When working on a computer, we can use shortcut keys to speed up tasks. They help save a lot of time, and as the saying goes, “Time is Money” in today’s world. These shortcuts are often used while typing or doing any work on a computer.
We’ve listed these shortcuts to help you remember and use them. However, we recommend not just reading the list—try them out! Once you practice using these shortcuts, you’ll remember them better. Here are some of the most commonly used shortcut keys for everyday tasks.
General Windows Shortcuts
- Ctrl + C: Copy
- Ctrl + V: Paste
- Ctrl + X: Cut
- Ctrl + Z: Undo
- Ctrl + Y: Redo
- Ctrl + A: Select All
- Ctrl + S: Save
- Ctrl + P: Print
- Ctrl + F: Find
- Ctrl + N: New window/document
- Ctrl + O: Open
- Ctrl + W: Close window
- Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopen closed tab in browsers
- Alt + Tab: Switch between open apps
- Alt + F4: Close active window
- Windows + D: Show desktop
- Windows + L: Lock computer
- Windows + E: Open File Explorer
- F5: Refresh page
Text Editing Shortcuts
- Ctrl + B: Bold
- Ctrl + I: Italic
- Ctrl + U: Underline
- Ctrl + Shift + >: Increase font size
- Ctrl + Shift + <: Decrease font size
- Ctrl + Shift + L: Align text left
- Ctrl + Shift + E: Align text center
- Ctrl + Shift + R: Align text right
Browser Shortcuts (Windows)
- Ctrl + T: Open new tab
- Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopen closed tab
- Ctrl + Shift + N: Open new incognito window (Chrome)
- Ctrl + Shift + P: Open new private window (Firefox/Edge)
- Ctrl + L: Focus address bar
- Ctrl + Tab: Switch between tabs
- Ctrl + D: Bookmark page
File Management Shortcuts
- Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder
- Ctrl + R: Rename
- Shift + Delete: Permanently delete file (without sending to Recycle Bin)
Text Navigation
- Ctrl + Right Arrow: Move cursor to the next word
- Ctrl + Left Arrow: Move cursor to the previous word
- Ctrl + Up Arrow: Move cursor to the beginning of the paragraph
- Ctrl + Down Arrow: Move cursor to the end of the paragraph
Special Windows Key Shortcuts
- Windows + Tab: Open Task View
- Windows + I: Open Settings
- Windows + P: Project screen options
- Windows + Plus (+): Zoom in (Magnifier)
- Windows + Minus (-): Zoom out (Magnifier)
- Windows + Shift + S: Screenshot (Snipping Tool)
Screen Capture Shortcut Keys
Here are some of the most commonly used Shortcut keys for Screen Capture:
- Print Screen: Capture the entire screen
- Alt + Print Screen: Capture the active window
- Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch: Windows tools for capturing and annotating screenshots
Computer Shortcut Keys PowerPoint
Now, Let us have a look at the general shortcut keys of MS PowerPoint:
| PowerPoint Shortcut Keys | |
| Shortcut Key | Function |
| Ctrl + Enter | Insert a new slide |
| Ctrl + M | Insert a new slide in slide sorter view |
| F5 | Start the presentation |
| Ctrl + F5 | Start the presentation from the current slide |
| Alt + Shift + Left Arrow | Promote a paragraph |
| Alt + Shift + Right Arrow | Demote a paragraph |
| Ctrl + Shift + “+” | Insert a new slide |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate the selected slide |
| Ctrl + E | Center align text |