Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Tip: Keyboard Shortcuts

Sometimes there's nothing quite as satisfying as racing through your computing without using the mouse. We love keyboard shortcuts. They're efficient. If you're in the middle of typing, your fingers already in place, why move your hand to control the mouse? You could be saving yourself seconds, perhaps even minutes, every day.

Besides, when you're cruising around an application with the keyboard, there's this feeling of being an "insider," knowing its secrets. OK, maybe not for you. But some of us (ahem) admit that saying, "Oh, here, let me print that email message for you," and hitting TAB TAB SHIFT-TAB ENTER ALT+F P has a certain bare-bones coolness factor to it. It's the same kind of appeal as, say, using Lynx in Linux instead of a graphical browser. It's why people still use DOS when they can do almost everything in Windows. You speak the language. No mouse for you.

Maybe you'll still use the mouse a lot. But between clicks, check out these cool shortcuts, which are some of our faves.

Fun with the SHIFT key

Hold down SHIFT with the following:

When inserting a CD-ROM, to skip auto-run

While holding down CTRL and dragging to the desktop or to a folder, creates an instant shortcut. (Of course, you can do the same thing by clicking and holding the right mouse button, letting go on the desktop, and choosing "create shortcut.")

SHIFT+F10: equivalent of right-click

SHIFT+DEL: Deletes immediately, without removing to Recycle Bin

SHIFT+TAB: Moves to previous control in the dialog box (TAB alone goes forward, SHIFT+TAB backward)

Fun with Function keys in Explorer:

F2 - Rename object

F3 - Find: All files

F4 - Selects the Go to A Different Folder box on the taskbar, and moves down the entries

F5 - refreshes current window (Kate loves this one, especially after making modifications to a folder)

F6 - Moves among panes

Fun with the Windows Key

If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard (or any other keyboard with a Windows key), you have access to all kinds of shortcuts. Hold down the Windows key with the following:

By itself - brings up the Start Menu

Windows+R - opens the "Run" dialog box

Windows+M - Minimize all (Kate's fave)

Windows+SHIFT+M - Undo minimize all

Windows+E - Windows Explorer

Windows+F - Find files or folders

Windows+D - minimize all open windows and show desktop

Windows+CTRL+F - Find computer

Windows+TAB - Cycle through Taskbar buttons

Windows+BREAK - shows System Properties dialog box (Leo's fave)

For a longer list of keyboard shortcuts, check out Microsoft's Knowledge Base.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q126/4/49.asp