Windows Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Know

Windows keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that run common commands instantly instead of hunting for them with the mouse. The essentials are Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V to copy and paste, Alt + Tab to switch between apps, Win + Shift + S to take a screenshot, and Win + L to lock your PC. Learning just ten of them will save you a noticeable amount of time every day.

In short: start with copy, paste and undo, then learn window switching, then screenshots, and add one new shortcut a week until it becomes a habit.

Before you start: what is the Win key?

In this article, Win means the Windows logo key, usually found between Ctrl and Alt at the bottom left of your keyboard. Pressing it on its own opens the Start menu.

To use any shortcut, hold down the first key (for example Ctrl), press the second key, then release both.

Basic copy and editing shortcuts

These work almost everywhere: in your browser, Word, Excel and File Explorer.

Shortcut	What it does
Ctrl + C	Copy
Ctrl + X	Cut
Ctrl + V	Paste
Ctrl + Z	Undo the last action
Ctrl + Y	Redo (in most apps)
Ctrl + A	Select all
Ctrl + S	Save
Ctrl + F	Find in the page or file
Ctrl + P	Print

Ctrl + Z is the most valuable shortcut on this list. Deleted a paragraph by accident? Moved a file into the wrong folder? Try Ctrl + Z before you panic.

Switching between windows and apps

• Alt + Tab: switch between open apps. Keep holding Alt and tap Tab repeatedly to pick one.
• Win + Tab: open Task View to see all your windows at once.
• Win + D: show the desktop. Press it again to bring your windows back.
• Win + M: minimise all windows.
• Win + ← or Win + →: snap the window to half of the screen. Great for comparing two documents side by side.
• Win + ↑: maximise the window. Win + ↓: minimise or restore it.
• Win + number: open the app pinned to the taskbar in that position. Win + 1 opens the first one.
• Alt + F4: close the current window. On the desktop, it opens the shut down dialog.
• Win + Z: Windows 11 only. Shows the Snap layouts for arranging windows.

Virtual desktops

If you juggle several projects, you can keep them on separate desktops:

• Win + Ctrl + D: create a new virtual desktop.
• Win + Ctrl + ← or →: move between desktops.
• Win + Ctrl + F4: close the current desktop.

Screenshots and the clipboard

• Win + Shift + S: opens the snipping tool so you can select part of the screen. The image is copied to the clipboard, ready to paste with Ctrl + V.
• Win + PrtScn: captures the whole screen and saves it automatically to the Screenshots folder inside Pictures.
• PrtScn on its own: depending on your settings, it either copies the full screen to the clipboard or opens the snipping tool.
• Win + V: opens clipboard history, so you can paste something you copied earlier, not just the last item. Windows asks you to turn it on the first time.
• Win + . (period): opens the emoji and symbols panel.

File Explorer shortcuts

Shortcut	What it does
Win + E	Open File Explorer
F2	Rename the selected file
Ctrl + Shift + N	Create a new folder
Alt + Enter	Show file properties
Alt + ↑	Go up one folder
Ctrl + L	Jump to the address bar to type a path
F5	Refresh the folder
Delete	Move the file to the Recycle Bin
Shift + Delete	Delete permanently, skipping the Recycle Bin

Be careful with Shift + Delete: there is no Recycle Bin safety net. If your files matter, read our guide on how to back up your files properly.

System and security shortcuts

• Win + L: lock your PC instantly. Make it a habit every time you step away from your desk.
• Win + I: open Settings.
• Ctrl + Shift + Esc: open Task Manager directly. It is the first place to look when your computer feels slow, as we explain in how to speed up a slow laptop.
• Ctrl + Alt + Delete: show the security screen with options like lock, sign out and Task Manager.
• Win + X: open the Quick Link menu with tools such as Device Manager and Disk Management.
• Win + R: open the Run box to launch commands like cmd or notepad.
• Win + P: choose a display mode when you connect a second monitor or projector.

Browser and text editing shortcuts

These aren't part of Windows itself, but they work in most browsers, including Chrome, Edge and Firefox:

• Ctrl + T: open a new tab.
• Ctrl + W: close the current tab.
• Ctrl + Shift + T: reopen the tab you just closed by mistake.
• Ctrl + Tab: go to the next tab.
• Ctrl + L: select the address bar.
• Ctrl + + and Ctrl + -: zoom in and out. Ctrl + 0 resets the zoom.

When you're typing:

• Ctrl + ← or →: jump a whole word instead of one character.
• Ctrl + Shift + ← or →: select a whole word.
• Home and End: go to the start or end of the line.
• Ctrl + Backspace: delete the previous word in most modern apps.

If you spend most of your day in the browser, also take a look at the best Chrome extensions for productivity.

How to make shortcuts stick

Don't try to memorise everything at once. Try this instead:

1. Pick just 3 shortcuts this week, for example Win + Shift + S, Alt + Tab and Win + L.
2. Write them on a sticky note next to your screen.
3. Whenever you reach for the mouse to do one of them, stop and use the shortcut instead.
4. Next week, add 3 more.

After about a month you'll be using them without thinking. And if you work in spreadsheets a lot, the natural next step is learning the most important Excel functions.