Hotkeys in Windows

The same key can be used for multiple commands thanks to so-called “modifiers” that change the action. These include Ctrl, Alt, Shift and Win (which shows the Windows icon).

All keyboard shortcuts can be divided into local, global for a specific program, and global for the operating system.

Local shortcuts are active in a program only if its window is active. Global shortcuts for a program are valid for a running program, regardless of whether its window is active or not. Global keyboard shortcuts for the operating system work in the OS from any window. Many programs give the user the ability to customize their hotkeys for various actions. Below is a table of standard local and global keyboard shortcuts used in Microsoft operating systems.

Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Allows you to open the Task Manager program
Win + F	Allows you to expand the file search window
Printscreen	Allows you to copy a screenshot to the buffer
Alt + Printscreen	Allows you to copy to clipboard active app snapshot
Ctrl + A	Using them you can select all objects or text
Ctrl + C	Copy to clipboard object or text
Ctrl + V	Paste copied text or object from the clipboard
Ctrl + B	Make text bold in Microsoft Word and a number of other programs
Ctrl + I	Make text italic in Microsoft Word and a number of other programs
Ctrl + U	Make text underlined in Microsoft Word and a number of other programs
Ctrl + N	In most programs - create a new document
Ctrl + O	In most programs - open a new document
Ctrl + S	Allows you to save the current document
Ctrl + F	In most programs - open the search dialog
Ctrl + H	Open replace dialog
Ctrl + P	In most programs - send the current document to print
Ctrl + Z	Undo last action
Ctrl + Y	Redoing the last undone action
Alt + Enter	In video players and some other programs, allows you to switch to full screen mode and back
Ctrl + Home	Allows you to move to the beginning of the active document
Ctrl + End	Allows you to move to the end of the active document
F2	Rename a selected file
Shift + Delete	Permanently deleting the selected object without moving it to the trash
F5	Refresh window running browser
Alt + Tab	Move between running applications
Alt + F4	Closing the currently active application
Ctrl + F4	Closing the currently active document in the program

There are other hotkeys, but almost all of them are narrow in their application, and the ones listed above can be used in a variety of programs, sometimes even regardless of the system used.

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January 04, 2014 1