Programs · 101 shortcuts

Windows keyboard shortcuts

The shortcuts that work across Windows 11 and Windows 10, grouped by what you are doing. They follow Microsoft's own published list, read on 12 November 2026, reworded and trimmed to the ones most people can use. Where Windows 10 behaves differently, the line says so.

The ten to learn first

If you learn nothing else on this page, learn these. Together they remove most of the reaching for the mouse in an ordinary day.

Win + D shows the desktop, and brings your windows back when pressed again.
Alt + Tab switches between open windows.
Win + E opens File Explorer.
Win + L locks the computer when you leave your desk.
Win + V opens the clipboard history, so that you can paste something you copied earlier. Windows asks you to switch the history on the first time.
Win + Shift + S captures part of the screen.
Win + Left arrow and Win + Right arrow put two windows side by side.
Win + . (period) opens the emoji panel.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager when a program stops responding.
F2 renames the selected file.

"Win" is the key with the Windows logo, between Ctrl and Alt.

Find a shortcut on this page

Windows and the desktop

Keys	What it does
`Win`	Open or close the Start menu
`Win` + `D`	Show the desktop, or bring the windows back
`Win` + `M`	Minimise all windows
`Win` + `Shift` + `M`	Restore the minimised windows
`Win` + `Home`	Minimise or restore every window except the active one
`Win` + `Up arrow`	Maximise the active window
`Win` + `Down arrow`	Minimise the active window
`Win` + `Left arrow`	Snap the window to the left half of the screen
`Win` + `Right arrow`	Snap the window to the right half of the screen
`Win` + `Z`	Open the snap layouts (Windows 11)
`Win` + `Shift` + `Left arrow` or `Win` + `Shift` + `Right arrow`	Move the window to the next monitor
`Alt` + `Tab`	Switch between open windows
`Alt` + `Esc`	Go through windows in the order they were opened
`Alt` + `F4`	Close the active window. On the desktop, offer to shut down
`Win` + `Tab`	Open Task View
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `D`	Add a new desktop
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `Left arrow` or `Win` + `Ctrl` + `Right arrow`	Move between desktops
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `F4`	Close the current desktop
`Win` + `L`	Lock the computer
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Del`	Open the security screen: lock, switch user, sign out, Task Manager
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Esc`	Open Task Manager

Opening things with the Windows key

Keys	What it does
`Win` + `E`	Open File Explorer
`Win` + `I`	Open Settings
`Win` + `R`	Open the Run box
`Win` + `S` or `Win` + `Q`	Open search
`Win` + `X`	Open the Quick Link menu, the same as right-clicking Start
`Win` + `A`	Open quick settings (Windows 11) or the action centre (Windows 10)
`Win` + `N`	Open the notification centre and calendar (Windows 11)
`Win` + `W`	Open Widgets (Windows 11)
`Win` + `V`	Open the clipboard history
`Win` + `.` or `Win` + `;`	Open the emoji panel
`Win` + `H`	Start voice typing
`Win` + `P`	Choose how to show the screen on a projector or second display
`Win` + `K`	Open Cast, to connect to a wireless display
`Win` + `U`	Open the Accessibility settings
`Win` + `Pause`	Open the About page of Settings
`Win` + `G`	Open the Game Bar
`Win` + `Space`	Switch input language and keyboard layout
`Win` + `Ctrl` + `Enter`	Turn Narrator on
`Win` + `Plus`	Zoom in with Magnifier
`Win` + `Esc`	Close Magnifier

Screenshots and recording

Keys	What it does
`Win` + `Shift` + `S`	Select part of the screen and copy it to the clipboard
`PrtScn`	Windows 11: start the same screen snip. Windows 10: copy the whole screen to the clipboard
`Win` + `PrtScn`	Save a picture of the whole screen in Pictures, Screenshots
`Alt` + `PrtScn`	Copy a picture of the active window to the clipboard
`Win` + `Shift` + `R`	Select a region to record as a video (Windows 11)

On many laptops, PrtScn shares a key and needs Fn held as well.

