Microsoft Windows 10 is the latest Windows operating system launched by Microsoft. The operating system is designed to continue to focus on creating a better and much-enhanced user experience. With each new update, new features and options get added, and that is how we got Windows Sandbox, Virtual desktops, much-enhanced versions of Start Menu, and much more.
While you can use the mouse or touchscreen of your device to navigate through all the features of Windows 10, the interaction will be much faster if you use keyboard shortcuts. So, in this article, we will collate a list of some of the most useful Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts for you. Let’s begin;
Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts for Desktop
The desktop is amongst the most widely used user-interface for Windows, and any keyboard shortcut that can do the stuff faster for you would be great. Below are some of the most useful Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts for desktop:
- Windows Button: Open or close the Start Menu
- Control – Escape: Opens the Start Menu as well.
- Windows – A: Open Windows Action Center
- Windows – D: Switches between the opened window and minimize the opened window to show the desktop screen. You can use the key to display or minimize the apps from your desktop
- Windows – E: Used to launch File Explorer menu
- Windows – I: Used to open desktop Setting menu
- Windows – K: Used to open the Connect Panel, and you can connect to your audio devices or wireless connections, as well as find other types of devices.
- Windows – L: Instantly lock your Computer screen and takes you to the Lock Screen.
- Windows – M: Instantly minimize all the running windows from the desktop screen.
- Windows – O: Instantly locks the display orientation. The feature is handy when you want your Windows 10 device screen to stay in Portrait or Landscape mode.
- Windows – P: Instantly open the project pane menu and allows you to connect to projectors or other external display devices.
- Windows – R: Instantly launch the Run menu window.
- Windows + X: Instantly open the Advanced menu to the left side of your desktop screen, which is also called as WinX or power user Start Menu.
- Windows – Print Screen: You can instantly capture the screenshot of your device, and it will be automatically saved into the screenshot folder located in your Windows drive.
- Windows – ,: Provides a peek of the desktop screen.
- Windows – Spacebar: Instantly switch between keyboard layout and input language.
- Windows – W: Instantly launch Windows Inc Workspace. It is useful because you can interact with handy apps, such as Sticky Notes, Sketchpad, or Snip & Sketch.
- Windows – Pause/Break: Launch system page from the Control Panel menu.
- Windows – ;: Launch emoji popup so that you can insert emojis in your text.
- Windows – .: Launch emoji popup as well, to insert emojis in your text.
Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts to Manage App Windows
Managing multiple app windows on your Windows 10 device can be much faster by using below-stated shortcut keys;
- Windows – Shift-Left Arrow– The key is useful when you have multiple monitors. It will move the active screen to the left side of the monitor.
- Windows – Shift – Right Arrow: The key is useful when you have multiple monitors. It will move the active screen to the right side of the monitor.
- Alt – Space: You can view the title bar menu of the current window, as well as access the menu by clicking on the title bar of the current window. The menu typically contains options to resize the window and others.
- F11: Instantly Disable or enable the full-screen view of the screen. The key works only with applications supporting this feature, such as File Explorer other web browsers.
- Windows – Shift – Up Arrow: Increase the active window upward and adjust its width.
- Windows – Shift – Down Arrow: Minimize or restore an active window vertically, as well as adjust its width.
- Windows – Home: Instantly minimize all inactive windows, as well as restore them to use the key again.
- Windows – Left Arrow: Moves the active window to the left side half of the device screen.
- Windows – Right Arrow: Moves the active window to the right side half of the device screen.
- Windows – Up Arrow: Active Window will be maximized to both horizontally and vertically.
- Windows – Down Arrow: Restore down the active window or restore it to its initial state.
Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts for Taskbar
Another vital part of Windows 10 is its taskbar menu, and being able to access the apps pinned to it is useful. Below are some handy keyboard shortcuts that you can use;
- Shift-clicking on a taskbar app: This key will launch a new instance for the selected app. The key can only work for apps that support multiple instances, such as web browsers and MS Office.
- Ctrl-Shift-clicking on a taskbar app: The shortcut key will open a new situation for the selected app with administrative rights. The key only works with applications that support multiple running, such as web browsers and MS Office.
- Shift-right-clicking on a taskbar app: The key will open a contextual menu for the selected app instead of the list with pinned tasks or recent items.
- Windows – B: If the notification area in the tray icons is set to Always show icons and notification, the shortcut key will highlight the first ap in the system tray. Arrow keys can also be used to go through all apps in the system tray icons. If the Always show icons and notifications option are disabled, this shortcut will highlight the Show hidden icons arrow. You can then press the enter key to view the hidden icons or use the arrow option to go through the apps found in system tray icons.
- Windows – 1/Windows-2/Windows-3 …etc: Instantly open the first, second, third, and so on apps pinned to the taskbar. For example, the Windows-1key will launch the very first app, which is pinned in the taskbar from left to right.
- Windows – T: The key will highlight the very first app in the taskbar section, and the arrow option can be used to go through other taskbar apps. The running app will also display a thumbnail when the app is selected.
Conclusion
Windows 10 is the latest operating system, and the majority of people don’t know about many of its shortcut keys. Above are some useful Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts that you can use to maximize your productivity.
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FAQ
Below are some most asked questions by multiple users;
Q: What can you do with the Alt-F4 shortcut key?
Ans: Alt-F4 key is used to open an active window screen.