200 Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows) to Boost Your Productivity

We’ve compiled a list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows 190 + shortcuts grouped into categories for easy access. If we missed some shortcut in this list, kindly let us know through the comments section.

Here are the shortcuts to get to the shortcuts:

Note: Some of the shortcuts given below may not work for versions below Windows 8.

General Shortcuts

Let’s kickstart the list with the most common shortcuts that you’ll often use.

F1 [Display Help]
F2 [Rename the selected item]
F3 [Search for a file or folder]
F4 [Display the address bar list in File Explorer]
F5 [Refresh the active window]
F6 [Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop]
F10 [Activate the Menu bar in the active app]
ALT + F4 [Close the active item, or exit the active app]
ALT + ESC [Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened]
ALT + Underlined Letter in menus and dialog box options [Perform the command for that letter]
ALT + ENTER [Display properties for the selected item]
ALT + SPACEBAR [Open the shortcut menu for the active window]
ALT + LEFT ARROW [Back]
ALT + RIGHT ARROW [Forward]
ALT + PAGE UP [Move up one screen]
ALT + PAGE DOWN [Move down one screen]
ALT + TAB [Switch between open apps (except desktop apps)]
CTRL + F4 [Close the active document (in apps that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)]
CTRL + A [Select all items in a document or window]
CTRL + C or CTRL + INSERT [Copy the selected item]

CTRL + D / DELETE [DELETE the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin]
CTRL + R or F5 [Refresh the active window]
CTRL + V or SHIFT + INSERT [Paste the selected item]
CTRL + X [Cut the selected item]
CTRL + Y [Redo an action]
CTRL + Z [Undo an action]
CTRL + + or CTRL + – [Zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen]
CTRL + mouse scroll wheel [Change the size of desktop icons or zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen]
CTRL + RIGHT ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word]
CTRL + LEFT ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word]
CTRL + DOWN ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph]
CTRL + UP ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph]
CTRL + ALT + TAB [Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps]
CTRL + ARROW + SPACEBAR [Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop]
CTRL + SHIFT + ARROW [Select a block of text]

CTRL + ESC [Open the Start screen]
CTRL + SHIFT + ESC [Open Task Manager]
CTRL + SHIFT [Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available]
CTRL + SPACEBAR [Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off]
SHIFT + F10 [Display the shortcut menu for the selected item]
SHIFT + ARROW [Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document]
SHIFT + DELETE [Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first]
RIGHT ARROW [Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu]
LEFT ARROW [Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu]
ESC [Stop or leave the current task]

Windows key Shortcuts

Let’s check the keyboard shortcuts involving the Windows logo key. Most of them are introduced in Windows 8’s Metro UI, and can be used in Windows 8 and above.

Win + F1 [Open Windows Help and support]
Win [Display or hide the Start screen]
Win + B [Set focus in the notification area]
Win + C [Open Charms]
Win + D [Display and hide the desktop]

Win + E [Open File Explorer]
Win + F [Open the Search charm and search for files]
Win + H [Open the Share charm]
Win + I [Open the Settings charm]
Win + K [Open the Devices charm]
Win + L [Lock your PC or switch people]
Win + M [Minimize all windows]
Win + O [Lock device orientation]
Win + P [Choose a presentation display mode]
Win + Q [Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within the open app (if the app supports app search)]
Win + R [Open the Run dialog box]
Win + S [Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web]
Win + T [Cycle through apps on the taskbar]
Win + U [Open Ease of Access Center]
Win + V [Cycle through notifications]
Win + SHIFT + V [Cycle through notifications in reverse order]

Win + W [Open the Search charm and search for settings]
Win + X [Open the Quick Link menu]
Win + Z [Show the commands available in the app]
Win + , [Temporarily peek at the desktop]
Win + PAUSE [Display the System Properties dialog box]

Win + CTRL + F [Search for PCs (if you’re on a network)]
Win + SHIFT + M [Restore minimized windows on the desktop]
Win + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, it switches to that app.]
Win + 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]
Win + CTRL + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number]
Win + ALT + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number]
Win + CTRL + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and open a new instance of the app located at the given position on the taskbar as an administrator]
Win + TAB [Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)]
Win + CTRL + TAB [Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)]
Win + SHIFT + TAB [Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order]
Win + CTRL + B [Switch to the app that displayed a message in the notification area]
Win + UP ARROW [Maximize the window]
Win + DOWN ARROW [Remove current app from screen or minimize the desktop window]
Win + LEFT ARROW [Maximize the app or desktop window to the LEFT side of the screen]
Win + RIGHT ARROW [Maximize the app or desktop window to the RIGHT side of the screen]
Win + HOME [Minimize all but the active desktop window (restores all windows on second stroke)]
Win + SHIFT + UP ARROW [Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen]
Win + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW [Restore/minimize active desktop windows vertically, maintaining width]
Win + SHIFT + LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW [Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to another]
Win + SPACEBAR [Switch input language and keyboard layout]
Win + CTRL + SPACEBAR [Change to a previously selected input]
Win + ENTER [Open Narrator]
Win + SHIFT + . [Cycle through open apps]
Win + . [Cycle through open apps]
Win + / [Initiate IME reconversion]
Win + ALT + ENTER [Open WindowsMedia Center]
Win + +/- [Zoom in or out using Magnifier]
Win + ESC [Exit Magnifier]

Dialog box Shortcuts

These are the keyboard shortcuts that can be used in dialog boxes.

F1 [Display Help]
F4 [Display the items in the active list]

CTRL + TAB [Move forward through tabs]
CTRL + SHIFT + TAB [Move back through tabs]
CTRL + (NUMBER 1-9) [Move to nth tab]

TAB [Move forward through options]
SHIFT + TAB [Move back through options]
ALT + Underlined Letter in menus and dialog box options [Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter]
SPACEBAR [Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box]
BACKSPACE [Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box]
ARROW keys [Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons]