---
title: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
description: Boost productivity with these powerful Windows keyboard shortcuts. Save time and streamline your daily workflow.
---

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# Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

 by [Shaun Kellogg](https://connect.globalit.com/global-it-communications-blog/author/shaun-kellogg)

Feb 8, 2013 9:00:42 AM

## [![](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png "keyboard")](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png)Windows System Key Combinations

Have you ever wondered how you could save time doing tasks on your computer? Keyboard shortcuts are a good way to save time and work more efficiently. The shortcuts below are provided by Global IT’s [Internet support team](https://globalit.com/services/internet-access/). We hope you find them helpful.

F1: Help

CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu

ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs

ALT+F4: Quit program

SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently

Windows Logo+L: Lock the computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE)

Windows program key combinations

CTRL+C: Copy

CTRL+X: Cut

CTRL+V: Paste

CTRL+Z: Undo

CTRL+B: Bold

CTRL+U: Underline

CTRL+I: Italic

Shift + F3: Change to all caps or all lower case

Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects

SHIFT+right click: Displays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands

SHIFT+double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)

ALT+double click: Displays properties

SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin

General keyboard-only commands

F1: Starts Windows Help

F10: Activates menu bar options

SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object

CTRL+ESC: Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)

CTRL+ESC or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)

CTRL+SHIFT+ESC: Opens Windows Task Manager

ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box

ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)

SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature

ALT+SPACE: Displays the main window’s System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)

ALT+- (ALT+hyphen): Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window’s System menu (from the MDI child window’s System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window)

CTRL+TAB: Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program

ALT+underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu

ALT+F4: Closes the current window

CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window

ALT+F6: Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)

**Tags:**

Post by [Shaun Kellogg](https://connect.globalit.com/global-it-communications-blog/author/shaun-kellogg)  
 Feb 8, 2013 9:00:42 AM

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