The Ultimate Guide to Windows 10Keyboard Shortcuts

David NieldFiled to WINDOWS 10 72915 955am

If you want to give the impression that yoursquove been using Windows 10 for years

learning a few keyboard shortcuts is the best way to go about itmdashyou can navigate

around the interface get apps in position trigger events change settings and more

with a couple of taps on your keyboard Here are the shortcuts wersquove been finding

most useful

Window snapping

Window snapping has changed slightly in Windows 10 and so have the shortcuts

App windows can be snapped to either side of the screen as in Windows 8 but you

can also assign them to quadrants and get four windows open on screen

simultaneously

Windows Key+Left mdash snap active window to the left

Windows Key+Right mdash snap active window to the right

Windows Key+Up mdash snap the active window to the top

Windows Key+Down mdash snap the active window to the bottom

Bonus Whenever you snap a window to a side or a quadrant Windows will

automatically suggest you pick one of your open apps to fill the remaining real estate

on your desktop

Virtual desktops

1

Official support for virtual desktops is one of the most exciting new additions in

Windows 10mdashunless yoursquove been developing a thirdshyparty utility to do the same job

Itrsquos kind of like having extra invisible monitors Each desktop can have its own set of

apps but shortcuts and wallpaper are consistent across the board

Windows Key+Ctrl+D mdash create a new virtual desktop

Windows Key+Ctrl+Left mdash scroll through your desktops to the left

Windows Key+Ctrl+Right mdash scroll through your desktops to the right

Windows Key+Ctrl+F4 mdash close the current desktop

Windows Key+Tab mdash see all your desktops (and open apps) via the Task Viewpage

Cortana and settings

As yoursquoll know by now Cortana has arrived on the desktop If you donrsquot feel entirely

comfortable shouting out ldquohey Cortanardquo across a crowded room then there are

keyboard shortcuts that can helpmdashonce Cortana is active you can choice voice or

keyboard input

Windows Key+Q mdash open up Cortana ready for voice input

Windows Key+S mdash open up Cortana ready for typed input

Windows Key+I mdash open up the Windows 10 settings pane

Windows Key+A mdash open up Windows 10 notifications (Action Center)

Windows Key+X mdash open the Start button context menu (the one with easy accessto a host of common computer management featuresmdashlike the Command Prompt

below)

Command prompt

As yoursquoll know by now Cortana has arrived on the desktop If you donrsquot feel entirely

comfortable shouting out ldquohey Cortanardquo across a crowded room then there are

keyboard shortcuts that can helpmdashonce Cortana is active you can choice voice or

keyboard input

Windows Key+Q mdash open up Cortana ready for voice input

Windows Key+S mdash open up Cortana ready for typed input

Windows Key+I mdash open up the Windows 10 settings pane

Windows Key+A mdash open up Windows 10 notifications (Action Center)

Windows Key+X mdash open the Start button context menu (the one with easy accessto a host of common computer management featuresmdashlike the Command Prompt

below)

Command prompt

The new Windows 10 command prompt gets new keyboard shortcuts as well To use

them rightshyclick on the command prompt title bar and choose Properties On the

Options tab untick Use legacy console and enable Ctrl key shortcuts as well as the

two text selection options

Shift+Left mdash highlight text to the left of the cursor

Shift+Right mdash highlight text to the left of the cursor

Ctrl+Shift+Left (or Right) mdash highlight blocks of text instead of just characters ata time

Ctrl+C mdash copy selected text to the Windows clipboard

Ctrl+V mdash paste text from the Windows clipboard into command prompt

Ctrl+A mdash select all text after the prompt

These work in other textshybased applications as well but theyrsquore new to Command

Prompt

Finding your way around

Besides all the new Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts there are plenty of old classics

that have survived successive versions of the operating system and are still going

strong Here are the combinations yoursquore going to need to navigate around the

interface

Windows Key+ mdash temporarily hide apps to briefly show the desktop

Windows Key+D mdash minimize apps to go straight to the desktop

Ctrl+Shift+M mdash restore all minimized windows to fullshysize (useful after a Win +D)

Windows Key+Home mdash minimize all windows except the one yoursquore actively using

Windows Key+L mdash lock your PC and go to the lock screen

Windows Key+E mdash launch File Explorer (aka Windows Explorer)

