Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that you can use to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to work with your PC, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other apps.
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.
Note
-
If you’re looking for new ways to use a mouse and keyboard, see Mouse and keyboard: What’s new in Windows.
Using Windows
Top keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains common keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1.
|
Press this key
|
To do this
|
|---|---|
|
Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert) |
Copy the selected item |
|
Ctrl+X |
Cut the selected item |
|
Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert) |
Paste the selected item |
|
Ctrl+Z |
Undo an action |
|
Alt+Tab |
Switch between open apps (except desktop apps) |
|
Alt+F4 |
Close the active item, or exit the active app |
|
Windows logo key
 +L |
Lock your PC or switch people |
|
Windows logo key
+D |
Display and hide the desktop |
General keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains general keyboard shortcuts that you can use in Windows.
| Press this key | To do this |
|---|---|
|
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 |
|
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+Spacebar |
Open the shortcut menu for the active window |
|
Alt+Left arrow |
Back |
|
Alt+Right arrow |
Forward |
|
Alt+Page Up |
Move up one screen |
|
Alt+Page Down |
Move down one screen |
|
Alt+Tab |
Switch between open apps (except desktop apps) |
|
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)+Spacebar |
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 |
|
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 |
|
Right arrow |
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu |
|
Left arrow |
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu |
|
Esc |
Stop or leave the current task |
Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts
.| Press this key | To do this |
|---|---|
|
Windows logo key
+F1 |
Open Windows Help and Support |
|
Windows logo key
|
Display or hide the Start screen |
|
Windows logo key
+B |
Set focus in the notification area |
|
Windows logo key
+C |
Open the Charms |
|
Windows logo key
+D |
Display and hide the desktop |
|
Windows logo key
+E |
Open File Explorer |
|
Windows logo key
+F |
Open the Search charm and search for files |
|
Windows logo key
+H |
Open the Share charm |
|
Windows logo key
+I |
Open the Settings charm |
|
Windows logo key
+K |
Open the Devices charm |
|
Windows logo key
+L |
Lock your PC or switch people |
|
Windows logo key
+M |
Minimize all windows |
|
Windows logo key
+O |
Lock device orientation |
|
Windows logo key
+P |
Choose a presentation display mode |
|
Windows logo key
+Q |
Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within the open app (if the app supports app search) |
|
Windows logo key
+R |
Open the Run dialog box |
|
Windows logo key
+S |
Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web |
|
Windows logo key
+T |
Cycle through apps on the taskbar |
|
Windows logo key
+U |
Open Ease of Access Center |
|
Windows logo key
+V |
Cycle through notifications |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+V |
Cycle through notifications in reverse order |
|
Windows logo key
+W |
Open the Search charm and search for settings |
|
Windows logo key
+X |
Open the Quick Link menu |
|
Windows logo key
+Z |
Show the commands available in the app Note
|
|
Windows logo key
+, |
Temporarily peek at the desktop |
|
Windows logo key
+Pause |
Display the System Properties dialog box |
|
Windows logo key
+Ctrl+F |
Search for PCs (if you’re on a network) |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+M |
Restore minimized windows on the desktop |
|
Windows logo key
+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. |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+number |
Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number |
|
Windows logo key
+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 |
|
Windows logo key
+Alt+number |
Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number |
|
Windows logo key
+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 |
|
Windows logo key
+Tab |
Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) |
|
Windows logo key
+Ctrl+Tab |
Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+Tab |
Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order |
|
Windows logo key
+Ctrl+B |
Switch to the app that displayed a message in the notification area |
|
Windows logo key
+Up arrow |
Maximize the window |
|
Windows logo key
+Down arrow |
Remove current app from screen or minimize the desktop window |
|
Windows logo key
+Left arrow |
Maximize the app or desktop window to the left side of the screen |
|
Windows logo key
+Right arrow |
Maximize the app or desktop window to the right side of the screen |
|
Windows logo key
+Home |
Minimize all but the active desktop window (restores all windows on second stroke) |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+Up arrow |
Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+Down arrow |
Restore/minimize active desktop windows vertically, maintaining width |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+Left arrow or Right arrow |
Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to another |
|
Windows logo key
+Spacebar |
Switch input language and keyboard layout |
|
Windows logo key
+Ctrl+Spacebar |
Change to a previously selected input |
|
Windows logo key
+Enter |
Open Narrator |
|
Windows logo key
+Shift+period (.) |
Cycle through open apps |
|
Windows logo key
+period (.) |
Cycle through open apps |
|
Windows logo key
+/ |
Initiate IME reconversion |
|
Windows logo key
+Alt+Enter |
Open WindowsMedia Center |
|
Windows logo key
+plus (+) or minus (-) |
Zoom in or out using Magnifier |
|
Windows logo key
+Esc |
Exit Magnifier |
Using apps
Internet Explorer keyboard shortcuts
You can see shortcuts for Internet Explorer at Internet Explorer shortcuts.
For more info about using keyboard shortcuts in Windows, see the Getting around your PC tutorial.
Need more help? |
-
See all support pages for personalization & ease of access.
-
Ask a question in the community forums.
