General Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are keys or combinations of keys that provide an alternative way to do something that you’d typically do with a mouse.

Copy, paste, and other general keyboard shortcuts
Press this key combination	to do this
Ctrl + X	Cut the selected item.
Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert)	Copy the selected item.
Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert)	Paste the selected item.
Ctrl + Z	Undo an action.
Alt + Tab	Switch between open apps.
Alt + F4	Close the active item, or exit the active app.
Windows logo key	Open or close Start.
Windows logo key  + L	Lock your device.
Windows logo key  + D	Display and hide the desktop (shows/hides any applications and other windows).
F2	Rename the selected item.
F3	Search for a file or folder in File Explorer.
F4	Display the address bar list in File Explorer.
F5	Refresh the active window.
F6	Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F10	Activate the Menu bar in the active app.
Alt + F8	Show your password on the sign-in screen.
Alt + Esc	Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened.
Alt + underlined letter	Perform the command for that letter.
Alt + Enter	Display properties for the selected item.
Alt + Spacebar	Open the shortcut menu for the active window.
Alt + Left arrow	Go back.
Alt + Right arrow	Go forward.
Alt + Page Up	Move up one screen.
Alt + Page Down	Move down one screen.
Ctrl + F4	Close the active document (in apps that are full-screen and let you have multiple documents open at the same time).
Ctrl + A	Select all items in a document or window.
Ctrl + D (or Delete)	Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin.
Ctrl + E	Open Search (in most apps).
Ctrl + R (or F5)	Refresh the active window.
Ctrl + Y	Redo an action.
Ctrl + Right arrow	Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word.
Ctrl + Left arrow	Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word.
Ctrl + Down arrow	Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph.
Ctrl + Up arrow	Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
Ctrl + Alt + Tab	Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps.
Alt + Shift + arrow keys	When a group or tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it in the direction specified.
Ctrl + Shift + arrow keys	When a tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it into another tile to create a folder.
Ctrl + arrow keys	Resize the Start menu when it's open.
Ctrl + arrow key (to move to an item) + Spacebar	Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop.
Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key	Select a block of text.
Ctrl + Esc	Open Start.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Open Task Manager.
Ctrl + Shift	Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available.
Ctrl + Spacebar	Turn the input method editor (IME) on or off.
Shift + F10	Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
Shift with any arrow key	Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop or select text in a document.
Shift + Delete	Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first.
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.
Esc	Stop or leave the current task.
PrtScn	Take a screenshot of your whole screen and copy it to the clipboard. Note: You can also change this shortcut to also open screen snipping, so you can edit your screenshot. Select Start > Settings  > Ease of Access  > Keyboard, then turn on the toggle under Print Screen shortcut.