Alt+Up mdash go up one level in File Explorer

Alt+Left mdash go to the previous folder in File Explorer

Alt+Right mdash go to the next folder in File Explorer

Alt+Tab mdash switch between windows (Hold down Alt while tapping Tab to pickvisually)

Alt+F4 mdash close the current window

Windows Key+Shift+Left (or Right) mdash move a window to your next monitor

Windows Key+T mdash cycle through taskbar items (hit Enter to launch)

Windows Key+Any Number Key mdash open the app pinned to the taskbar in thenumbered position (eg Win+2 launches the app in your second taskbar slot)

Going deeper into Windows

Unlock parts of Windows you never knew existed Here are the shortcuts you need if

you want to go way beyond the surface of the software into settings and options that

would otherwise be difficult to find Donrsquot click on anything unless you know what

yoursquore doing

Ctrl+Shift+Esc mdash open the Windows 10 Task Manager

Windows Key+R mdash open the Run dialog box

Shift+Delete mdash delete files without sending them to the Recycle Bin

Alt+Enter mdash show the properties of the currently selected file

Windows Key+U mdash open the Ease of Access Center

Windows Key+Space mdash switch input language and keyboard

Windows Key+Shift+Any Number Key mdash launch a new instance of the app inthe numbered taskbar slot

Windows Key+Ctrl+Shift+Any Number Key mdash same but launch the app withadmin powers enabled

Pictures video and display

As you would expect Windows 10 is a very visual OS and there are keyboard

shortcuts to help you capture screenshots record onshyscreen activity and zoom in and

out Note that to use the Game DVR recorder app yoursquore going to need a decent

graphics setup installed

Windows Key+PrtScr mdash take a screenshot saved to your Pictures folder

Windows Key+G mdash open the Game DVR recorder (if supported by your graphicscard)

Windows Key+Alt+G mdash start recording activity in the current window

Windows Key+Alt+R mdash stop recording in the Game DVR

Windows Key+P mdash switch between display modes (with a secondary displayconnected)

Windows Key+plus mdash zoom in using the Magnifier utility

Alt+F4 mdash close the current window

Windows Key+Shift+Left (or Right) mdash move a window to your next monitor

Windows Key+T mdash cycle through taskbar items (hit Enter to launch)

Windows Key+Any Number Key mdash open the app pinned to the taskbar in thenumbered position (eg Win+2 launches the app in your second taskbar slot)

Going deeper into Windows

Unlock parts of Windows you never knew existed Here are the shortcuts you need if

you want to go way beyond the surface of the software into settings and options that

would otherwise be difficult to find Donrsquot click on anything unless you know what

yoursquore doing

Ctrl+Shift+Esc mdash open the Windows 10 Task Manager

Windows Key+R mdash open the Run dialog box

Shift+Delete mdash delete files without sending them to the Recycle Bin

Alt+Enter mdash show the properties of the currently selected file

Windows Key+U mdash open the Ease of Access Center

Windows Key+Space mdash switch input language and keyboard

Windows Key+Shift+Any Number Key mdash launch a new instance of the app inthe numbered taskbar slot

Windows Key+Ctrl+Shift+Any Number Key mdash same but launch the app withadmin powers enabled

Pictures video and display

As you would expect Windows 10 is a very visual OS and there are keyboard

shortcuts to help you capture screenshots record onshyscreen activity and zoom in and

out Note that to use the Game DVR recorder app yoursquore going to need a decent

graphics setup installed

Windows Key+PrtScr mdash take a screenshot saved to your Pictures folder

Windows Key+G mdash open the Game DVR recorder (if supported by your graphicscard)

Windows Key+Alt+G mdash start recording activity in the current window

Windows Key+Alt+R mdash stop recording in the Game DVR

Windows Key+P mdash switch between display modes (with a secondary displayconnected)

Windows Key+plus mdash zoom in using the Magnifier utility

Windows Key+Shift+Any Number Key mdash launch a new instance of the app inthe numbered taskbar slot

Windows Key+Ctrl+Shift+Any Number Key mdash same but launch the app withadmin powers enabled

