Windows Vista Keyboard Shortcuts

Do things faster with Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts help maximize efficiency at common tasks, the lesser known ones are even sometimes passed around as expert tips for Windows. I have to admit that seeing someone in action that knows all the shortcuts and can use them together efficiently is a very impressive sight. This post is to share some of my personal favorites, listen to what others find useful and link to more info.

There are many improvements in Vista, so I won’t be able to cover them all. Here are a few that I find the most addictive:

1. Launch any app

a. WinKey, Type an app name (eg. Word), Enter

b. A variation of this is looking for Control Panel applets like Indexing Options (eg. Index)

c. CTRL-SHIFT-ENTER will also launch the app elevated

2. Instant Search on any folder – gives me fast contextual search that includes file contents

a. CTRL-E, type

3. Advanced Query Syntax (AQS) in search box – not technically a keyboard shortcut, but a favorite search feature of mine

a. From:Bill Date:Yesterday

b. For more details look for ‘Advanced Search’ in Vista Help

What are your favorites? Anything missing that you would like to see?

For more info you can search the Vista Help topics for ‘Keyboard Shortcuts’. The IE team also has a Quick Reference for IE 7: check out this web page for the list. (Special thanks to Robert Sweeney for the link!)

Here’s a quick reference for the Shell (may be updated):

Explorer Shortcuts
ALT+D	Select the Address bar
CTRL+E	Select the Instant Search box
F5	Refresh the active window
ALT+UP ARROW	View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
ALT+LEFT	Go backward to previous location in history
Backspace	Navigate to parent folder if there are no previous navigations. Navigate to previous location in history if one exists.
ALT+RIGHT	Go forward to next location in history
ESC	Cancel the current task or search
F10 or ALT	Activate the menu bar in the active program
F6	Cycle focus to next UI element in Explorer
ALT+F4 or CTRL+W	Close the active item, or exit the active program
F4	Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer
F3 or CTRL+F	Search for a file or folder
CTRL+N	Opens current location in a new window
F11	Turn Full Screen Mode on or off
ALT+SPACEBAR	Open the shortcut menu for the active window
ALT+TAB	Cycle through open windows
CTRL+ALT+TAB	Cycle through open windows without closing the menu
CTRL+ESC	Display Start Menu
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC	Task Manager

Listview Shortcuts
CTRL+A	Select all items in a document or window
END	Select last item in the active window
HOME	Select first item in the active window
CTRL+END	Move focus to last item in the selected window without selecting
CTRL+HOME	Move focus to first item in the selected window without selecting
CTRL+Arrow keys+Spacebar	Allows discontinuous multiple selection of items
SHIFT with any arrow key	Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
SHIFT+F10	Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
F2	Rename the selected item
ALT+ENTER	Display properties for the selected item
DELETE or CTRL+D	Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
SHIFT+DELETE	Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
CTRL+PLUS key on Number Pad	Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first

Instant Search Box Shortcuts
ALT+ENTER	Searches for entered term and opens Search Pane (does not work in Start Menu)
SHIFT+ENTER	Searches for entered term using Internet browser (does not work in Start Menu)
CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER	Will launch a selected Application elevated if used from the Start Menu

Folder Tree Shortcuts
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) on numeric keypad	Display all subfolders under the selected folder
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) on numeric keypad	Display the contents of the selected folder
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN (-) on numeric keypad	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
ALT+LEFT ARROW	View the previous folder
ALT+RIGHT ARROW	View the next folder

Windows Key Shortcuts
Windows logo key	Open or close the Start menu
Windows logo key + #	Launches shortcut in Quick Launch with the position corresponding to the # entered. (eg. Winkey + 1 to launch first item in quick launch menu)
Windows logo key +BREAK	Display the System Properties dialog box
Windows logo key +D	Display the desktop
Windows logo key +M	Minimize all windows
Windows logo key +SHIFT+M	Restore minimized windows to the desktop
Windows logo key +E	Open Windows Explorer navigated to Computer
Windows logo key +F	Search for a file or folder
CTRL+Windows logo key +F	Search for computers
Windows logo key +L	Lock your computer
Windows logo key +R	Open the Run dialog box
Windows logo key +T	Cycle through programs on the taskbar
Windows logo key +TAB	Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
CTRL+Windows logo key +TAB	Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
Windows logo key +SPACEBAR	Bring all gadgets to the front and select Windows Sidebar
Windows logo key +G	Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
Windows logo key +U	Open Ease of Access Center
Windows logo key +X	Open Windows Mobility Center

Login Screen Shortcuts
ALT+S	Power Menu
ALT+W	Switch user
Arrow keys	Navigate between user tiles

Security Screen Shortcuts
ALT+K	Lock machine
ALT+W	Switch user
ALT+L	Log off
ALT+C	Change Password
ALT+T	Task Manager

General Shortcuts
CTRL+C or CTRL+INS	Copy
CTRL+X or SHIFT+DEL	Cut
CTRL+V or SHIFT+INS	Paste
CTRL+Z	Undo
CTRL+Y	Redo
F1	Help
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item	Create shortcut to selected item.
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys	Highlight a block of text.
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.