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Shortcut keys help provide an easier and usually quicker method of navigating and using computer software programs. Shortcut keys are commonly accessed by using the Alt, Ctrl, and/or Shift in conjunction with a single letter. The de facto standard for listing a shortcut is listing the modifier key, a plus symbol, and the single character. Or in other words "ALT+S" is telling you to press the Alt key and while continuing to hold the Alt key pressing the S key to perform the shortcut.

In addition to the shortcuts listed on this page users can find the shortcut keys to their most popular program by looking for underlined letters in their menus. For example in the below picture you can notice that the "F" in File has been underlined. Users can know by looking at this that they can press the Alt key and F to access the File menu. Finally, also seen in the below picture you may notice that some of the common features such as Open and Save have shortcut keys assigned to them. In the below example pressing Ctrl+O would perform the open for the program.

As you begin to work with shortcut keys you will notice that several applications share the same shortcut keys. We have listed many of these keys in our basic shortcut keys section.

Note: Users outside the United States or users using a foreign copy of a Microsoft Windows or Microsoft application may not be able to get all the below shortcut keys to perform the function listed below.

Keyboard Shortcut

Result in Windows ® XP - General
CTRL and A Selects all the items in the active window.
CTRL and C Copies the item or items to the Clipboard and can be pasted using CTRL and V.
CTRL and F Displays the Find all files dialog box.
CTRL and G Displays the Go to folder dialog box.
CTRL and N Displays the New dialog box.
CTRL and O Displays the Open dialog box.
CTRL and P Displays the Print dialog box.
CTRL and S Displays the Save dialog box.
CTRL and V Pastes the copied item or items from the Clipboard.
CTRL and X Cuts the item or items selected to the Clipboard.
CTRL and Z Undoes the last action.
CTRL and F4 Closes the active document window.
CTRL while dragging an item Copy the selected item
CTRL+SHIFT with arrow keys Highlight a block of text
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
CTRL and F6 Opens the next document window in the active application.
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Keyboard Shortcut

Result in Windows ® XP - General
ALT+ENTER View the properties for the selected item
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Open the shortcut menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between the open items
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened
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Keyboard Shortcut

Result in Windows ® XP - General
F1 key Gives help on the active window or selected item.
F2 key Rename the selected item
F3 key Search for a file or a folder
F4 key Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 key  Update the active window
F6 key Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 key Activate the menu bar in the active program
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Keyboard Shortcut

Result in Windows ® XP - General
 Windows Logo Display or hide the Start menu
 Windows Logo+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
 Windows Logo+D Display the desktop
 Windows Logo+M Minimize all of the windows
 Windows Logo+SHIFT+M Restore the minimized windows
 Windows Logo+E Open My Computer
 Windows Logo+F Search for a file or a folder
 CTRL+Windows Logo+F Search for computers
 Windows Logo+F1 Display Windows Help
 Windows Logo+ L Lock the keyboard
 Windows Logo+R  Open the Run dialog box
 Windows Logo+U Open Utility Manager
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Keyboard Shortcut

Result in Windows ® XP - Dialogue Box
TAB Move forward through the options
SHIFT+TAB Move backward through the options
CTRL+TAB Move forward through the tabs
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB Move backward through the tabs
ALT+Underlined letter Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option
ENTER Perform the command for the active option or button
SPACEBAR Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
F1 key Display Help
F4 key Display the items in the active list
Arrow keys Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
BACKSPACE Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box
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Keyboard Shortcut

Result in Windows ® XP - Windows Explorer
END Display the bottom of the active window
HOME Display the top of the active window
NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder
NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) Display the contents of the selected folder
NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) Collapse the selected folder
LEFT ARROW Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder
RIGHT ARROW Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder
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