Pictures video and display

As you would expect Windows 10 is a very visual OS and there are keyboard

shortcuts to help you capture screenshots record onshyscreen activity and zoom in and

out Note that to use the Game DVR recorder app yoursquore going to need a decent

graphics setup installed

Windows Key+PrtScr mdash take a screenshot saved to your Pictures folder

Windows Key+G mdash open the Game DVR recorder (if supported by your graphicscard)

Windows Key+Alt+G mdash start recording activity in the current window

Windows Key+Alt+R mdash stop recording in the Game DVR

Windows Key+P mdash switch between display modes (with a secondary displayconnected)

Windows Key+plus mdash zoom in using the Magnifier utility

Windows Key+minus mdash zoom out using the Magnifier utility

Find even more obscure keyboard shorts at this link

Windows 10 The Gizmodo Review

Does Windows 10 Make SenseOn a Big Touchscreen PC

Windows 10 Days Three andFour

Yes You Can Use Cortana inWindows 10 With Any OldMicrophone

Eldritch David Nield72915 1025am

Just asking out into the void here but does anyone know how well Win10

handles old programs Irsquom still extremely attached to WinAmp and AIM and

wonrsquot update if Irsquoll lose them

Turbolence88 Cant Think of a Clever Display Name Eldritch72915 1159am

WinAMP forever Itrsquoll keep whipping ass rsquotil the llamas go extinct

Jim Bob Turbolence88 Cant Think of a Clever Display Name72915 1218pm

WinAMP and Windows 7

planetarian Eldritch72915 1242pm

if itrsquos a regular app that it worked in 78 there should be no reason it would

break in 10 I havenrsquot had any of my apps break at least

Aikage Eldritch72915 119pm

you have AIM Like the old school amazing version I thought it wouldnrsquot work

anymore

Theodore Brosevelt David Nield72915 1011am

If you have a multishymonitor setup how does virtual desktop work in extended

displays Does each virtual desktop change both displays or can it be changed

for a single display (Thinking about uses for aux monitor while gaming

without changing the primary display)

planetarian Theodore Brosevelt72915 1240pm

it changes it on all displays at once I had never thought about it before but i

suppose it would be nice if that were configurable

saymwah planetarian72915 129pm

Dexpot allows separate backgrounds on each desktop

planetarian saymwah72915 136pm

wersquore not talking about backgrounds though win10 already allows separate

backgrounds on each desktop (My PCs have a number of them in rotation right

now) Wersquore talking about displayshyspecific virtual desktopsworkspaces such

that you can change to another workspace on one display without it also

changing on another Thatrsquos something that windows itself doesnrsquot support yet

Theodore Brosevelt planetarian72915 214pm

Thanks for the info Yeah I use my second monitor for keeping open system

monitorsstreamsTVSteamOriginVentrilo etc while using my primary at

full screen Would be nice if I could turn that second monitor into 2 or 3 since

therersquos only so much I can fit on a 1920x1200

aec007 David Nield72915 1243pm

Mustshyfightshyurge to buy and install cheap 55rdquo 4K TV as PC monitor

TheDrNick aec00773015 1255am

Where is this cheap 55rdquo 4K TV

aec007 TheDrNick73015 1259pm

Amazon had a Sony 55rdquo 4K TV monitor for $700 the other dayon Prime Day

I paid more than that for my 24rdquo Dell Monitor just a 5 years ago

Right now Irsquom using this at workhttpwwwamazoncomSamsungshy28shyInc

They are fantastic You cannot see pixels even with a magnifying glass

But this httpwwwamazoncomCrossovershyComp is very tempting

Jester6642 David Nield72915 1053am

Herersquos my little trick I have a Logitech M705 Itrsquos got some extra up and down

buttons under the thumb Irsquove used XshyMouse Button Control to reassign the up

and down to WIN+CTL+Right and WIN+CTL+Left Which means I can

switch between virtual desktops using only my thumb on my mouse

Best Boss Button Ever

Jim Bob David Nield72915 1217pm

Letrsquos get this Windows 10 week over ASAP Any real PC computer user will be

skipping this version and using Windows 7 until Microsoft gives in and brings it

back labeled as Windows 14

hawkingdo David Nield72915 625pm

Great review series

OT You guys need to change your tab icon Gizmodo Reviews looks the same

as Gawker in the tabs (for Chrome at least)