Some of these keyboard shortcuts are pretty common yet a lot of people don't seem to know about them.
By searching with Google, you can find many links to Keyboard shortcuts.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| CTRL+F6 | Switches documents in most programs when you have more than one open. |
| Windows Key+Pause | opens system properties real fast. |
| Windows Key+E | opens Explorer |
| Windows Key+F | Search |
| Windows Key+L | Locks your computer, re-input your login password to unlock. |
| Windows Key+T | Items on Taskbar. Use the arrow keys to select the item you want, Spacebar or Enter to open it. |
Windows Key+T then Tab |
Selects Quick Launch toolbar (if it is activated and showing on the Taskbar), use Arrow Keys to navigate, Enter to select. |
| Windows Key+B | Items in System Tray Use the arrow keys to select the item you want, Spacebar or Enter to open it. |
| Windows Key+D | Minimize all windows, brings up desktop. |
| Click + Shift Click | Need to highlight a word, sentence, whole paragraph or more? Click on the start or end of the area you want to highlight, then Shift Click on the opposite end of the area. Presto, the area in between the two clicks is highlighted, ready to be copied, cut, bolded or whatever. |
| Click + Hold Down Shift + Left or Right Arrow | Similar to above, Click at the start or end of an area you want to highlight, hold down the Shift key and use the left or right arrow keys to highlight the area quickly. |
Browser Keyboard Shortcuts - (Firefox)
| Space | Moves down a page. So fast to use, you can use your thumb. |
| Backspace | Back to previous page. |
| CTRL+T | Opens new tab. |
| CTRL+W | close current page - handy for the popups that get by. |
| F6 or CTRL+L | highlights the address bar so you can just start typing. |
| CTRL+N | opens a new browser window. |
| CTRL+F | find on this page. |
| CTRL+ENTER | adds "www" to the beginning & ".com" to the end of the text typed in the address bar. |
| Shift+Click | opens link in a new page leaving the original underneath. |
| Click+Shift Click | Want to print part of a page, not the whole page? Highlight the part you want by clicking at the beginning of the paragraph, then move to the end of the area you want and Shift Click. Presto, area is highlighted. A lot better than trying to do the click and drag stuff. |
| CTRL + K | Highlight Search bar. |
| CTRL + D | Bookmark current page. |
| CTRL + B | Show Bookmarks sidebar. |
Common Keyboard Shortcuts
| Ctrl+A | Select All |
| Ctrl+C | Copy |
| CTRL+V | Paste |
| CTRL+X | Copy and Remove |
| CTRL+Z | Undo |
| CTRL+Y | Redo the Undo |
| CTRL+B | Bold |
| CTRL+I | Italics |
| CTRL+U | Underline |
| CTRL+O | Open file - Explorer window |
| CTRL+P | Print - selection window |
| CTRL+S | Save As - Explorer window |
| CTRL+N | My Computer (from desktop) |
| Alt+Space | Activates Minimize/Maximize menu |
| Alt+F4 | Close active program. (Or shutdown computer from desktop.) |
| Alt+Tab | Select programs you have running. |
| Ctrl-Shift-Right Arrow | Selects the word immediately to the right of the cursor. |
| Ctrl-Shift-Left Arrow | Selects the word immediately to the left of the cursor. |
| Shift-Home | Selects text from the cursor's current position to the beginning of the line. |
| Shift-End | Selects text from the cursor's current position to the end of the line. |
| Windows key + Tab | Vista - 3D Select from running programs. |
| Alt + Spacebar + M | Move current windows with arrow keys. |
These are not all the keyboard shortcuts of course, just some of the most useful ones. Some shortcuts act differently when inside active programs.
(September 2008)
Toshiba Laptop makes French Characters
This may be more of a Vista problem than Toshiba. At any rate I was always having a problem while using Skype chat or MSN Messenger when my keyboard would suddenly decide to print French characters. It didn't seem to bother other word type programs.
If your Toshiba laptop prints French characters, here is how to put things back to normal. This may work for other brands too, I am not sure.
1) Capitol Lock On
2) Press Ctrl+Shift
in Vista the following sequence will take you to a panel that lists the keys for changing keyboard input.
Control Panel>Regional and Language Options>Keyboards and Languages>Change Keyboards>Change Key Sequence
Keyboard Shortcut Programs
These programs make using the keyboard practical, fun and fast. Combined with the above these will allow you to open programs, research, and do so much more at lightening speed.
Find And Run Robot - does more than any other program of its type at almost instant speeds. It launches programs, researches the net, starts any of your bookmarks, and much much more. If you want a program to speed up your productivity and make it fun, try this one. It is definitely the top of its class.
Launchy - is a free windows utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.
Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes! You can direct it to index any folder you choose.
It uses a bit more resources than the one below, but the benefits make it worth it. Works in XP and Vista.
SlickRun- another good keyboard program as an alternate to using the start menu. The program is free, small and uses little resources.
You can set up your programs by using their names or the first letters of their name or whatever you want. Using a hot key, Win+Q, you can bring the programs small box up, type in the code for your program and it is almost an instant start. It also works for web sites too. You only have to type a couple letters and the auto-fill will complete the name for you.You can make it disappear after the selected program starts until you hit the hotkey to use it again. Or if you leave it, it will display the date and time. It has many other features such as a built in note pad that automatically saves (Windows Key+J).
| ©2006