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Handy keyboard shortcuts
Windows+Tab or Alt+Tab The Windows+Tab combination cycles
through the taskbar buttons. When the program you want is selected,
hit Enter to switch to that window. If more than one program is
running, Alt+Tab brings up the task-switching window. Immediately
releasing the keys switches you to the previous application. To
jump to one of the other running programs instead, release Tab,
but keep Alt held down. Each succeeding press of Tab moves the program
selection box to the next application. Releasing the Alt key switches
you to the selected program. If only two applications are running,
Alt+Tab toggles between them
Ctrl+Esc or Windows You can use either Ctrl+Esc or Windows
to open the Start menu. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through
the menu, and the Enter key to choose an item. The two shortcuts
vary slightly depending on your version of Windows. Ctrl+Esc, Esc
leaves the Start button selected but not pressed. In Windows 95,
98, and NT 4.0 (but not Windows 2000 and Me), Windows, Esc will
return you to the window or desktop selection you were working with
previously.
Ctrl+Esc, then Esc, followed by Tab, Arrow keys, then Enter
Use this command to go to the Quick Launch toolbar and launch a
program.
Windows+M or Windows+D Use Windows+M or Windows+D to minimize
all open Windows and reveal the desktop. It's easy to remember this
one: M for Minimize all and D for desktop. Note that Windows+D doesn't
work under Windows 95, but Windows+M does.
Shift+Windows+M or repeat Windows+D Restore all Windows
you previously minimized with Windows+M or (repeat) Windows+D.
Tab, then Arrow, followed by Enter Move within the Windows
Desktop and select items with Tab, then Arrow, and then Enter. Once
at the desktop, use the Tab key to cycle through the Start button,
Quick Launch toolbar, other toolbars, taskbar button area, and icons
on the desktop (and those in the system tray in Windows 2000). Use
the Arrow keys to move around within any of these areas of the desktop
or taskbar. Use the Enter key to select items. You must, for example,
select the Start button to open the Start menu.
Cleaning up Windows
These shortcuts can help you with day-to-day housekeeping in Windows.
Windows+R Windows+R opens the Run dialog box. Mnemonic:
The Windows Run dialog.
Windows+E Windows+E starts Windows Explorer. Mnemonic: Windows
Explorer.
Windows+F or F3 Windows+F or F3 finds a file from the Windows
desktop. Mnemonic: Windows Find file dialog box.
Windows+Break Windows+Break opens the System Properties
Dialog box. Mnemonic: Windows is broken; check the system properties.
F2 F2 renames the selected object. Mnemonic: This is the
same command Excel uses for editing the currently selected cell.
This command and the next one work within programs, too. For example,
you can use these commands when working in the File > Open dialog
box in Word or Excel. Note that after you select text in Word, F2
begins the operation of moving the current selection. You then move
the insertion cursor to the desired location and hit Enter.
Shift+Delete Shift+Delete deletes selected objects without
sending them to the Recycle Bin. Mnemonic: A slightly shifted version
of what happens when you hit Delete, which sends the objects to
the Recycle Bin. Be careful with this command. Under some conditions,
it will delete a file without asking for confirmation first.
Shift key Hold down the Shift key while you insert the disk
to bypass the CD-ROM AutoRun feature. This is an invaluable tool
when you have to remove a disk during installation (to read the
CD key, for example), then reinsert the disk.
Alt+Enter Press Alt+Enter to view the Properties dialog
for a selected object. This works for such disparate objects as
icons on the desktop, printers, hard drives, and the taskbar.
Windows-wide shortcuts
The shortcuts in this category work not only in Windows itself,
but also in most Windows applications. Some of these shortcuts relate
to the windows of a particular application. Others relate to features
you'll find in almost any Windows program, such as drop-down list
boxes.
Alt+Spacebar, then letter key or Alt+Spacebar, then Arrow,
followed by Enter Alt+Spacebar opens the System menu, which
will appear on-screen even if the application window is mostly off-screen.
Once the System menu is open, you can hit R to restore, M to move,
S to size, N to minimize, X to maximize, or C to close the main
window. You can also use the Arrow keys to manipulate the application.
Alt+hyphen, then letter key, or Alt+hyphen, then Arrow, followed
by Enter To restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, or close
the currently selected window within a program, use Alt+hyphen to
open the menu. Then, use the letter key or the Arrow keys.
Shift+F10, then letter key, or Shift+F10, then Arrow, followed
by Enter. Shift+F10, then letter key or Shift+F10, then Arrow
keys, followed by Enter opens a context menu. This is particularly
useful in a program like Word when, for example, you want to call
up the editing context menu but don't want to take your fingers
from the keys to right-click.
Alt+Down Arrow Alt+Down arrow opens a drop-down list box.
Mnemonic: Down box, Down Arrow. This is especially helpful when
you're filling in database forms (in Microsoft Access, for example).
It's also useful when working in a dialog box.
Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab Cycle through the tabs in a
dialog box with Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Shift+Tab. Mnemonic: Control your
way from tab to tab. Ctrl+Tab goes from left to right, Ctrl+Shift+Tab
moves from right to left
Alt+F6 Alt+F6 switches from window to window within the
same program. However, this won't work with all windows. It will,
for example, toggle between a Find window and a document window
in Microsoft Word, but it won't toggle between one document window
and another. The command in Word for cycling through the open document
windows is Ctrl+F6.
Ctrl+B, Ctrl+U, Ctrl+I Use Ctrl+B for bolded font, Ctrl+U
for underlined font, and Ctrl+I for italicized font. You probably
know these work in the Office programs you use, but try them in
other programs as well; they may work.
