space-bar: Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
- Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key: Select a block of text
- Ctrl+Esc: Open the Start screen
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc: Open Task Manager
- Ctrl+Shift: Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available
- Ctrl+Spacebar: Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off
- Ctrl+Alt+Break: Switch between a window and full screen
- Ctrl+Alt+End: Display the Windows Security dialog box
- Ctrl+Alt+Home: In full-screen mode, activate the connection bar
- Ctrl+Alt+minus (-) on the numeric keypad: Place a copy of the active window, within the client, on the Terminal server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Alt+Print Screen on a local PC)
- Ctrl+Alt+plus (+) on the numeric keypad: Place a copy of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Print Screen on a local PC)
- Ctrl+Alt+Right arrow: “Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host app (for example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls are embedded in another (host) app.
- Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-): Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen
- Ctrl+scroll wheel: Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen
- Ctrl+Alt+Left arrow: “Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host app (for example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls are embedded in another (host) app.
- Ctrl+Tab: Move forward through tabs
- Ctrl+Shift+Tab: Move back through tabs
- Ctrl+Number (0,1,2…): Move to nth tab
- Ctrl+F: Search the current topic
- Ctrl+E: Select the search box
- Ctrl+P: Print a topic
- Ctrl+N: Open a new window
- Ctrl+W: Close the current window
- Ctrl+mouse scroll wheel:Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
- Ctrl+Shift+E: Display all folders above the selected folder
- Ctrl+Shift+N: Create a new folder
- Ctrl+Shift+click a Taskbar button: Open an app as an administrator
- Ctrl+Click a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the windows of the group
- Ctrl+Alt+Space-bar: Preview the desktop in full-screen mode
- Ctrl+Alt+D: Switch to docked mode
- Ctrl+Alt+F: Switch to full-screen mode
- Ctrl+Alt+I: Invert colors
- Ctrl+Alt+L: Switch to lens mode
- Ctrl+Alt+R: Resize the lens
- Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys: Pan in the direction of the arrow keys
- Caps Lock+D: Read item
- Caps Lock+M: Start reading
- Caps Lock+H: Read document
- Caps Lock+V: Repeat phrase
- Caps Lock+W: Read window
- Caps Lock+Page Up or Page Down: Increase or decrease the volume of the voice
- Caps Lock+plus (+) or minus (-): Increase or decrease the speed of the voice
- Caps Lock+Space-bar: Do default action
- Caps Lock+Left or Right arrows: Move to previous/next item
- Caps Lock+F2: Show commands for current item
- Press Caps Lock twice in quick succession: Turn Caps Lock on or off
- Caps Lock+Esc: Exit Narrator
- Ctrl: Stop reading
- Right arrow: Open the next menu to the right, or open a sub-menu
- Left arrow: Open the next menu to the left, or close a sub-menu
- Tab: Move forward through options
- Alt+underlined letter: Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
- Alt+F4: Close the active item, or exit the active app
- Alt+Esc: Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
- Alt+underlined letter: Perform the command for that letter
- Alt+Enter: Display properties for the selected item
- Alt+Space-bar: Open the shortcut menu for the active window
- Alt+Left arrow: Move Back
- Alt+Right arrow: Move Forward
- Alt+Page Up: Move up one screen OR Move between apps from left to right
- Alt+Page Down: Move down one screen OR Move between apps from right to left
- Alt+Tab: Switch between open apps (except desktop apps)
- Alt+Insert: Cycle through apps in the order that they were started
- Alt+Home: Display the Start screen Or Display the Help and Support home page
- Alt+Delete: Display the system menu
- Alt+A: Display the customer support page
- Alt+C: Display the Table of Contents
- Alt+D: Select the address bar
- Alt+N: Display the Connection Settings menu
- Alt+P: Display the preview pane
- Alt+Enter: Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item
- Alt+Right arrow: View the next folder
- Alt+Up arrow: View the folder that the folder was in
- Alt+Left arrow: View the previous folder
- Backspace: Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box Or View the previous folder
- Arrow keys: Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
- Home: Display the top of the active window Or Move to the beginning of a topic
- End: Display the bottom of the active window Or Move to the end of a topic
- Shift+Tab: Move back through options
- Shift+F10: Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
- Shift with any arrow key: Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
- Shift+Delete: Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
- Shift+Click a Taskbar button: Shift+click a Taskbar button
- Shift+right-click a Taskbar button: Show the window menu for the app
- Shift+right-click a grouped Taskbar button: Show the window menu for the group
- Right Shift for eight seconds: Turn Filter Keys on and off
- Left Alt+left Shift+Print Screen: Turn High Contrast on or off
- Left Alt+left Shift+Num Lock: Turn Mouse Keys on or off
- Shift five times: Turn Sticky Keys on or off
- Num Lock for five seconds: Turn Toggle Keys on or off
- Num Lock+asterisk (*): Display all sub-folders under the selected folder
- Num Lock+plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder
- Num Lock+minus (-): Collapse the selected folder