The taskbar

Keys	What it does
`Win` + `1 to 9`	Open the app pinned at that position on the taskbar, or switch to it
`Win` + `Shift` + `1 to 9`	Open a new window of that app
`Win` + `Alt` + `1 to 9`	Open the jump list of that app
`Win` + `T`	Move through the apps on the taskbar
`Win` + `B`	Move to the first icon in the notification area

File Explorer

Keys	What it does
`Win` + `E`	Open File Explorer
`Ctrl` + `N`	Open a new window
`Ctrl` + `T`	Open a new tab (Windows 11)
`Ctrl` + `W`	Close the tab, or the window if it is the last tab
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `N`	Create a new folder
`F2`	Rename the selected item
`Delete` or `Ctrl` + `D`	Move the selected item to the Recycle Bin
`Shift` + `Delete`	Delete permanently, without the Recycle Bin
`Alt` + `Enter`	Show the properties of the selected item
`Alt` + `Up arrow`	Go up one folder
`Alt` + `Left arrow` or `Backspace`	Go back to the previous folder
`Alt` + `Right arrow`	Go forward
`Alt` + `D` or `Ctrl` + `L`	Select the address bar
`Ctrl` + `E` or `Ctrl` + `F`	Select the search box
`Alt` + `P`	Show or hide the preview pane
`F5`	Refresh the window
`F11`	Full screen on or off
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `1 to 9`	Change the view: for example 2 is large icons and 6 is details
`Ctrl` + `mouse wheel`	Change the size of the icons
`Shift` + `F10`	Open the right-click menu for the selected item
`Ctrl` + `A`	Select everything in the folder

Editing text

These work in almost every program on Windows.

Keys	What it does
`Ctrl` + `C` or `Ctrl` + `Insert`	Copy
`Ctrl` + `X`	Cut
`Ctrl` + `V` or `Shift` + `Insert`	Paste
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste as plain text, in programs that support it
`Ctrl` + `Z`	Undo
`Ctrl` + `Y`	Redo
`Ctrl` + `A`	Select all
`Ctrl` + `F`	Find
`Ctrl` + `H`	Find and replace
`Ctrl` + `B`	Bold
`Ctrl` + `I`	Italic
`Ctrl` + `U`	Underline
`Ctrl` + `Left arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Right arrow`	Move one word left or right
`Ctrl` + `Up arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Down arrow`	Move one paragraph up or down
`Home` or `End`	Go to the start or end of the line
`Ctrl` + `Home` or `Ctrl` + `End`	Go to the start or end of the document
`Shift` + `any movement key`	Select as the cursor moves
`Ctrl` + `Backspace`	Delete the word to the left
`Ctrl` + `Del`	Delete the word to the right

Dialog boxes and menus

Keys	What it does
`Tab`	Move to the next option
`Shift` + `Tab`	Move to the previous option
`Ctrl` + `Tab`	Move to the next tab
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Tab`	Move to the previous tab
`Space`	Tick or clear a check box
`Alt` + `underlined letter`	Choose the option with that letter underlined
`Esc`	Cancel, or close the dialog box
`F10`	Move to the menu bar of the active window
`Alt` + `Space`	Open the window's own menu: restore, move, size, minimise, close
`F4`	Open the list in the active box

Things worth knowing

Deleting with Shift + Delete has no undo. The file does not go to the Recycle Bin. Use plain Delete unless you are certain.

Clipboard history must be switched on once. Press Win + V and accept the offer. From then on, the last several things you copied are kept until the computer restarts, and you can pin the ones you use often.

Snap is the quickest way to compare two documents. Press Win + Left arrow on one window, then choose the second from the pictures Windows offers for the other half.

A second desktop keeps work apart. Win + Ctrl + D makes one. Put your email on one desktop and the report you are writing on another, and move between them with Win + Ctrl and an arrow.

Some keys depend on the keyboard. Compact laptops put Home, End, PrtScn and the F keys behind the Fn key. If a shortcut does nothing, try it with Fn held down. A Copilot key on newer keyboards opens Microsoft's assistant or, where that is not available, Windows search.

Programs can take over a shortcut. Windows provides the defaults listed here, but an individual program is free to use a combination for something else.

This is an independent reference site. It is not connected with Microsoft, Apple, Google or any other maker of the programs named here. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to say where a shortcut works. Programs change; if a shortcut does not work for you, check the program's own help.