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.
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.
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
Related Post: 15 Best Brower Tips and Tricks to make your life easy
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
