Keyboard shortcuts that make working on a computer easier

The keyboard is—along with the mouse and touchpad, of course—the primary tool for operating a computer and entering data into it. There are thousands of keyboard models on the market—ranging from minimalist, basic key sets to visually refined electronic “works of art,” all the way to elaborate gaming keyboards equipped with additional function keys and a futuristic design.

In addition to programmable function keys, all keyboards with a specific layout (in Poland, the classic QWERTY keyboard is by far the most common version) feature the same set of keys. This standardization allows users to take advantage of keyboard shortcuts, which significantly simplify computer work.

Keyboard shortcut — what is it?

A keyboard shortcut is a combination of two or more keys that, when pressed simultaneously (or, less commonly, in sequence), performs a specific action. This eliminates the need to search for the right option in the interface using a mouse, and a good knowledge of the shortcut library can significantly speed up the tasks displayed on the screen. Using keyboard shortcuts can be invaluable, both at work and in everyday life. 

• Keyboard shortcuts save time by eliminating the need to manually move the cursor and click.
• Using keyboard shortcuts can boost your productivity because they allow you to focus on the task at hand without having to interrupt your work to search for the right functions in the menu
• Keyboard shortcuts can also reduce strain on the joints in your hands and fingers, which can help prevent injuries associated with prolonged computer use. 

Basic keyboard shortcuts in Windows

Below is a list of both the most popular and some lesser-known keyboard shortcuts that can be used in various versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Contrary to what you might think, not everyone knows what Alt+F4 does or what the keyboard shortcut for “copy” is.

Note: The buttons in a combination are separated by a plus sign (+). 

Ctrl + Z 

Undo the last action. Some programs allow you to save multiple past actions, not just one—though this isn’t always the case. This means that by pressing Ctrl+Z a few times, you can often revert to a state from a few minutes ago.

Ctrl + Y

Undo the last action

Ctrl + C

Copy the selected item—it can be a section of text, an image, a file, a folder, or even a section in a video editing program

Ctrl + X

Cut the selected item — just like above, this can be a file, a folder, or even a section of a document.

Ctrl + V

Paste from Clipboard — pastes an item that has been previously cut or copied. If the item was cut, you can only paste it once; however, copied items can be pasted multiple times.

Ctrl + Shift + V

Pastes the cut or copied text into the editor, but removes its formatting. 

Ctrl + F

Find text — when you press this keyboard shortcut, a pop-up window appears where you can enter the text you want to search for. It works in both word processors, such as Microsoft Office, and web browsers.

Ctrl + S

Save the current file or document — saves the current state of the file being edited. In most cases, if the file has not been saved previously, pressing this key combination will bring up a dialog box where you can choose a file name and save options.

Ctrl + A

Select All. This selects all items within the current section—that is, all cells in an Excel worksheet, all files and folders visible on the desktop, and so on.

Ctrl + P

Starts printing the currently open document.

Alt + Tab

It allows you to switch between windows. In previous versions of Windows, many applications had significant issues with this, and using this shortcut could, in the worst-case scenario, even cause the program to crash. Fortunately, things are much better now.

Alt + F4

Closes the currently active window or program.

Ctrl + Shift + Escape

It launches the Windows Task Manager, which lets you see which open applications are using the most system resources. It also allows you to force-close any open application, even if the Alt + F4 shortcut mentioned above didn’t work—for example, if the selected program has frozen.

Ctrl + Shift + N 

Creating a new folder in File Explorer — works both in folders and on the desktop.

Alt + Enter

Displays the properties of the selected element. Works with both the right and left Alt keys.

Alt + F 

Opens the File menu in most applications.

Ctrl + Esc

Opens the Start menu. This keyboard shortcut therefore works exactly the same as pressing the Windows key once.

Win + R

This opens the Run dialog box. There, you can type a command to launch various programs—for example, typing "cmd" will open the command prompt.

Win + E

Opens the File Explorer window.

Win + L

It locks the computer and opens the user profile selection window. This shortcut is very useful, especially when you’re not the only user of the computer. NOTE — contrary to what many guides say, this does not log you out. The Windows + L keyboard shortcut only locks the computer; it does not close applications running in the background. There is no specific keyboard shortcut to log out of your profile—likely to prevent accidental presses of the combination and the loss of unsaved data. In Windows 11, however, while on the desktop, you can press Alt + F4 (which opens the shutdown menu), then press the up arrow twice (to reach the Log Out option), and finish the sequence by pressing Enter.

Win + D

It minimizes or restores all open windows by switching to the desktop. It works the same way as the “Show Desktop” button in the lower-right corner of the screen. Pressing this shortcut again while on the desktop will restore the windows.

Windows + M

Minimizes all windows—so it works similarly to the Win + D shortcut shown above, but pressing it again will not restore the minimized windows. To do that, press Win + Shift + M.

Ctrl + R

Refreshes the selected folder or window, as well as, for example, a browser tab.

Win + A

Opens the Quick Settings menu in Windows 11. It includes volume controls, accessibility settings, and the option to enable Night Mode.

Win + H

Launches a dictation tool based on speech recognition technology.

Win + N

Opens the notification center (which is located on the right side of the screen by default in Windows 11). It displays notifications from messaging apps, email clients, and the calendar.

Win + P

Opens the display management menu (also known as the presentation menu). This shortcut is especially useful when you have more than one monitor or, for example, a projector connected to your computer.

Win + Shift + S

Launches the screenshot tool. This allows you to capture only the part of the screen you want to save, unlike the Print Screen key, which automatically captures the entire screen.

Windows + . (period) and Win + ; (semicolon) 

Opens the emoji menu.

Win + Ctrl + F

Searches for computers on the network.

Win + Tab

It allows you to switch between virtual desktops.

Win + Ctrl + Enter

Opens the Narrator tool, which makes it easier for people who are visually impaired or blind to use the computer.

Windows + + (plus)

Enables the magnifying glass tool, which zooms in on the screen.

Windows + - (minus)

Zooms out the screen using a magnifying glass.

Win + i

Opens the system settings window.

Win + F

Opens the reviews Hub reviews with an automatically captured screenshot. The reviews Hub reviews a feature built into Windows 11 that allows you to send a screenshot along with text directly to Microsoft.

Useful keyboard shortcuts in macOS

Apple computer users can also use keyboard shortcuts, although these differ significantly from the combinations used in Windows. Some of them include:

Command + C 

Copying selected text or an element

Command + V

Pasting copied text or an element

Command + Q

Closing the active program

Command + Space

Opening Spotlight

Command + Tab

Switching between open programs

Command + A 

Selecting everything (text, elements)

Command + S

Saving the document or file you are currently editing

Command + W

Closing the active window in the program

Command + Z

Undo the last operation or action