Desktop shortcuts

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Activate Menu bar Alt
File menu Alt+F
Edit menu Alt+E
View menu Alt+V
Undo the last operation Ctrl+Z
Redo the last operation Ctrl+Y
Cut the selected area and store it in the clipboard Ctrl+X or ⇧ Shift+Del
Copy the selected area into the clipboard Ctrl+C, or Ctrl+Ins
Paste contents of clipboard at cursor Ctrl+V, or ⇧ Shift+Ins
Paste special Ctrl+Alt+V
Select everything in focused control or window Ctrl+A
Toggle between installed keyboard languages ⇧ Shift+Alt

[edit] Text editing

Many of these commands may be combined with ⇧ Shift to select a region of text. [1]

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

start of line Home
end of line End
start of document Ctrl + Home
end of document Ctrl + End
previous word Ctrl+←
next word Ctrl+→
previous line break Ctrl+↑
next line break Ctrl+↓
Ctrl+f

search
Ctrl+h (Search and Replace)
F3 (Next Search Result)

[edit] Web browsers

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Bookmarks menu Ctrl+B
URL Shortcuts (Adds www. + .com) Ctrl+↵ Enter
URL Shortcuts (Adds www. + .org) Ctrl+⇧ Shift+↵ Enter
URL Shortcuts (Adds www. + .net) ⇧ Shift +↵ Enter
Add a bookmark for the current location Ctrl+D
Manage bookmarks Ctrl+B
Refresh a Webpage

[edit] Go menu
 Action Windows XP / Vista / 7
Go to Browser
Go to the previous location in history Alt+← or ← Backspace(Internet Explorer)
Go to the next location in history Alt+→
Alt+↑(Vista only) or ← Backspace(Windows
Go up one level in the navigation hierarchy
Explorer)
Go to the starting page defined by the user or
Alt+Home
application

[edit] Text formatting

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Make selected text bold/regular Ctrl+B
Toggle underlining of selected text Ctrl+U
Make selected text italic/regular Ctrl+I
Change to upper/lower case ⇧ Shift+F3
Make selected text superscript Ctrl+⇧ Shift++
Make selected text subscript Ctrl++

[edit] Window management

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Alt+Tab ⇆ /
Switch to next/previous focused window
⇧ Shift+Alt+Tab ⇆
Alt+Esc /
Switch focus to the next/previous window (without
dialog)
⇧ Shift+Alt+Esc
Switch focus to the next/previous panel on the desktop
Switch focus to the next/previous panel (without
dialog)
Pop up window menu Alt+Space
Alt+F4 or Ctrl+F4 or Alt+Space
Close the focused window
then C or Ctrl + W
Restore the focused window to its previous size Alt+Space then R
Move the focused window Alt+Space then M then Arrow Keys
Resize the focused window Alt+Space then S then Arrow Keys
Alt+Space then N, or ⊞ Win+↓
Minimize the focused window
(Windows 7 only)
Alt+Space then X, or ⊞ Win+↑
Maximize the focused window
(Windows 7 only)
Maximize horizontally
⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+↑ (Windows 7
Maximize vertically
only)
⌘
Minimize all ⊞ Win+M or ⊞ Win+D Cmd+Alt+M
 Minimize all non focused windows ⊞ Win+Home (Windows 7 only?)
Undo minimize all ⇧ Shift+⊞ Win+M
Switch fullscreen/normal size F11
Show the window in full screen mode, with no border,
menubar, toolbar or statusbar
Rollup/down window
Move window to left/right/up/down workspace ⊞ Win+ctrl+arrow keys
Move window to desktop X
Switch to next/previous desktop
Switch to next/previous desktop list
Go to desktop X ⊞ Win +D
Go to left/right/up/down desktop
Show / hide desktop ⊞ Win+D
Activate window demanding attention
Kill window Alt+F4 or Ctrl+F4 varies [2]
Close dialog Esc

