In plain words
A keyboard shortcut is a secret passage in a building: instead of taking the lift, walking down three corridors and pushing two doors with the mouse, you arrive straight at your destination. A dozen passages are enough to save several minutes every day.
The Windows key (the logo to the left of the space bar) is the key to most shortcuts. Hold it down, then press the second key.
The ten you really need
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Windows + E |
Open File Explorer |
Windows + D |
Show the desktop (and back to the windows) |
Windows + L |
Lock the session, as soon as you leave your desk |
Windows + V |
Clipboard history: find what you copied earlier |
Windows + Shift + S |
Capture an area of the screen |
Alt + Tab |
Switch from one window to another |
Ctrl + Shift + Esc |
Open Task Manager directly |
Windows + I |
Open Settings |
Windows + . |
Emoji and special symbols |
Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y |
Undo / redo, almost everywhere |
Tip
Clipboard history (Windows + V) is off by default. The first time, Windows offers to turn it on: accept, it is one of the handiest shortcuts.
Arranging windows
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Windows + ← or → |
Snap the window to the left or right half of the screen |
Windows + ↑ |
Maximise the window |
Windows + ↓ |
Minimise or restore the window |
Windows + Z |
Choose a layout (two, three or four windows side by side) |
Windows + Tab |
View all windows and virtual desktops |
Windows + Ctrl + D |
Create a new virtual desktop |
Windows + Ctrl + ← or → |
Switch between virtual desktops |
Windows + Shift + ← or → |
Move the window to the other screen |
Text and files
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl + C / X / V |
Copy / cut / paste |
Ctrl + Shift + V |
Paste without formatting (in many apps) |
Ctrl + A |
Select all |
Ctrl + F |
Find in the page or document |
F2 |
Rename the selected file |
Shift + Delete |
Delete permanently, without going through the Recycle Bin |
Alt + Enter |
Properties of the selected file |
System and troubleshooting
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Windows + X |
Advanced menu: Device Manager, Terminal, Disk Management… |
Windows + R |
"Run" box to launch a command |
Windows + Pause |
System information |
Windows + A |
Quick settings: Wi-Fi, sound, brightness |
Windows + N |
Notifications and calendar |
Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B |
Wake the display (the graphics driver is restarted) when the screen is black or frozen |
In browsers
Ctrl + T opens a tab, Ctrl + W closes it, and Ctrl + Shift + T reopens the last tab closed by mistake.