200+ Keyboard Shortcuts List You Must Know

mechanical keyboard pic to use keyboard shortcuts on

We use laptops and desktops working on Windows Operating system every day for our daily life problems. Clicking with a mouse or browsing a menu can get your task done, but everybody likes when their work gets completed early than usual. This is where shortcuts take the lead in majority of the cases. They can get your task done within a second and without the need to move your mouse or find anything on the screen. Although some people might not be accustomed of using keyboard shortcuts in their daily life. But once you adapt to them, your working efficiency and time management can get a major boost.

In this post, I have listed more than 200 keyboard shortcuts for Windows 11 which you can use daily to make your life easier.

Importany Note

These shortcuts were tested on Windows 11 Operating System and some of them might not work if you are using any previous Windows OS version.

Windows key Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Windows key  

Display or hide the Start screen

Windows key  + A

Open action center

Windows key  + B

Notification area focus

Windows key  + C

Access the Charms Menu

Windows key  + D

Display or Hide the opened Windows

Windows key  + E

Open File Explorer

Windows key  + F

Open the Feedback Hub

Windows key  + H

Activate Voice Typing

Windows key  + I

Open Settings Menu

Windows key  + K

Open the Casting Action Menu showing devices and available displays

Windows key  + L

Lock PC. Can also be used to switch between profiles

Windows key  + M

All opened windows are minimized

Windows key  + O

Device orientation gets locked

Windows key  + P

Presentation/Project display modes select menu

Windows key  + Q

Activate Search bar

Windows key  + R

Access Run commands and dialog box

Windows key  + S

Search in PC or on the internet (if not found in PC)

Windows key  + T

Access and open apps on the Taskbar

Windows key  + U

Open Accessibility settings

Windows key  + V

Open Clipboard with copy history

Windows key  + W

Open widgets

Windows key  + X

Access the Quick Link menu

Windows key  + Z

Open snaps layout panel for the currently active window

Windows key + PRNT SC

take a copy of the screen

Windows key + ,

Show desktop screen temporarily, it gets deactivated once you lift your finger from the windows key

Windows key + PAUSE

Show System Properties page (About page) in settings

Windows key + SHIFT + M

Maximize all the windows on the desktop

Windows key + (NUMBER 1-9)

Open the app pinned on the taskbar at the position of the number selected. If the app is not already running, it will be started. If the app is already opened, it will be minimized

Windows key + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9)

Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows key + ALT + (NUMBER 1-9)

Access the hump list of the app in the taskbar at the position of the number selected

Windows key + CTRL + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9)

Start a taskbar pinned app at the selected number in a new window as an administrator

Windows key + UP ARROW

Selected window gets maximized or pushed to the top of the screen

Windows key + DOWN ARROW

Selected window gets minimized or pushed to bottom of the screen

Windows key + LEFT ARROW

Selected window gets pushed to the left side of the screen

Windows key + RIGHT ARROW

Selected window gets pushed to the right side of the screen

Windows key + HOME

All the non-active windows get minimized

Windows key + SPACEBAR

Change between keyboard layout and input language

Windows key + CTRL + SPACEBAR

Option to go backwards through language options and keyboard layout

Windows key + Ctrl + Enter

Turn on the Narrator

Windows key + TAB

Open task view panel

Windows key + .

Open Most recently used menu

Windows key + F1

Open Windows Help and support

Windows key + Shift + S

Run the snipping tool

Windows key + Ctrl + D

Create a new virtual desktop workspace

Windows key + CTRL + F

Finds PCs on your network

Function Key Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

F1

Open help

F2

Rename the selected folder

F3

Search within the active window

  • similar to CTRL + F

F4

Move to the address bar in File Explorer

F5

Active window gets a refresh

F6

Select and cycle through elements on the active window

F10

Activate the Menu bar in the active app

Control Key (ctrl) Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

CTRL + ESC

Open the start menu

CTRL + mouse scroll

Increase or decrease text size

CTRL + A

select all content on the active page

CTRL + B

make text bold

CTRL + C

Copy Content

CTRL + F

Search within the active window

CTRL + H

Open search history in a browser

CTRL + I

Convert text font to italic

CTRL + L

Focus the address bar

CTRL + O

Open a file within an app

CTRL + N

Open a new window of the active app

CTRL + S

Save the file)

CTRL + W

Close the window/tab

CTRL + P

Print content on the active window

CTRL + U

Underline the text

CTRL + X

Cut content

CTRL + Y

Redo an operation

CTRL + V

Paste the copied content

CTRL + Z

Undo an operation

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Open Task Manager

Drag item + CTRL

Take a copy of the selected item

Drag item + CTRL + Shift

Create a shortcut on the selected item being dragged

CTRL + Left Arrow

move insertion point cursor at the start of previous word

CTRL + Right Arrow

move insertion point cursor at the start of next word

CTRL + Down Key

move insertion point cursor at the beginning of the next paragraph

CTRL + Up Arrow

move insertion point cursor at the beginning of the current paragraph

CTRL + Shift + Any Arrow

highlight (select) objects like text and images

Ctrl + Arrow keys (to select) + Spacebar

Select multiple items on File Explorer or desktop

CTRL + Tab

move forward through tabs in a browser

CTRL +Shift + Tab

move backward through tabs in a browser

Ctrl + number (1 – 9)

