25 Keyboard Shortcuts that are Useful in your Daily Life.

Last Updated on August 3, 2022 by Tech Queries Team

Here are some of the most Useful Keyboard Shortcuts you MUST know while using the PC. The last three will amaze you.

Have you ever seen Computer Professionals using their PC as a Pro without even touching their mouse? You can be one of them. They not only have fast typing skills but also hold knowledge of Keyboard Shortcuts. So, even if you don’t have typing speed, you can still Master the PC and Increase your Productivity by learning the Keyboard Shortcuts.

To make it easy for the users, Windows and Mac have introduced Keyboard Shortcuts.

What is a Keyboard Shortcut?

Performing an activity by using a single Keyboard Key or a combination of multiple Keys is called Keyboard Shortcuts.

Example: Suppose you are typing on a Keyboard. To close the Window, you need to move your hand from Keyboard to Mouse then move the Mouse cursor to the Close(X) button and click on it.

To reduce the activity time and increase your productivity, you can use the Keyboard Shortcut ALT + F4

Here the symbol + indicates that you need to Hold the ALT key on your Keyboard and hit the F4 Key. So, it takes less effort to complete the task by using Keyboard Shortcuts.

Check out What are Function Keys from F1 to F12.

Useful Keyboard Shortcuts:

Windows and Mac might have hundreds of Keyboard Shortcuts. Moreover, applications like MS Office, Paint, Media Players, etc. have their own keyboard shortcuts.

Example: You can Record Screen using SHIFT + R Keyboard Shortcut while using VLC Media Player.

It won’t be possible to show all the Keyboard Shortcuts in one article. Therefore, we have chosen some of the basic and most useful Keyboard shortcuts that you must know as a computer user. 

ALT + TAB:

By using this Keyboard Shortcut, you can switch from one Windows to Another.

Suppose you have several Windows and Applications opened. So, instead of moving your mouse to the Taskbar, you can use the Shortcut ALT + TAB to switch.

How to Use: Hold ALT Key and keep tapping the TAB key to open the selected application/window.

WIN + TAB:

The Windows Keyboard Shortcut WIN (Windows Button) + TAB shows all the running Windows/Applications in tiles.

WIN + D:

While the above Keyboard Shortcuts help you Show or Shift Tabs, this Shortcut takes you to the Desktop by minimizing all Windows and Applications.

WIN + Number Keys:

This is one of the Amazing Windows Keyboard Shortcuts most people don’t know. WIN is the Windows Key labeled as Windows Logo. 

How to Use: While Holding the WIN Key, press any of the Number Keys on the Keyboard to open an Application from the Taskbar.

Ex: WIN + 1, WIN + 2, etc.

ALT + F4:

Alt F4 is used to shut down your PC. But, it also has other functions. Check out What Does Alt F4 Do on Windows and Mac PCs.

CTRL + C:

Here is one of my favorite Keyboard Shortcuts that I use all the time. CTRL + C is used to Copy Selected Text, Files, and Folders. It also has the same function in every application.

Ex: While using Paint, AutoCAD, or any online editing tool like Canva, you can use CTRL + C to copy the selected object.

CTRL + V:

While Control C is used to Copy the Text or Object, CTRL + V can be used to Paste the copied item.

WIN + V:

WIN + V is related to the above two functions. The Keyboard Shortcut WIN + V opens the Clipboard where you will find all the Text you have copied. 

We have written a detailed article on How to do Multiple Copy Paste in Windows 10.

CTRL + A:

If you want to select the entire text in a Document, all the files in a Folder, or all the folders in a Drive, instead of selecting them using the mouse, you can use the Keyboard Shortcut CTRL + A to select all.

CTRL + Z:

We are humans, and we do mistakes. Although we rectify our mistakes in real life, we can do that on the computer. There are several occasions when we accidentally delete a file, folder, text, or make a mistake. We can easily undo that using CTRL + Z Keyboard Shortcut. This works in Windows Explorer as well as all other applications.

CTRL + Y:

This Keyboard Shortcut is used to undo the undo function. So, suppose we did something right and accidentally used the Undo function. There is no need to repeat the action again as you can use CTRL + Y Keys to Redo the activity.

CTRL + S:

This might be the most useful feature for you. When you are working on a document, it is necessary to save your file frequently to prevent accidental loss. But, several people feel lazy to save the file as it is a long process. However, you can simply use the Keyboard Shortcut CTRL + S to save your file instantly.

It works even on MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Notepad, Paint, Video Editors, and several other applications.

F12:

While CTRL + S saves your files instantly, the Function Key F12 can be used for Save As.

In some Keyboards and Laptops, you need to use the Combination of Fn + F12 for using this option.

CTRL + N:

While using MS Office, CTRL + N will open up New File. However, in Chrome, it will open up a new Window. This shortcut also works in other applications like MS Paint, etc.

SHIFT + DELETE:

You might know that using the DEL key on the Keyboard deletes the files to the Recycle Bin. But, if you delete a file without moving it to the Recycle Bin then use the shortcut SHIFT + DELETE.

How to use: First, you need to select one or more files/folders then hold the SHIFT button and hit the DELETE button.

CTRL + SHIFT + DELETE:

This Shortcut works in Web Browsers, and it helps you delete the Browsing History, Cookies, and more.

ALT + CTRL + DEL:

Most old-school gamers know this shortcut very well. Whenever an application crashes, nothing works. Neither Mouse Clicks nor Keyboard Keys. In such cases, we use ALT + CTRL + DEL Keys. These will take you to the Security Options page. Here you can open the Task Manager and Force the Task to End. Or, you can also Lock the PC, switch to another user profile, Sign Out, Change the Password, Restart, or Shut down the computer.

CTRL + SHIFT + ESC:

The previous option opens the Security options page. But this option directly opens the Task Manager.

Win + E:

It Opens My PC Window or File Explorer.

If your My PC icon is not visible on the Desktop, then watch this tutorial on How to Show This PC Icon on the Desktop.

CTRL + SHIFT + N:

This Keyboard Shortcut helps you create new folders instantly.

Win + L:

This Shortcut Locks the Windows PC.

WIN + Print Screen:

Takes Instant Screenshots and saves them to the Pictures folder.

CTRL + SHIFT + T:

Here is one of my Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts that every Chrome user must know. 

By using the CTRL + SHIFT + T Keyboard Shortcut, you can reopen closed tabs.

While browsing several tabs, we accidentally close important tabs. And, it might take a lot of time and effort to find that page again. So, without worrying, simply use the CTRL + SHIFT + T Shortcut to open the closed tab again.

You can reopen unlimited previously closed tabs using this shortcut.

Also, check out How to Restore Previous Session and Continue Where You Left Off in Chrome.

WIN + SHIFT + S:

Here is another Useful Keyboard Shortcuts You Must Know. With this Keyboard Shortcut, you can take quick screenshots.

Win + :

Using Emojis while texting is a great way to express your feelings. It also adds an interesting value to your comment. We use Emojis on our mobiles all the time. But, do you know? you can also use Emojis on your PC without installing any additional software.

Using the Windows key along with the colon : key opens up the Emoji window. From here, you can select the required Emoji icon using your mouse.

Conclusion:

There are still hundreds of Keyboard Shortcuts. But, in this article, we have revealed only the Essential Keyboard Shortcuts that are useful in your daily life.

We will keep updating this article whenever we explore any useful Keyboard Shortcut. To keep updated, click on the Bell Icon in the bottom corner to get notified whenever we update this article or post any other informative Tech-related articles.

If you know any more amazing and useful Keyboard Shortcuts, comment below.