Basic Windows Navigation

ENTER: This is much like left clicking. It activates your selected item.

ANY LETTER KEY: If you are in an Open or Save Dialogue box, hitting any letter will move your selection to the first item that starts with that letter. Hitting that letter a second time will move your selection to the second item that starts with that letter… and so on. This also works on drop-down menus.

ARROW KEYS: The arrows move your cursor or item selection in the direction the arrow is pointing.

ESC: This key is for canceling actions. If you’ve opened a control menu, for instance, and you decide you don’t want to use it, the ESC key will close it.

TAB: The tab key will take you to the next field in a form, the next button, the next section of an interface, etc. Hitting SHIFT+TAB will take steps backwards.

SHIFT+F10: Brings up the context menu. This is the same with right clicking with your mouse.

SPACEBAR: Selects or finalizes an option in instances such as checkboxes on forms.

ALT or F10: Selects the File menu. You can then use the arrow keys to navigate.

ALT+LETTER: Hitting ALT along with the underlined letter of any menu automatically opens that menu. For instance, ALT+F opens the File menu. Once in the File menu, pushing the underlined letter of an option chooses that option. So hitting ALT+F and then S saves the current file.

CTRL+ESC or WINDOWS KEY: Brings up the start menu.

ALT+ENTER: Brings up the properties box for a selected item.

ALT+TAB: Cycles through all open applications that are visible on the taskbar. This becomes very handy if you have to switch back and forth between two running programs.

BACKSPACE: Each Window maintains a history. Hitting BACKSPACE will take you back one step in your history, whether you are navigating local folders or a web site.

PAGE UP: Moves the visible portion of a document up by one page. Also is used for navigating selections.

PAGE DOWN: Moves the visible portion of a document down by one page. Also is used for navigating selections.

CTRL+SPACEBAR: Noncontiguous selection in a list of items.

CTRL+ARROW KEYS: Moves a noncontiguous selection in the arrow of the key you hit.

Operating System Fundamentals

ALT+F4: When no programs are active, or when the desktop is selected, ALT+F4 brings up the shutdown menu. You may then use the arrow keys (or push the underlined letters) to choose your option.

CTRL+ALT+DEL: This has a variety of function. Mostly, it is used when a program freezes. CTRL+ALT+DEL will bring up a list of open programs, from which you can shut down the program that is causing you problems. You can also use this to check your system resources, monitor the memory usage of your running processes, and more.

Working with Windows

ALT+SPACEBAR: This shortcut brings up the control menu, allowing you to quickly minimize, maximize, restore, move, or resize your windows. To navigate the menu, you can either use your arrow keys to move your selection and hit enter, or you can immediately hit the underlined letter of your selection. For instance, ALT+SPACEBAR, X will maximize the window.

ALT+HYPHEN: This works basically the same as ALT+SPACEBAR, except that it controls your current document only. In most cases, this means there will be no difference at all. However, if you are running a program such as Dreamweaver, which puts your documents in separate windows within the interface, this particular command will only affect the working document. In other words, you could minimize your current document with this command, but Dreamweaver would remain on the screen.

ALT+F4: This closes the selected program or window. If no windows are currently open, or if the desktop is selected, ALT+F4 brings up the shutdown menu.

CTRL+F4: This closes the selected document or file.