Bay of Isles Computers Support and Technical Tips

Bay of Isles Computers

63B Dempster Street
Esperance WA 6450

Ph: 08 9071 5542
Fax: 08 9071 5549

boic@boic.net.au

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Common Keyboard Shortcuts

No one denies that the mouse is an invaluable accessory for the personal computer. But sometimes, when you're hurriedly entering text into a word processor or email editor for instance, having to interrupt your typing to reach all the way over to your mouse can be quite a hardship. Okay, maybe not, but knowing a few keyboard shortcuts can save you a little time on routine tasks, not to mention the buzz you'll get tapping the "secret" combination like a pro.

Below you'll find a list of the most common keyboard shortcuts. Most are a combination of two or three keys that you will need to hold down simultaneously to trigger the command. While they may seem a little awkward at first, they will become second nature once you've started using them regularly.

F1 Help
F2 Rename an item
F3 Open Find All Files dialog
ALT + F4 Close the current window, or quit the current program
F5 Refresh Screen
ALT + F6 Switch between multiple windows in the same program
F10 Activate the menu bar in a program
SHIFT + F10 Open a context menu, the same as right-clicking an object
CTRL + ESC Open Start Menu, use the arrow keys to select an item, or TAB to select the taskbar
ALT + TAB Returns to previous program, or hold down the ALT key while repeatedly pressing TAB to cycle through open programs
SHIFT + DELETE Delete items permanently
CTRL + ENTER or CTRL + double-click Display properties of an item
ALT + SPACE Display current window's System menu, and use the arrow keys to move, restore, resize, minimise, maximise or close the window.
CTRL + A Highlight all items in window
CTRL + C Copy
CTRL + X Cut
CTRL + V Paste
CTRL + Z Undo
SHIFT Hold down when inserting a CD-ROM to disable the auto-play feature

Some commands work in combination with the mouse:

CTRL + drag Copy file
CTRL + SHIFT + drag Create a shortcut for a file

Dialog boxes have some special keyboard shortcuts:

Tab Move to the next control in the dialog box
SHIFT + TAB Move to the previous control in the dialog box
SPACEBAR If the selected control is a button, then it clicks the button. If it is a checkbox, it toggles the check box. If it is an option button, this selects the option button.
ENTER Equals clicking the selected button.
ESC Equals clicking the Cancel button.

Individual applications may contain additional keyboard shortcuts, such as those web browser shortcuts, which will work with both Internet Explorer and Netscape.

HOME Jumps to the beginning of the page
END Jumps to the end of the page
ESC Stops the current page from loading
F11 Toggles full screen view
ALT + Left Arrow Goes back to the previous page
ALT + Right Arrow Goes forward to the next page
ALT + Home Goes to your homepage
CTRL + N Opens a new browser window
CTRL + W Closes the active window
CTRL + O Opens the address box
CTRL + R Reloads the current page
CTRL + B Opens the Organise Favourites or Bookmarks window
CTRL + D Adds the current page to your Favourites or Bookmarks
CTRL + H Opens the history folder
CTRL + F Finds text on the current page

If you like the convenience of keyboard shortcuts, but find yourself wishing for one or more not provided, you can always upgrade your keyboard to one that features programmable buttons. Just ask our sales staff to show you the range. That way, you can be sure to always have the control you need at the touch of a button.