Useful
Keyboard Shortcuts
Tech Tips. Vol. 2004 No. 02
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Microsoft Windows and Office have many keyboard shortcuts that
can simplify your life: you use a few simple keystrokes instead
of your mouse, so your hands don't leave the keyboard. If you're
navigating your desktop, editing a Word document, composing
an email, or otherwise using Windows or any Microsoft program,
there are shortcut keys that can virtually eliminate use of
your mouse. Memorize the shortcuts most useful to you and work
them into your routine.
Navigating open windows
Some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts have to do with
navigating your open windows. If you ever find yourself with
more open windows than you can deal with, these shortcuts are
for you:
- ALT + F4: Closes the active window or quits the active
program. (Substitutes for clicking the "X" in
the upper-right corner of a window.)
- ALT + TAB: Cycles through a list of icons representing
your open windows. Press and hold ALT and tap TAB once to
display the list. Continue tapping TAB, and release ALT
when you've selected the window you want to display.
- ALT + ESC: Cycles through the actual windows in the order
that they were opened. Press and hold ALT and tap ESC; stop
on the one you want.
- CTRL + ESC: Brings up the Start Menu on top of everything
else that you have open. (Especially useful if your task
bar isn't visible.)
Manipulating icons
You can also use your keyboard when you're working with any
sort of icon (i.e. a desktop shortcut, a file on your desktop
or in Windows Explorer, etc):
- CTRL while dragging an icon with your cursor: Copies an
item and places the copy wherever you release your cursor.
- CTRL + SHIFT while dragging something: Creates a shortcut
to the itemand places it wherever you release your cursor.
- ALT + ENTER: Same as right-clicking the icon and choosing
"Properties".
Other useful tricks
Some keyboard shortcuts don't fit into a category because
they work in so many different contexts. Some of these versatile
shortcuts include:
- CTRL + Z: Undoes the last operation. An "operation"
can be pretty much anything, including typing a character,
moving or editing an object, changing a setting, etc. Also
undoes "automatic" operations such as spelling
changes.
- CTRL + Y: Cancels the last "undo". (Equivalent
to the "redo" command; only works if you have
just "undone" something.)
- CTRL + A: Highlights everything in the active window.
(Equivalent to the "Select All" command.) CTRL
+ A + C makes a copy of everything in the active window.
- You've probably noticed underlined letters on buttons,
commands, and in menu items. (If you're reading this in
Outlook, look at the underlined letters on the message window's
buttons). Pressing ALT + any underlined letter executes
the associated button or command. If the button or command
generates a pull-down list, you can execute an item on the
list by pressing its underlined letter while you continue
to hold down ALT.
Copyright 2003-2005 by Shulman Clark
Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
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