[edit] Widget navigation

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Moves keyboard focus to next/previous control Tab ⇆ / ⇧ Shift+Tab ⇆
Pop up tooltip for currently focused control ⇧ Shift+F1
Show context-sensitive help for currently focused window or control ⇧ Shift+F1
Give focus to next/previous pane Ctrl+F6 / Alt+F6
Give focus to splitter bar in paned window
Give focus to window's menu bar F10 or Alt
Pop up contextual menu for currently selected objects ⇧ Shift+F10 or Menu
Toggle selected state of focused checkbox, radio button, or toggle Space
button
Activate focused button, menu item etc. ↵ Enter
Select/move to first/last item in selected widget
Scroll selected view by one page up/left/down/right

[edit] Tab management

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Create new tab Ctrl+T
Close current tab Ctrl+W
Go to next/previous tab Ctrl+Tab ⇆ / Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ⇆

[edit] Desktop navigation

Action Windows XP / Vista / 7

Run new application ⊞ Win+R
Open new browser window with same page as Alt+( D then ↵ Enter )
current
 Ctrl+N (Explorer / Internet Explorer)
Start menu / Applications menu ⊞ Win or Ctrl+Esc
Copy a screenshot to clipboard Print Screen or Ctrl+Print Screen
Copy a screenshot of window to clipboard Alt+Print Screen
Lock desktop ⊞ Win+L or Ctrl+Alt+Space
⊞ Win+D or
Show desktop ⊞ Win+M (then use ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+M to bring back all
windows)
Switch active user ⊞ Win+L [4]
Task manager Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Delete[5]
Rename file F2

[edit] Command line shortcuts

Below is a list of common keyboard shortcuts that are used in a command line environment.

Microsoft
Unix/Linux/Mac
Microsoft Windows Windows
Action OS X
(cmd.exe) (Windows
(bash)
PowerShell)
Scroll through History of
↑/↓ ↑/↓ ↑/↓
typed commands
Signal end-of-file Ctrl+Z Ctrl+D
Abort current
Ctrl+C Ctrl+C Ctrl+C
command/typing
Erase word to the left Ctrl+W
Erase word to the right Alt+D
Erase line to the left Esc Ctrl+U
Erase line to the right Esc Ctrl+End Ctrl+K
Move one word to the left
Ctrl+← Ctrl+← Alt+B
(backward)
Move one word to the right
Ctrl+→ Ctrl+→ Alt+F
(forward)
Move to beginning of line Home
Move to end of line End
Reverse search of history F7
Stop execution of the current
job
Insert the next character
typed verbatim
Autocomplete command/file Tab ⇆ (if enabled eg. via
name TweakUI)
⇧ Shift+PageUp (older versions of
Scroll window up
Windows XP only)
⇧ Shift+PageDown (older versions
Scroll window down
of Windows XP only)
Win = Start Menu,

Win + Pause = System Properties,

Win + D = Show Desktop,

Win + M = Minimize all windows,

Win + E = Launch Win Explorer (@ My Computer),

Win + R = Run Command,

Win + Shift + M = Maximize all windows,

Win + L (XP) = Lock OS,

Alt + Tab = Shift between Windows,

Alt + Shift + Tab = Shift between Windows (Reverse Order),

Alt + Spacebar + N = Minimize current window,

Alt + F4 = Close Current Window,

Alt + Spacebar + X = Maximize,

Alt + Spacebar + R = Restore,

Ctrl+X = Cut,

Ctrl+C = Copy,

Ctrl+V = Paste,

Ctrl+A = Select ALL,

Ctrl+P = Print,

Ctrl+ Shift + F10 = Shows Context Menu (Mouse Right Click Effect),

Ctrl+Esc = Start Menu,

Ctrl + Shift + Esc = Show Task Manager,

Application Specific (generally): Ctrl + S = Save, Ctrl + F = Find

@ Desktop/Win Explorer: F2 = Rename File, F3/Win + S = Launch Search

Quick Hint: Those who hate typing long folder names/paths can simply drag and drop the whole entry from
Windows Explorer Address Bar to Command prompt. (click on the left most end to pick)