Windows: Keyboard Shortcuts

By Xah Lee. Date: 2009-12-16. Last updated: 2024-03-20.

Here's list of Microsoft Windows keyboard shortcuts.

Browser Tabs

`Ctrl`+`w`	Close tab.
`Ctrl`+`Tab`	Next tab.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Tab`	Previous tab.
`Ctrl`+`PageDown`	Next tab.
`Ctrl`+`PageUp`	Previous tab.
`Ctrl`+`t`	New tab.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`t`	Open last closed tab.

`Ctrl`+`←`	back
`Ctrl`+`→`	forward

Close Window

`Alt`+`F4`	Close window.
`Alt`+`Space` `c`	Close window.
`Escape`	Close dialog.
`Ctrl`+`F4`	Close tab or window. Only in some apps.

Switch Window

`Alt`+`Tab`	Switch to last window.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Tab`	Previous window.
`Alt`+`Escape`	Next window (no dialog). Skip minimized windows.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`Escape`	Previous window (no dialog). Skip minimized windows.

`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Tab`	Show all windows.
`❖ Window`+`Tab`	Show all windows.

Hide/Show window

`Alt`+`Space` `n`	Minimize window.
`❖ Window`+`d`	Show desktop by minimize all windows.
`❖ Window`+`m`	Minimize all windows. `❖ Window`+`Shift`+`m` restores, if pressed right away.
`❖ Window`+`Home`	Hide other windows. Press again to show.

Change Windows Size

Microsoft Windows Change Windows Size Keyboard Shortcuts

Open Folder, Launch App

`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Escape`	launch task manager. [see Windows: Task Manager]
`Ctrl`+`Escape`	Start menu. same as pressing `❖ Window`
`❖ Window`	Start menu. Press the Win key then start typing the app's name, will usually let you launch the app quickly.
`❖ Window`+`r`	Run program by name.
`❖ Window`+`e`	open file explorer
`❖ Window`+`1`	Launch or switch taskbar app 1. `❖ Window`+`2` app 2, etc.
`❖ Window`+`Shift`+`1`	Start a new instance of taskbar app 1.
`❖ Window`+`Alt`+`1`	List options for taskbar app 1.
`❖ Window`+`t`	Cycle thru apps on task bar.

Zoom screen

`❖ Window`+`=`	screen zoom-in
`❖ Window`+`-`	screen zoom-out
`❖ Window`+`Escape`	Exit screen zoom

Drop Down Terminal

❖ Windows+`

toggles drop down terminal. (need to have Windows Terminal started once.)

Misc

`Alt`	Activate menu. After pressing Alt, use arrow keys to navigate, or press keys of the underlined letters.
`Alt`+`Space`	popup menu to move/resize/min/max/close window.
`F5`	Refresh, in browsers and Explorer and most other apps that makes sense.

`❖ Window`+`v`	Paste from clipboard history. Must turn on clipboard history in [settings, system, clickboard].
`❖ Window`+`.`	Open emoji panel.
`❖ Window`+`L`	Lock screen.
`❖ Window`+`a`	Open action center (notifications).
`❖ Window`+`h`	Start dictation.
`❖ Window`+`s`	Open search.
`❖ Window`+`g`	Open game bar.
`❖ Window`+`k`	Open the Connect quick action.

`❖ Window`+`Space`	Switch language or keyboard layout.
`❖ Window`+`Pause`	Open System Properties.
`❖ Window`+`i`	Open settings.
`❖ Window`+`u`	Open display settings.
`❖ Window`+`x`	Opens Quick Link menu.
`❖ Window`+`x` `f`	Apps and features
`❖ Window`+`x` `o`	Power options
`❖ Window`+`x` `v`	Event viewer
`❖ Window`+`x` `y`	System
`❖ Window`+`x` `m`	Device manager
`❖ Window`+`x` `w`	Network connections
`❖ Window`+`x` `k`	Disk management
`❖ Window`+`x` `g`	Computer management
`❖ Window`+`x` `i`	Windows PowerShell
`❖ Window`+`x` `a`	Windows PowerShell (Admin)
`❖ Window`+`x` `t`	Task manager
`❖ Window`+`x` `n`	Settings
`❖ Window`+`x` `e`	File explorer
`❖ Window`+`x` `s`	Search
`❖ Window`+`x` `r`	Run
`❖ Window`+`x` `u` `i`	Sign out
`❖ Window`+`x` `u` `s`	Sleep
`❖ Window`+`x` `u` `u`	Shutdown
`❖ Window`+`x` `u` `r`	Restart
`❖ Window`+`x` `d`	Desktop
`❖ Window`+`b`	Select the first icon in the Notification Area.

`❖ Window`+`p`	Choose a presentation display mode (set screen to clone on 2nd monitor, etc.).
`❖ Window`+`f`	Open feedback.
`❖ Window`+`Alt`+`Enter`	Start Windows Media Center interface.
`❖ Window`+`F1`	Open Windows Help.
`❖ Window`+`Ctrl`+`f`	Open Search for Computers. Requires Active Directory Domain Services.

in Windows 10 start menu, is there a key to launch the admin version of app?

Windows 10 Start menu PowerShell 2021-02-20

In the Win10 menu, press Ctrl+❖ Window+Shift+Return to launch as administrator. Ctrl+❖ Window+Shift+1 to launch the first application of the menu bar as administrator (2 for the second etc.)

2021-02-19 thanks to Amine Chadly for help on key to launch admin.