With Windows 8 now a player in the Operating System Arena, it’s time we take a look at making your everyday tasks a little easier.
Lets take a look at 100.. yes I said it. 100 Windows 8 shortcuts that will make your life not only a whole lot simpler, but also a lot more productive. (Just to be nice guy, I’ll also throw in an additional 11 shortcuts at no extra cost).
For arguments sake, I am going to use “WIN” for the windows key. So, whenever you see WIN, please note that I am making reference to the Windows Key.
- WIN : Switches between Metro Screen and last accessed application.
- WIN+C : Accesses the charms bar
- WIN+Tab : Accesses the Metro Taskbar
- WIN+I : Accesses the Setting charm
- WIN+H : Accesses the Share charm
- WIN+K : Accesses the Devices charm
- WIN+Q : Accesses the Apps Search screen
- WIN+F : Accesses the File Search screen
- WIN+W : Accesses the Settings Search screen
- WIN+P : Accesses the Second Screen bar
- WIN+Z : Brings up the App Bar when you have a Metro App running
- WIN+X : Accesses the Windows Tools Menu
- WIN+O : Locks screen orientation
- WIN+E : Opens “Computer”
- WIN+R : Opens the Run dialogue box
- WIN+V : Views all active Toasts/Notifications
- WIN+U : Opens the Ease of Access Center
- WIN+. : Moves the split screen to the right
- WIN+Shift+. : Moves the split screen to the left
- WIN+Ctrl+F : Opens Find Computers dialogue box
- WIN+Shift+V : Views all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order
- WIN+PrtScn : Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot(#) – incrementing the # with each screenshot
- WIN+Enter : Launches Narrator
- WIN+Pause/Break : Opens the System page
- WIN+1…10 : Launches a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number or, accesses a running program on the Taskbar inn the position indicated by the number
- WIN+Shift+1…10 : Launches a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
- WIN+Ctrl+1…10 : Accesses the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
- WIN+Alt+1…10 : Accesses the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
- WIN+B : Selects the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item
- WIN+Ctrl+B : Accesses the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area
- WIN+T : Cycles through items on the Taskbar
- WIN+M : Minimizes all windows
- WIN+Shift+M : Restores all minimized windows
- WIN+D : Shows/Hides Desktop (minimizes/restores all windows)
- WIN+L : Locks Computer
- WIN+Up Arrow : Maximizes current window
- WIN+Down Arrow : Minimizes/restores current window
- WIN+Home : Minimizes all but current window
- WIN+Left Arrow : Tiles window on the left side of the screen
- WIN+Right Arow : Tiles window on the right side of the screen
- WIN+Shift+Up Arrow : Extends current window from top to bottom of the screen
- WIN+Shift+Left/Right Arrow : Moves the current window from one monitor to the next
- WIN+F1 : Launches Windows Help and Support
- Alt : Displays a hidden Menu Bar
- Alt+D : Selects the Address Bar
- Alt+P : Displays the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer
- Alt+Tab : Cycles forward through open windows
- Alt+Shift+Tab : Cycles backward through open windows
- Alt+F4 : Closes the current window / Opens the Shut Down Windows dialogue box from the Desktop
- Alt+Spacebar : Accesses the Shortcut menu for the current window
- Alt+Esc : Cycles between open programs in the order that they were opened
- Alt+Enter : Opens the Properties dialogue box of the selected item
- Alt+PrtScn : Takes a screenshot of the active Window and places it in the clipboard
- Alt+Up Arrow : Moves up one folder in Windows Explorer
- Alt+Left Arrow : Displays the previous folder
- ‘Alt+Right Arrow : Displays the next folder
- Shift+Insert CD/DVD : Loads CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
- Shift+Delete : Permanently deletes an item (skips the recycle bin)
- Shift+F6 : Cycles backward through elements in a window or dialogue box
- Shift+F10 : Accesses the context menu for a selected item
- Shift+Tab : Cycles backward through elements in a window or dialogue box
- Shift+Click : Selects a consecutive group of items
- Shift+Click on Taskbar button : Launches a new instance of a program
- Shift+Right-click on a Taskbar button : Accesses the context menu for the selected item
- Ctrl+A : Selects all items
- Ctrl+C : Copies the selected item
- Ctrl+X : Cuts the selected item
- Ctrl+V : Pastes the selected item
- Ctrl+D : Deletes the selected item
- Ctrl+Z : Undoes and action
- Ctrl+Y : Redoes and action
- Ctrl+N : Opens a news window in Windows Explorer
- Ctrl+W : Closes a current window in Windows Explorer
- Ctrl+E : Selects the search box in the upper right corner of the window
- Ctrl+Esc : Switches between the Metro Start screen and the last accessed Application
- Ctrl+Mouse scroll wheel : Activates the Semantic Zoom on the Metro screenCtrl+Shift+N : Creates a new folder
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc : Opens the Windows Task Manager
- Ctrl+Alt+Tab : Uses arrows keys to cycle through open windows
- Ctrl+Alt+Delete : Accesses the Windows Security screen
- Ctrl+Click : Selects multiple individual items
- Ctrl+Click and drag an item : Copies that item in the same folder
- Ctrl+Shift+Click and drag and item : Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder
- Ctrl+Tab : Moves forward through tabs
- Ctrl+Shift+tab : Moves backward through tabs
- Ctrl+Shift+Click on Taskbar button : Launches a new instance of a program as an Adminstrator
- Ctrl+Click on a grouped Taskbar button : Cycles through instances of a program in the group
- F1 : Displays Help
- F2 : Renames a file
- F3: Opens Search
- F4 : Displays the Address Bar list
- F5 : Refreshes the display
- F6 : Cycles forward through elements in a window or dialogue box
- F7 : Displays command history in a Command Prompt
- F10 : Displays hidden Menu Bar
- F11 : Toggles full screen display
- Tab : Cycles forward through elements in a window or dialogue box
- PrtScn : Takes a screen shot of the entire screen and places it in the clipboard
- Application Key : Accesses the context menu for the selected item
- Home : Moves to the top of an active window
- End : Moves to the bottom of an active window
- Delete : Deletes the selected item
- PageUp : Scrolls forward on the Metro Start screen
- PageDown : Scrolls Backwards on the Metro Start Screen
- Backspace : Displays the previous folder in Windows Explorer / Moves up one level in Open or Save dialogue box
- Esc : Closes a dialogue box / Closes a Charm
- (NumLock enabled)+(+ key) : Displays the contents of the selected folder
- (NumLock enabled)+(- key) : Collapses the selected folder
- (NumLock enabled)+Shift+8 : Expands all subfolders under the selected folder
- Press Shift 5 times consecutively : Turns sticky keys on/off
- Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds : Turns FilterKeys on/off
- Hold down NumLock for 5 seconds : Turns ToggleKeys on/off