We tend to think of Windows as a mousing environment, but it’s often easier to get from place to place, file to file, or app to app using keystroke combinations. Below you will find some useful keyboard shortcuts.

First, some quick definitions of two keys found on Windows keyboards: The Windows key is the one with the Windows logo. The Application key is the one with the illustration of a mouse pointer selecting from a menu. Note that many keyboards have two Alt keys and two Ctrl keys, and some key combinations work with one but not with the other.

Start faster: Instead of clicking the Start button, press either Ctrl-Esc or Windows to open the Start menu. To select an item from the menu, hit the underlined letter in the menu option’s name (or the first letter if none is underlined). For example, to get to the Run box in a jiff, type Windows-R. You can also navigate the menus via cursor keys (Home, Page Down, the arrow keys, and so on). Bonus tip: Hold down Windows while you repeatedly press Tab to cycle through the buttons on your taskbar. Read More…