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YOURGUIDE to keyboard shortcuts
Knowing your keyboard shortcuts will make your life on the computer easier and save always reaching for the mouse, says TONY BRISCIANI.
By pressing simple combinations of keys on your keyboard, you can quickly and efficiently navigate around your computer and do some common tasks faster than you would be able to do it with a mouse.
Most of the options that pop up in those menus at the top of each screen can be replicated with keyboard shortcuts.
How you do it
To use a shortcut you need to hold down all the keys at the same time. Pressing one key after another won't activate the shortcut and some will require you to use both hands.
In the following tables, the first column indicates which keys you have to press in which order, the second column indicates what the function is called on the computer that you are carrying out, while the third column shows what the result will be.
| For Windows |
| Key strokes |
Computer function |
What it does |
Ctrl and C |
Copy |
Copies the on-screen text or object you've highlighted into the computer's memory for later. |
Ctrl and X |
Cut |
Cuts the highlighted text or object into the memory. By cutting an object, it is copied to memory and deleted from its original place. |
Ctrl and V |
Paste |
Pastes the text or object you've put into the memory wherever you've selected onscreen. |
Ctrl and Z |
Undo |
If you accidentally delete some text or make a mistake in a document you're working on, this will undo your previous action. |
Ctrl and A |
Select all |
If you want to highlight the text of a whole document, simply do this and it will select all the text. |
Ctrl and P |
Print |
Send the selected page to your printer. |
Ctrl and S |
Save |
Saves the current document you are working on. |
Ctrl, Alt and Delete |
Task manager/restart computer |
Depending on what version of Windows you have this will either open the task manager program, which allows you to see all the programs currently running on your computer, or if repeated twice will restart your computer. |
Windows key |
Start |
Opens the Windows Start menu. |
Windows key and R |
Run |
Opens the Run dialogue box, which is the area that allows you enter commands manually to start a program. |
Windows key and M |
Minimises all |
Reduces all open windows so the desktop is displayed – the windows will sit on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. |
Windows key, Shift and M |
Undoes minimise |
Returns all windows back to their original position. |
Windows key and E |
Windows Explorer |
Open the Windows Explorer program, giving you quick access to your computer's contents. |
Windows key and F |
Find |
Opens the Search function on your computer, allowing you to look for files and folders. |
Windows key and Tab |
Cycles taskbar |
Cycle through the programs open on your taskbar. |
Windows key and Break |
System properties |
Opens a dialogue box listing your system properties, or all the properties of your computer. |
Windows key and D |
Desktop |
Minimises all windows and returns you to the desktop. Much the same as the Windows key and M. Repeat this shortcut to restore all the windows to their original positions. |
Windows key and L |
Lock |
Locks the computer (Windows XP and above only). |
F1 |
Help |
Opens the Help function for the program you are currently in. |
F3 |
Find |
Opens the Search function on your computer. |
Alt and Print Scrn |
Screen shot |
Takes a screenshot, which is an image of the program you are in. |
Alt and F4 |
Close program |
Closes the program you are in and if pressed after all programs are closed, will close down Windows. |
Alt and Tab |
Switch windows |
Switches between the program windows you have open. |
The Windows Key
The Windows key is located in the bottom left-hand corner of your keyboard, usually between the Ctrl and Alt keys. It has a picture on it similar to the Windows logo you see when your computer first loads up.
| For Macs |
| Key strokes |
Computer function |
What it does |
Apple and ? |
Help |
Will open the Help function for the program you are currently in. |
Apple and E |
Eject |
Ejects selected media like CDs and floppy discs. |
Apple and M |
Minimise |
Minimises all windows. |
Apple and N |
Finder window |
Opens a new Finder window, allowing you to organise your files and folders like you would with Windows Explorer. |
Apple and W |
Close |
Closes the program you are in. |
Apple and C |
Copy |
Copies the highlighted text or object into the memory. |
Apple and X |
Cut |
Cuts the highlighted text or object into the memory. By cutting an object, it is copied to memory and deleted from its original place. |
Apple and V |
Paste |
Pastes the text or object from memory to wherever you've selected onscreen. |
Apple and T |
Add to favourites |
Adds the current Web page to your Favourites list. |
Apple and O |
Open |
Opens the selected icon. |
Apple and F |
Find |
Opens the Find dialogue box, allowing you to search for files on your computer. |
Apple and P |
Print |
Sends the selected document to the printer |
Apple and L |
Make an alias |
Creates an alias, which is the same as a desktop shortcut. |
Apple, Shift and G |
Screen shot |
Takes a screenshot of the desktop and saves it as a PICT file, You can use this to take images of programs. |
Apple, Shift and N |
New folder |
Creates a new folder. |
Apple, Option and Esc |
Force quit |
Forces a program to close. |
Apple, Option, Shift and Delete |
Empty trash |
Empties the trash without any confirmation. |
Apple, Shift and Q |
Log out |
Logs you out of the computer. |
Apple, Option and Power button |
Sleep |
Puts the computer into sleep mode. |
The Apple Key
The Apple key is located along the same row of keys that the space bar is on. It has a small Apple logo on it.
Quick tips for Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer has some quick shortcut keys to help you navigate the Internet. If you are using an Apple computer, just substitute the CTRL key for your Apple key.
You can tell you are using Internet Explorer by checking the right hand top of the browser window. If there is a blue 'E' there then you have Internet Explorer.
Backspace – Back to the previous page
Esc – Stops a page from loading
Ctrl and F – Opens the Find dialogue box, which allows you to search for text on that Web page
F5 – Refreshes the current page
Shift and mouse click – Opens link in a new window – make sure your mouse is hovering over the link when you click
Alt and Home – Returns you to your homepage (the page that opens when you first open Internet Explorer)
You can find out more at www.obs.org/cheatsheet/ieshortcut.htm.
What is...?
Dialogue box: A window that opens on your desktop to inform you about something, like an error, or to take some input from you. For example, when a program crashes you get an error message.
Highlighted: If you click and drag your mouse cursor over some text on your computer, you have highlighted it. You can tell this by the block that appears around it.
Open document: This could be a Word file you are working on or a image you are making. Basically it is something you are constructing on your computer.
Fun short cuts
Here's a little secret that you can use some keyboard shortcuts for. Some programs contain secret sub-programs, called Easter Eggs, which you can access by doing certain things and pressing certain keys. The people who designed the programs usually hide them there for a bit of fun. A good example of this is in Microsoft Excel: this straightforward spreadsheet program can be converted into a racing game with a few easy key strokes.
You can find more of these Easter Eggs by visiting www.eeggs.com.
Useful sites
More shortcuts for PCs
www.computerhope.com/shortcut.htm
www.microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboardassist.aspx
More shortcuts for Macs
ednet.rvc.cc.il.us/~poe/keysmac.htm
www.computerhope.com/ashort.htm
docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459
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