AllKeys Home
Click here to go to AllKeys home page.
Buy/Download
Click here to buy or download the latest version of AllKeys
Macro.
Help/Support
Click here to access AllKeys Macro's help database and support
page.
New!
Shortcut Tips for Windows
Shortcut Keys for Windows
One of the best ways to improve your efficiency on the keyboard is to use the operating system and application shortcut keys that are already available. Here we explain standard shortcut keys that can be used in the Windows® operating system.
General Shortcuts Command Description
| (<alt> + underlined letter) | selects item in menu or dialog box with underlined letter. |
| (<alt><space>) | opens a popup menu which gives the user the option to minimize, maximize, close, resize, and move the window |
| (<alt><tab>) or (<shift><alt><tab>) | allows you to switch between applications easily (forwards or backwards) |
| <tab> or (<shift><tab>) | move cursor sequentially through text boxes or dialog items (backwards or forwards) |
| Windows® Application Key or <shift><F10> | emulates right mouse click (see graphic below) |
| Windows® Start Key or (<control><escape>) | opens the start menu (see graphic below) |
| Windows® Start Key + Other Key combination | launches various Microsoft applications and tools |
Word Processing Command Description
| (<shift> + arrow key) | highlights one letter at a time |
| (<control> + arrow key) | move cursor one word at a time |
| (<shift><control> + arrow key) | highlights one word at a time |
File Management (Windows Explorer®) Command Description
| (<shift> + arrow key) | select multiple files |
| (<control> + arrow key) | moves the cursor up and down without highlighting |
| (<control><space>) | highlights and un-highlights the items |
Menu Access ( <alt> + underlined letter )
The most basic shortcut key available is the <alt> key used to access a window's menu. A menu can be accessed by pressing the <alt> key. After pressing the <alt> key, a letter is usually underlined for each menu item. Pressing that letter automatically opens that menu item. All major programs have this option.
Buttons, checkboxes, etc. found in popup windows usually follow this menu access rule. You will often see letters that are underlined within buttons or next to the checkboxes. If you press (<alt> + underlined letter) you can select that item.
Alt + Space
Within most applications you can resize or move a window by using the (<alt><space>) key combination. Pressing this shortcut key opens a popup menu which gives you the option to minimize, maximize, close, resize, and move the window. For the resize and move options, you can use the arrow keys to adjust the window.
Alt+Tab and Alt+Shift+Tab
(<alt><tab>) opens a window that allows you to switch between applications easily. By holding down the alt key and pressing the tab key multiple times, you can easily sequence through the open applications. Similarly to (<alt><tab>), (<shift><alt><tab>) cycles through the applications in the reverse order.
Control+Escape or the Windows® Start Key
Some keyboards have a Windows® Start key, <lwin> (see picture below). Pressing this key opens up the Start Menu usually located in the bottom left hand side of the display. If your keyboard does not have this key, the (<control><escape>) key combination does the exact same thing. The start menu contains among other things the control panel and a listing of all the applications. Items in the menu can be reached by typing the first letter of the menu item name.
Tab and Shift + Tab
<tab> and (<shift><tab>) are very useful keys when filling out forms on the internet or accessing a window with lots of options. Essentially by pressing tab multiple times, you can highlight, or direct the cursor, to a different location on the form. One example of a form on the internet is a credit card payment form. Most of these forms support tabbing where you can move the cursor from one line to the next with the tab key. The (<shift><tab>) key combination will move the cursor backwards.
Windows® Application Key
Often when using the mouse, right clicking on an item opens a popup menu with the most common commands for that application. This behavior can be emulated with the "Windows® Application" key, <app> (see picture above). Newer keyboards have this key, but if yours does not, you can press (<shift><F10>) to do the same thing. One area of use is in the Windows Explorer window. To create a new folder or rename a file, you could use this key to open up the popup menu with options such as "New Folder" and "Rename File."
