Shortcut Keys For Windows XP and Windows 7?

Keyboard shortcuts have been a part of Windows for ages, but not before Windows 7 has there been a shortcut for just about anything and everything you want to do on the computer. We’ve gathered up what we feel the Top 40 Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts are for you in the hopes of easing your life just a little bit, and virtually never having to touch your mouse ever again.

Of course, all of this depends on your ability to remember all of these.  The General shortcuts work in most any Windows release. The Win key combos are generally newer. Some, like Win-E, work going back at least to XP. Others, like Win-Tab, came out in Vista (IIRC).

General Keyboard Shortcuts




Alt + Enter: Display properties for the selected item.

Alt + Esc: Cycle through items in the order of which they were opened.

Alt + F4: Close the active item or exit the active program.

Alt + spacebar: Open the shortcut menu for the active window.

Alt + Tab: Shift between open programs.

Ctrl + A: Select all the items in a document or window.

Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item.

Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item.

Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item.

Ctrl + Y: Redo an action.

Ctrl + Z: Undo last action.

Ctrl + Shift + arrow key: Select a block of text.

Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder anywhere on your computer where folders can be                            created. 

Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager.

F1: Display help.

F2: Rename the selected item.

F5: Refresh the active window.

F6: Cycle through elements in a window or on the Desktop.

F10: Activate the menu bar in the current program.

Shift + Del: Delete an item without sending it to the Recycle Bin.

Shift + F10: Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.

Windows Key Keyboard Shortcuts:

All of the following shortcuts involve using the Windows logo key which looks like this .

: Open or close the Start menu.

windows key + B: Change from the Desktop to the System Tray, and then you can use the arrow keys to cycle through the items there.

windows key+ E: Launch Windows Explorer/Computer.

windows key+ F: Launch file and folder finder.

windows key+ G: Cycle through gadgets.

windows key+ M: Minimize all Windows for quick access to the desktop.

windows key+ P: Quickly connect your computer to a projector or some other form of display.

windows key+ R: Open the Run dialog box.

windows key+ T: Cycle through programs on the Taskbar.

windows key+ U: Open Ease of Access Center.

windows key+ X: Open Windows Mobility Center.

windows key+ down cursor arrow: Minimize the current program.

windows key+ up cursor arrow: Maximize the current program window.

windows key+ Home button: Minimize all windows except the current one.

windows key+ Pause button: Display System Properties dialog box.

windows key+ Shift + M: Restore minimized windows to the Desktop.

windows key+ space bar: Shows you the desktop immediately.

windows key+ Tab: Flip through the programs on the Taskbar using Aero Flip 3-D.

windows key + Ctrl + + B: Switch to the program that had a message appear in the status area.