There are shortcut keys for almost anything you can think of. Most of them involve
keyboard cords (holding down more than one key at a time). Below is a table listing
some of the more useful keyboard shortcuts for Windows.
| Key Sequence | Shortcut Discription |
|---|
| WINDOWS KEY (WIN) | Access the Start Menu (you can also use CNTRL-ESC). |
| WIN+PAUSE/BREAK | Access System Properties control panel |
| WIN+R | Access the Run dialog. |
| WIN+L | Lock your computer screen |
| WIN+F | Search for files or folders (find) |
| WIN+D | Minimize or Restore a window |
| WIN+U | Access the utility manager |
| WIN+F1 | Access Windows Help & Support |
| WIN+E | Open Windows Explorer |
| SHIFT+DEL | Delete something without being asked for confirmation |
| CNTRL+ALT+DEL | Access the Task Manager |
| ALT+TAB | Cycle/switch between running programs |
| ALT+ENTER | Switch the command prompt or Windows Media Player to full screen mode |
You can even make your own keyboard shortcuts for opening specific applications
that you use many times throughout the day. For instance, I've created a keyboard
shortcut for opening Internet Explorer.
Simply right-click an application shortcut in the Start menu or on the desktop
and choose Properties. If not already selected, click the Shortcut tab. Now,
on this tab click in the Shortcut key: box and press the desired key
sequence. One requirement of Windows is that user defined shortcuts have
at least two modifies (like CNTRL, ALT, or SHIFT and/or a function key or key on
the numberpad. Once you've assigned your key sequence, click the OK
button to close the dialog and save your new settings.
Note: If you want to remove your shortcut, follow the same procedure
as assigning a new shortcut. When assigning the key sequence in the
Shortcut key: box press the BACKSPACE key to remove the shortcut.
