Reaching for the mouse is slow. Each trip takes a second or two, and across a working day that adds up to a surprising amount of time. You do not need to memorise hundreds of shortcuts. These cover the actions most people repeat all day, grouped by what they do. Start with three or four, use them until they are automatic, then add more.
Moving between windows and desktops
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|
| Alt + Tab | Switch to the previous window. Hold Alt and keep pressing Tab to choose another. |
| Win + Tab | Open Task View to see all windows and virtual desktops. |
| Win + D | Show the desktop. Press again to bring your windows back. |
| Win + Ctrl + D | Create a new virtual desktop, handy for separating work and personal tasks. |
| Win + Ctrl + ← / → | Move between virtual desktops. |
Arranging windows
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|
| Win + ← / → | Snap the active window to the left or right half of the screen. |
| Win + ↑ / ↓ | Maximise or restore the active window. |
| Win + Shift + ← / → | Move the active window to another monitor. |
| Win + P | Choose how to use a second screen or projector: duplicate, extend or one screen only. |
Text and clipboard
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|
| Win + V | Open clipboard history, so you can paste something you copied earlier. You may need to turn it on the first time you use it. |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste as plain text without formatting. It works in many apps and browsers, though not all. |
| Ctrl + Backspace | Delete the previous word instead of one character at a time (in most text fields). |
| Win + . (period) | Open the emoji and symbol panel. |
| Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y | Undo and redo, in nearly every application. |
Files and folders
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|
| Win + E | Open File Explorer. |
| F2 | Rename the selected file or folder. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Create a new folder in File Explorer. |
| Alt + ← | Go back to the previous folder in File Explorer. |
Browser and system
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen the browser tab you just closed (Chrome, Edge and Firefox). |
| Win + Shift + S | Capture part of the screen. See our screenshot shortcuts guide. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager directly, useful when an app stops responding. |
| Win + L | Lock your computer instantly when you step away. |
How to actually learn them
- Pick three. Choose the shortcuts for actions you do many times a day, for example snapping windows, clipboard history and reopening tabs.
- Write them on a sticky note beside your monitor for a week.
- Force yourself. Each time you notice reaching for the mouse for one of those actions, stop and use the keys instead.
- Add three more once the first set feels natural.
A note on custom shortcuts
Some applications, including screen capture and clipboard tools, let you set your own global hotkeys. If one of your shortcuts suddenly stops working, another program may have claimed the same key combination. Close recently installed utilities one at a time to find the conflict, or change one of the two shortcuts.