Businesses will often ask “How can we speed up the day-to-day repetitive tasks”.

One of the simplest ways to increase most staff members productivity is to familiarise them with the following shortcut keys.

Windows Shortcuts

Windows Shortcuts

One of the simplest ways to increase most staff members productivity is to familiarise them with the following shortcut keys.

  • Win + F1 [Open Windows Help and support]
  • Win [Display or hide the Start screen]
  • Win + B [Set focus in the notification area]
  • Win + C [Open Charms]
  • Win + D [Display and hide the desktop]
  • Win + E [Open File Explorer]
  • Win + F [Open the Search charm and search for files]
  • Win + H [Open the Share charm]
  • Win + I [Open the Settings charm]
  • Win + K [Open the Devices charm]
  • Win + L [Lock your PC or switch people]
  • Win + M [Minimise all windows]
  • Win + O [Lock device orientation]
  • Win + P [Choose a presentation display mode]
  • Win + Q [Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within the open app (if the app supports app search)]
  • Win + R [Open the Run dialog box]
  • Win + S [Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web]
  • Win + T [Cycle through apps on the taskbar]
  • Win + U [Open Ease of Access Centre]
  • Win + V [Cycle through notifications]
  • Win + SHIFT + V [Cycle through notifications in reverse order]
  • Win + W [Open the Search charm and search for settings]
  • Win + X [Open the Quick Link menu]
  • Win + Z [Show the commands available in the app]
  • Win + , [Temporarily peek at the desktop]
  • Win + PAUSE [Display the System Properties dialog box]
  • Win + CTRL + F [Search for PCs (if you’re on a network)]
  • Win + SHIFT + M [Restore minimised windows on the desktop]
  • Win + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, it switches to that app.]
  • Win + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number]
  • Win + CTRL + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number]
  • Win + ALT + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number]
  • Win + CTRL + SHIFT + (NUMBER 1-9) [Open the desktop and open a new instance of the app located at the given position on the taskbar as an administrator]
  • Win + TAB [Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)]
  • Win + CTRL + TAB [Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)]
  • Win + SHIFT + TAB [Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse order]
  • Win + CTRL + B [Switch to the app that displayed a message in the notification area]
  • Win + UP ARROW [Maximise the window]
  • Win + DOWN ARROW [Remove current app from screen or minimise the desktop window]
  • Win + LEFT ARROW [Maximise the app or desktop window to the LEFT side of the screen]
  • Win + RIGHT ARROW [Maximise the app or desktop window to the RIGHT side of the screen]
  • Win + HOME [Minimise all but the active desktop window (restores all windows on second stroke)]
  • Win + SHIFT + UP ARROW [Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen]
  • Win + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW [Restore/minimise active desktop windows vertically, maintaining width]
  • Win + SHIFT + LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW [Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to another]
  • Win + SPACEBAR [Switch input language and keyboard layout]
  • Win + CTRL + SPACEBAR [Change to a previously selected input]
  • Win + ENTER [Open Narrator]
  • Win + SHIFT + . [Cycle through open apps]
  • Win + . [Cycle through open apps]
  • Win + / [Initiate IME re-conversion]
  • Win + ALT + ENTER [Open Windows Media Centre]
  • Win + +/- [Zoom in or out using Magnifier]
  • Win + ESC [Exit Magnifier]

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