Ctrl+Z Ctrl+Z undoes any action. Mnemonic: Zap that. Again,
this works throughout Windows, if not in every program.
Microsoft Word shortcuts,
Word offers over 300 shortcuts as shipped, not including the menu
shortcuts. This adds up to more shortcuts than any reasonable person
would be willing to memorize. There are a few, however, that we've
found are worth the effort.
F3 F3 expands an autotext entry. If you use autotext very
often, you'll get the hang of this one. Simply type the abbreviation
(such as your initials for your address) and hit F3 to replace the
abbreviation with the fill entry.
Shift+F3 Shift+F3 changes the case of letters. However,
the effect of this shortcut depends on the selected text. The basic
behavior cycles through all caps, all lowercase, and title capitalization
(the first letter of each word capitalized). If the selection includes
a sentence break, the shortcut cycles through all caps, all lowercase,
and capitalization of the first word in each sentence.
F7 F7 by itself performs a spell-check on the entire document.
If you select a word or section first, however, F7 checks the spelling
of only that word or selection. If you have the Check Spelling As
You Type feature turned on, this shortcut probably won't interest
you. If you find that feature distracting and keep it off, you might
find this shortcut quite useful.
Shift+F7 Shift+F7 checks the thesaurus. Mnemonic: There's
not really a good mnemonic, but remembering that the F7 key is associated
with both spelling and thesaurus commands might help. Shift+F7 checks
the thesaurus for the word the cursor is on or just past.
F9 F9 updates the fields. Mnemonic: Again, there's not really
a good mnemonic. All shortcuts dealing with fields use the F9 function
key, though. Remember that much and you can, at the very least,
experiment with various keystroke combinations. F9 by itself updates
the selected fields, if any, or just the field the cursor is in.
Shift+F9 Shift+F9 switches between the field code and field
result for selected fields. Mnemonic: Shift between selected field
codes and field results.
Alt+F9 Alt+F9 switches between showing all field codes and
their results. Mnemonic: Show all (Alt) codes or results.
Ctrl+F9 Ctrl+F9 inserts field markers. Mnemonic: Control
what goes into the field. If you know the field codes you need to
enter, use Ctrl+F9 to insert both open and close markers for the
field quickly, then type your codes between them. Hit F9 to calculate
the field result.
Shift+Ctrl+F9 Shift+Ctrl+F9 unlinks a field. Mnemonic: Shift
control from the field to the field result. This converts a calculated
field result into permanent text or a permanent graphic.
Alt+Shift+D Alt+Shift+D inserts Date field. Mnemonic: Date.
To insert the date as text, type Alt+Shift+D, then Backspace, followed
by Ctrl+Shift+F9 again.
Alt+Shift+T Alt+Shift+T inserts Time field. Mnemonic: Time.
Again, to make the insertion as text, follow the shortcut with Ctrl+Shift+F9.
Ctrl+Shift+S Ctrl+Shift+S moves you to the Style drop-down
box to pick a style. Mnemonic: Take Control to shift the Style.
Once you get to the Style text box, you can open the drop-down list
with Alt-Down Arrow.
Ctrl++ Ctrl++ formats characters as superscript
Ctrl+= Ctrl+= formats characters as subscript. Mnemonic:
Superscript is +. Subscript is the unshifted form of +.
Ctrl+Spacebar Ctrl+Spacebar returns font to the default
format for the style. If you depend on styles for formatting, this
is one of the most important shortcuts to learn--particularly if
you collaborate with others who may not be familiar with styles.
Ctrl+Shift+* (asterisk) Ctrl+Shift+* toggles between showing
and hiding nonprinting characters. This is equivalent to clicking
on the Show/Hide icon in the standard toolbar.
Alt+Shift+Up Arrow Alt+Shift+Up Arrow moves the paragraph
up.
Alt+Shift+Down Arrow Alt+Shift+Down Arrow moves the paragraph
down. (suprise hey)This command moves the paragraph containing the
cursor or selection one paragraph marker at a time.
Alt+Shift+Right (or Left) Arrow Use this command to cycle
the selected paragraph through all formats in the Style list.
Ctrl+Shift+> (Greater than sign) This command increases
size (by various increments, depending on the current size).
Ctrl+Shift+< (Less than sign) Use this command to decrease
size (by various increments, depending on the current size).
Ctrl+] (Right square bracket) Increase size by one point
with this command.
Ctrl+[ (Left square bracket) This command decreases size
by one point.
Assorted shortcuts
Windows
F10 or Alt F10 or Alt toggles between the menu bar and
the main window in a program.
Ctrl+Tab Switch to the next window of a multiple-document-interface
program.
Alt+F4 Alt+F4 closes a program.
F3 F3 runs Find again (in many but not all Windows utilities.
Access
Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar enters the default value
for a field.
Ctrl+' (apostrophe) Ctrl+' enters the value that appears
in the same field in the previous record.
Ctrl++ Ctrl++ adds a new record.
Ctr+- Ctrl+- deletes the current record.
Excel
Shift+F2 Shift+F2 edits or creates a comment in the current
cell.
Esc, then Arrow keys Esc, then Arrow keys moves a comment
that's being edited.
Esc, then Esc again Pressing Esc twice closes a comment
that's being edited.
Ctrl+Shift+" (quotation mark) Use this command to opy the
value from the cell above the current cell.
Ctrl+' (apostrophe) Ctrl+' copies the formula from the cell
above the current cell.
And if you need to print this and you are using Internet Explorer
CTRL P
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