A to Z Keyboard Shortcut Keys and System Commands

Computer keyboard shortcut keys

Let’s kickstart the list with the most common shortcuts that you’ll often use.

F1 [Display Help]
F2 [Rename the selected item]
F3 [Search for a file or folder]
F4 [Display the address bar list in File Explorer]
F5 [Refresh the active window]
F6 [Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop]
F10 [Activate the Menu bar in the active app]
ALT + F4 [Close the active item, or exit the active app]
ALT + ESC [Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened]
ALT + Underlined Letter in menus and dialog box options [Perform the command for that letter]
ALT + ENTER [Display properties for the selected item]
ALT + SPACEBAR [Open the shortcut menu for the active window]
ALT + LEFT ARROW [Back]
ALT + RIGHT ARROW [Forward]
ALT + PAGE UP [Move up one screen]
ALT + PAGE DOWN [Move down one screen]
ALT + TAB [Switch between open apps (except desktop apps)]
CTRL + F4 [Close the active document (in apps that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)]
CTRL + A [Select all items in a document or window]
CTRL + C or CTRL + INSERT [Copy the selected item]
CTRL + D / DELETE [DELETE the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin]
CTRL + R or F5 [Refresh the active window]


CTRL + V or SHIFT + INSERT [Paste the selected item]
CTRL + X [Cut the selected item]
CTRL + Y [Redo an action]
CTRL + Z [Undo an action]
CTRL + + or CTRL + – [Zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen]
CTRL + mouse scroll wheel [Change the size of desktop icons or zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen]
CTRL + RIGHT ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word]
CTRL + LEFT ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word]
CTRL + DOWN ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph]
CTRL + UP ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph]
CTRL + ALT + TAB [Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps]
CTRL + ARROW + SPACEBAR [Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop]
CTRL + SHIFT + ARROW [Select a block of text]
CTRL + ESC [Open the Start screen]
CTRL + SHIFT + ESC [Open Task Manager]
CTRL + SHIFT [Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available]
CTRL + SPACEBAR [Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off]
SHIFT + F10 [Display the shortcut menu for the selected item]
SHIFT + ARROW [Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document]
SHIFT + DELETE [Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first]
RIGHT ARROW [Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu]
LEFT ARROW [Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu]
ESC [Stop or leave the current task]