Best Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts That Can Make Your Work More Easy
Why Keyboard Shortcuts?
Before jumping straight in with the actual keyboard shortcuts, here are some pretty reasons why you should be using keyboard shortcuts:
- Productive: Keyboard shortcuts save time on actions that, if not done from a keyboard shortcut, would normally be done using a mouse.
- Ergonomics: With frequent use, the mouse starts to tire your wrist and hand; the more keyboard shortcuts you use, the more saved mouse movements can be added to this end.
- Focus: Keyboard shortcuts are going to help you never go out of the mental flow of your work, therefore without breaks in concentration associated with the use of mice.
- Multitasking: Such kind of shortcuts inure the user to managing simultaneous processes or applications.
Basic Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts
General Shortcuts
- Win + D: This is used to view the desktop or to get rid of viewing it by closing the currently open windows.
- Alt + Tab: Cycles through open apps. If you press the
Alt
key, and then press and releaseTab
, holding theAlt
key down will now cycle through the currently open applications at a much faster pace than if you were to use the mouse. - Win + L: This locks your PC. This comes in handy when you want to lock your workstation every time you leave your desk.
- Win + E: Opens up File Explorer in a jiffy so that you reach your files directly without having to click menus after menus.
- F2: Names the selected item. Click on any file/folder and just press the 'F2' key from the keyboard, and you will see a dialog for renaming it quickly without having to right-click it for the same.
Navigation Shortcuts
- Ctrl + N: Almost everywhere this opens another instance of an application - for instance, a new web browser or File Explorer window - it's probably the easiest way of getting another instance open without moving the mouse.
- Ctrl + Shift + N: This creates a new folder. Using this shortcut, everything will stay in nice and orderly layout, especially in File Explorer.
- Alt + F4: Closes the current window. This is a nice, powerful short-cut—it works on almost all applications, making it very convenient every time you need to quickly close one of the many open programs.
- Win + Arrow Keys: Snap To Left/Right and Maximize/Minimize: Snaps your opened windows either to left or right or maximizes and minimizes. Pretty useful for keeping multitasking and your workspace nice.
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Task Manager opens directly. This lets one dive right into the Task Manager to oversee how the system is performing or to kill malfunctioning apps.
- Windows Key + X: It opens the quick link menu: One will have access to some of the handiest tools like Device Manager, Control Panel, and Command Prompt.
- Win + I: It opens Windows Settings. With this shortcut in close view, you will not have to navigate to the Start menu to edit or change the system settings.
- Ctrl + C: Using this shortcut, you would be able to copy text or other items. This is quite a universal shortcut between all text editing apps.
- Ctrl + V: Then this shortcut would help you paste text that has been copied.
- Ctrl + Z: It's used to undo the last action. This is very helpful in reverting back mistakes on documents or edits.
- Ctrl + A: Part of a selection group. It selects all items or all text in a window. Purpose – this shortcut will help one highlight everything at a go.
- Ctrl + F: Open 'Find' dialog. It quickens the search of certain text in documents, browsers, and much more. Virtual Desktop Shortcuts
- Win + Ctrl + D: This gets you a new virtual desktop, really handy in case you need to work on another kind of work or other stuff.
- Win + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow: Switch between virtual desktops. This multitasking business—moving in-between spaces—won't be any difficult with this command.
- Win + Ctrl + F4: Closes the virtual desktop that you are currently using. If done working on a particular workspace, this key combination cleans up.
Accessibility Shortcuts
- Win +Plus(+): Opens Magnifier. This would really work nice when zooming in to get things on the screen clearer.
- Win + U: Opens the Ease of Access Center. All settings that may assist you in use and need tailoring of your accessibility options.
- Sticky Keys: If you press the Shift key five times in a row, it will turn on and off Sticky Keys. Sometimes you really do want to press your keyboard shortcuts one key at a time.
- Ctrl + T: This opens a new tab within your browser, and you are ready to perform a search or visit another web page.
- Ctrl + W: It will just close your current tab. You will be able to clean your browser quickly in case you have opened so many tabs.
Ctrl + Tab Moves to the next tab in the browser. By far one of the most basic ways to surf the web with so many pages open at once, this key combination is simply the right way to handle tabs.
Conclusion
These keyboard shortcuts will help to enhance your productivity and flow in Windows 10. The more you practice these movements and shortcuts, the more natural they become and begin changing the way of working. Once you have gotten used to these shortcuts, you might find more combinations to some of the applications you use most frequently.
In the long run, all this is going to be about easing stuff up for work and letting you do exactly that which you want to do in the first place, which is work. So the application of these shortcuts starts now in order to see there is an easier way to use that Windows 10 PC!