Helpful References and Tools
Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts
General Shortcuts
Use these keyboard shortcuts when working with files and folders within Windows
Keyboard Shortcut
Select All
Delete selected item (move to Recycle Bin)
SHIFT+DELETE
Delete item permanently without moving to Recycle Bin
Rename the selected item
Search for a file or a folder
Display the Address Bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
Refresh the contents of the active window
Cycle through the screen elements in a window or the desktop
Activate the menu bar in the active program
CTRL while dragging an item
Copy the selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Create a shortcut to the selected item
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop
View the properties for the selected item
Close the active item, or quit the active program
Display the properties of the selected object
ALT+SPACEBAR
Open the shortcut menu for the active window
Close the active window
Switch between the open items
Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the System menu for the active window
Display the Start menu
ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Display the corresponding menu
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Perform the corresponding command
RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
LEFT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive
Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC
Open Task Manager
Windows Explorer Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used within Windows Explorer.
Keyboard Shortcut
Display the top of the active window
Display the bottom of the active window
LEFT ARROW
Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder
RIGHT ARROW
Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder
NUM LOCK+ * (Asterisk)
Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder
NUM LOCK+ + (Plus key)
Display the contents of the selected folder
NUM LOCK+ - (Minus key)
Collapse the selected folder
Dialog Box Shortcuts
The following shortcuts can be used when a Windows
Keyboard Shortcut
Move forward through the tabs
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move backward through the tabs
Move forward through the options
Move backward through the options
ALT+Underlined letter
Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option
Perform the command for the active option or button
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
Arrow keys
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
Open a folder one level up when a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box
Display Help
Display the items in the active list
Accessibility Shortcuts
These shortcuts can be used to modify Windows Accessibility settings.
Keyboard Shortcut
Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch FilterKeys on or off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN
Switch High Contrast on or off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK
Switch the MouseKeys on or off
SHIFT five times
Switch the StickyKeys on or off
NUM LOCK for five seconds
Switch the ToggleKeys on or off
Windows Natural Keyboard Shortcuts
Use these shortcuts to navigate Windows with a Windows Natural Keyboard
(The keyboard must have a Windows logo key next to the Alt key).
Keyboard Shortcut
Windows Logo
Display or hide the Start menu
Windows Logo+BREAK
Display the System Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+D
Display the desktop
Windows Logo+M
Minimize all open windows
Windows Logo+SHIFT+M
Restore all minimized windows
Windows Logo+F
Search for a file or a folder
CTRL+Windows Logo+F
Search for computers
Windows Logo+F1
Display Windows Help
Windows Logo+L
Lock the keyboard
Windows Logo+R
Open the Run dialog box
Windows Logo+U
Open Utility Manager
Text Editing
The following shortcuts can be used in text-editing programs, such as Notepad and WordPad.
Keyboard Shortcut
Select All
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Highlight a block of text
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select a block of text one character at a time