Move to the tab located at the chosen number

CTRL + Home

move to the first character in a text/document file

CTRL + End

get to the last character in a text/document file

CTRL + F10

Maximize the active window

CTRL + F5

Restore the active window

CTRL + F4

close the active window, other windows of the same app are not affected

CTRL + SHIFT + N

Create a new folder

CTRL + SHIFT + E

Display a list of all folders above the selected one

Ctrl + Shift + Number (1-8):

Switch within different layouts for folder viewing

Ctrl + Shift + Click app icon

Run application as administrator

Ctrl + Alt + Tab

View all the open applications

Alt Key Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Alt + D

focus the address bar

ALT + P

Show the preview panel

ALT + F4

Close the active window or app

Alt + F8

Show the typed password (hidden) in Sign in or Sign up screen

ALT + ESC

Move through apps just in the order they were opened before

ALT + ENTER

Open app properties for the selected item

ALT + SPACEBAR

Access the active window’s shortcut menu

Alt + UP Arrow

View the folder in which the selected folder is

ALT + LEFT ARROW

Go back to the predecessor folder/location

ALT + RIGHT ARROW

Go forward to the successor folder/location

ALT + TAB

Switch between apps, you will need to keep the alt button pressed until you get to the required app

Shift Key Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Shift + Delete

Permanently delete item without moving it to recycle bin

Shift + Click a Taskbar button

Launch a new instance of an app

Shift + right click on task bar button

Open quick menu for that app

Shift Key + F10

Display action shortcut menu (right click menu) of the selected

Shift while inserting a CD

stops the CD-ROM from playing automatically

Shift + Tab

Move backward through the options

Shift + Arrow keys

Select content in a document or a window in a group

Shift + Insert Key

Paste the copied content

  • Just like CTRL + V

Accessibility Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Left Alt + left Shift + PRINT SCREEN

Turn High Contrast on or off

Left Alt + left Shift + NUM LOCK

Switch the Mouse Keys on or off

Press Shift key 5 times

Turn on sticky keys

Hold right Shift for 8 seconds

Turn Filter Keys on or off

Press Num Lock key 5 times

Turn on or off the toggle keys

Command Prompt Keyboard Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Arrow keys

Move the cursor in the direction specified

Up/Down Arrow

Choose and cycle through the history of commands in the active session

Ctrl + A

Select all content of the currently active line

Ctrl + C or CTRL + Insert

Copy the selected text

Ctrl + F

Open console Find/search window

Page up

Move the cursor one page up

Page Down

Move the cursor one page down in the console

Ctrl + End

Get to the bottom of the console

Ctrl + Home

Get to the top of the console

Ctrl + Up arrow

Screen moved up by a line, cursor stays at same position

Ctrl + Down arrow

Screen moved down by a line, cursor stays at same position

Ctrl + Home

Get the cursor to the beginning of buffer

Ctrl + End

Get the cursor to the end of buffer

Ctrl + M

Activate Mark Mode

Ctrl + V

Paste the selected text

Left/Right arrow

Left/Right arrow

Shift + Insert

Paste the item selected

Remote PC Connection Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

ALT + HOME

Show the Start Screen

ALT + DELETE

Access the system menu

ALT + PAGE DOWN

Navigate between apps in a right to left manner

ALT + PAGE UP

Navigate between apps in a left to right manner

CTRL + ALT + END

Show the Windows Security dialog box

ALT + INSERT

Move between apps in the order that they were initially started

ALT + CTRL + BREAK

Switch between full screen and a window

CTRL + ALT + HOME

Activate the connection bar when inn full-screen mode

CTRL + ALT + +

Capture and then place a copy of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard

CTRL + ALT + –

Capture and place a copy of the active window from the client, on the Terminal server clipboard

CTRL + ALT + LEFT/RIGHT ARROW

From the Remotes Desktop, TAB out the controls to a control in the host app

Magnifier Menu Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Windows key + +

Zoom in

Windows key + –

Zoom out

CTRL + ALT + I

Invert screen colors

CTRL + ALT + L

Turn on the lens mode

CTRL + ALT + SPACEBAR

Turn on full screen mode for the desktop

CTRL + ALT + F

Turn on full-screen mode

CTRL + ALT + D

Turn on docked mode

CTRL + ALT + R

Resize the lens

CTRL + ALT + ARROW Keys

Pan in the direction of the ARROW keys

Windows key + ESC

Exit Magnifier and zoom back to normal view

Other Useful Shortcuts:

Key Combination

Shortcut Description

Home Key

Move to the beginning of the page

End Key

Move to the end of the page

Page Up Key

Move up by 1 page length

Page Down Key

Move down by 1 page length

Tab

Move forward in the options

Num Lock + Asterisk (*)

Show all the subfolders for the folder selected

Num Lock + Plus (+)

Expand the selected folder

Num Lock + Plus (-)

Collapse the selected folder