Windows® Start Key of Control+Escape
Most keyboards have a Windows® Start key, <lwin>. The Windows Key is usually found on either side of the toolbar and has the Windows logo. Pressing this key opens up the Start Menu usually located in the bottom left hand side of the display. Pressing the Start Key in combination with other keys will open certain Microsoft applications or help you maneuver around the desktop. The most useful are listed below:
Windows Key opens the start menu Windows Key + B goes to the task bar Windows Key + D minimizes all windows and shows the desktop Windows Key + D press a second time and open all windows and returns to original window. Windows Key + E opens Windows Explorer Windows Key + F displays find files dialog box Windows Key + R displays the run command Windows Key + tab cycles through buttons on task bar
Shift and/or Control + Arrow Keys
These shortcut keys pertain to word processors such as Microsoft Word® and Adobe Framemaker®. These keys are also very useful when using Microsoft Excel®. The basic concept here is that Windows lets you adjust "movement keys," i.e. up, down, right, left arrows, home, end, page up, page down, using the Control (Ctrl) and Shift keys. By pressing Ctrl with a movement key, you move the cursor further. Right arrow by itself moves a character to the right, while pressing Ctrl + Right arrow moves a whole word right. By pressing Shift, you select text, cells, etc.
Below you can see how this works with the Home key. In all the examples below, I added in []'s to explain how excel interprets these short cut keys.
| Home | Goes to beginning of current line |
| Ctrl + Home | Goes to beginning of document |
| Shift + Home | Highlights from current position to beginning of line |
| Shift + Ctrl + Home | Highlights from current position to beginning of document |
Here are more examples using other movement keys
| End | Goes to end of current line |
| Ctrl + End | Goes to end of document |
| Shift + End | Highlights from current position to end of line. |
| Ctrl + Left arrow | Moves one word to the left at a time [Moves one section left at a time] |
| Ctrl + Right arrow | Moves one word to the right at a time. [Moves one section right at a time] |
| Up arrow | Moves up one line |
| Down arrow | Moves down one line |
| Ctrl + Up arrow | Moves one paragraph up at a time [Moves up one section at a time] |
| Ctrl + Down arrow | Moves one paragraph down at a time [Moves down one section at a time] |
| Shift + Ctrl + Left or Right arrow |
Highlights text one word [section] to the left or right |
| Shift + Ctrl + Up or Down arrow |
Highlights one paragraph [section] up or down |
Cutting and pasting
Once you have mastered maneuvering and selecting text, data, etc, make sure you are familiar with the cutting and pasting commands listed below.
Ctrl + A Select all text Ctrl + X or Del Cut selected item Ctrl + C Copy selected item Ctrl + V Paste - As a note, these are also available on the Mac. Use the "command" key on the Mac rather then the Ctrl key and these last 4 cutting and pasting shortcuts will work.
Note on Windows Explorer®: In addition to moving and highlighting text in word processors, the Shift/Control Arrow key behavior is also useful when navigating directories in Windows Explorer®. Multiple files can be highlighted with the (<shift> + arrow keys) combination. (<control> + arrow keys) moves the cursor up and down without highlighting. Lastly, (<control><space>) highlights and un-highlights the items that are not necessarily one after the other.
PowerPoint Shortcuts
PowerPoint is, well, not my favorite in terms of reducing mouse strain. However, it is extremely useful when you want to make a nice looking presentation that you can easily adjust later. So here are just a couple shortcuts that can make life a little easier.
<tab> or <shift><tab> - hop from object to object in a slide. Press enter if you want to go into the field to edit text. Press <esc> if you want to re-select the object.
Arrow Keys- you can move an object with the arrow keys
<control> + arrow combination: if you want fine movement use this to move an object just a smidgen.
<application key> or right mouse click - When you have selected the object, press the application key to see your editing options. Most are available right there.
Excel Shortcuts
Excel is one of my favorite windows programs. It has a neat, easy-to-follow interface that everyone is familiar with, and it is usually very reliable. Excel also has a lot of shortcut keys - so if you are using the mouse a lot --> please stop and study the shortcut keys. It will save a lot of strain on your wrists.
Here are some useful shortcut keys for excel.
| Control + arrow keys | goes to end/bottom of row/col |
| Control + space + arrow keys | selects to end/bottom of row/col |
| F2 | enters the cell entry box (the box at the top that has cell formulas or data in it) |
| F4 | makes cell reference absolute (puts the $ signs in) |
| F11 | makes graph from data selected in default format |
The following is not a shortcut key, but can be useful. In the bottom right hand corner of the Excel workbook window is a little window, which will sum the value of any group of selected cells.
