20 essential PC shortcuts

I've always liked that Windows gives me multiple ways to perform popular tasks. Say you want to print something. You could go to the File menu and select the Print command, or you can press the Ctrl button and the letter P. Ctrl+P is just one example of a keyboard shortcut. Shortcuts combine two or more keys to do something special that neither key does alone.

I prefer to use shortcuts whenever possible. It’s kind of amazing how much time you can save by cutting out mouse clicks. Here are my top 20 shortcuts that you might not know about—but should.

Get to know the basics

There are certain shortcuts I use all day, every day. They work whether I’m doing stuff with photos, music, documents, or spreadsheets.

• Copy a selected item: Ctrl+C
• Cut a selected item: Ctrl+X
• Paste a selected item: Ctrl+V
• Undo an action: Ctrl+Z
• Redo that thing I just undid: Ctrl+Y
• Select everything: Ctrl+A
• Print: Ctrl+P

Manage open windows

Chances are, you use your PC to do a lot of things at once. Shortcuts go a long way towards cutting the clutter. Go ahead and try these out as you read about them.

• Switch between open windows
  Alt+Tab
  If you have lots of open windows and you're not sure exactly which one you need, press Alt+Tab, and get a quick thumbnail view of all open windows. Then, while holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key multiple times until you get to the window you want.

  

  Press Alt+Tab to switch between open windows

• Clear away everything and show the desktop
  Windows logo key +D
  Use this shortcut when you want to minimize a lot of open windows at once to check something on your desktop. Clutter-to-clean with two fingers.

  

  A desktop before pressing Windows logo key+D

  

  The same desktop after pressing Windows logo key+D

• Minimize the window
  Windows logo key +Down Arrow
  Minimizing a window is a surefire way to see what's underneath it. And it's fast to use the shortcut. If the window is maximized already (covering the entire screen) it'll go to “normal” size. And if it's normal size, it'll minimize entirely.
• Maximize the window
  Windows logo key +Up Arrow
  Maximizing windows works the same way.

Get even funkier with window management

It might surprise you to learn that there are even more options when it comes to dealing with your open windows and programs—but there are.

• Compare and contrast in a snap
  Windows logo key +Left Arrow or Right Arrow
  Snap is the easiest way I know to compare two documents—or to write up something while also looking at a web browser. The shortcut for Snap makes it even snappier. Go ahead and try this now.
  While pressing the Windows logo key , click the Right Arrow key or the Left Arrow key and your browser will slide over to one side. Select another window (such as a Word document) and use the shortcut only with the opposite arrow.

  

  You can use a keyboard shortcut to view windows side-by-side with Snap

• Multitask with multiple monitors
  Windows logo key +Shift+Right Arrow or Left Arrow
  Do you use more than one monitor at a time? Now you can shift an open window to your other monitor in less than a second. 

Manage tasks

You might already be using a shortcut—Ctrl+Alt+Delete—to open up Task Manager or to lock your computer. But there are shortcuts for this shortcut.

• Open Task Manager 
  Ctrl+Shift+Esc
  This simple shortcut whisks you straight to Task Manager—without any intermediary steps.

  

  Task Manager in Windows 7

• Lock your PC or switch users
  Windows logo key +L
  This shortcut locks your PC and instantly displays the login screen. 

Display your way

No matter how you want to view your PC, shortcuts help you get there faster.

• Choose a presentation display mode
  Windows logo key +P
  Whether you're giving a presentation or are using multiple monitors, it's simple to switch settings.

  

  Choosing a presentation display mode

• Zoom in, zoom out
  Windows logo key +Plus Sign or Minus Sign
  The Plus Sign key (+) zooms you in, the Minus Sign key (-) zooms you out. This lets you see small text on a webpage or to check out the pixels in a photo.

  

  You can use your keyboard to zoom in on a photo detail

  
  

A few last tricks

Here are a few final shortcuts. For more keyboard shortcuts, check out the complete list.

• Search for files and folders
  Windows logo key +F
  In the past, finding a file could be like an archaeology expedition. But nowadays, search is really fast and thorough. Use this shortcut to get a search window, type in a few keywords, and presto, you’ll get your file.
• Open a new instance of a program
  Windows logo key +Shift+Click a taskbar icon
  I like Internet Explorer tabs—but sometimes I want a whole new browser window. To get one, I click theInternet Explorer icon while holding down Shift.
• And when you need it …get help
  Windows logo key +F1
  It's the simplest shortcut out there. When all else fails, and you're just not sure what to do, press F1.