Complete List of Windows Vista Keyboard Shortcuts (Hot Keys or Accelerators)

Keyboard Accelerators by Function

Space Bar
Checkbox, toggle on or off

Ctrl-C
Clipboard, copy

Alt-PrintScreen
Clipboard, copy current window as a bitmap

PrintScreen
Clipboard, copy entire screen as a bitmap

Ctrl-X
Clipboard, cut

Ctrl-V
Clipboard, paste

Ctrl-F4
Close current document

Alt-F4
Close current window

Esc
Close dialog box, message window, or menu

Space bar
Command button, click

Shift-F10, or context menu key on some keyboards
Context menu, open

Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Controls cycle focus on a dialog box

Ctrl-C
Copy selected item or selected text to the Clipboard

Ctrl-X
Cut selected item or selected text to the Clipboard

Windows Logo Key-B, Space bar
Puts you in the notification area (Windows Logo Key-cool, then reveals hidden icons (Space bar)

Shift-Delete or Shift-drag item to Recycle Bin
Delete a file without putting it in the Recycle Bin

Delete
Delete selected item

Ctrl-Esc (or Windows Logo Key), then Esc, Tab, Tab, Tab
Desktop, activate

Windows Logo Key-D, or click empty portion of Taskbar and press Alt-M
Desktop, activate by minimizing all windows

Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Dialog box, cycle through controls

Ctrl-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Dialog box, cycle through tabs

Ctrl-F4
Document, close

Ctrl-Home
Document, move to the beginning

Ctrl-End
Document, move to the end

Ctrl-F6 or Ctrl-Tab
Document, switch between

Down Arrow or F4
Drop-down listbox, open

Alt-F4
Exit an application

Ctrl-Esc, then Alt-F4
Exit Windows

Shift-Delete
File, delete without moving to Recycle Bin

Windows Logo Key-F (or F3 or Ctrl-F in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop)
File, search

Ctrl-Windows Logo Key-F
Find a computer on your network

Windows Logo Key-F (or F3 or Ctrl-F in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop)
Find files or folders

Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Focus, move between controls on a dialog box

Shift-click Close button
Folder, close current and all parents (Windows Explorer in single-folder view only)

Right and left arrows
Folder, expand and collapse folders in tree

Shift-double-click
Folder, open in two-pane Explorer view

Windows Logo Key-F (or F3 or Ctrl-F in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop)
Folder, search

F1
Help (in most applications)

Down arrow or F4
Listbox, drop-down

Ctrl-click
Listbox, select multiple items

Ctrl-Space bar
Listbox, select or deselect items

Windows Logo Key-L (or press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then Space bar)
Lock computer

Alt-x if menu doesn’t have focus, x by itself if menu has focus
Menu, activate specific item with letter x underlined

Arrow keys
Menu, basic navigation

Esc
Menu, close

F10 or Alt (by itself)
Menu, move focus to

Shift-F10, or context menu key on some keyboards
Menu, open context menu

Windows Logo Key-D, or click empty portion of Taskbar and press Alt-M
Minimize all windows and move focus to Desktop

Windows Logo Key-M (hold Shift to undo)
Minimize current window

F6
Panes, move focus between

Backspace
Parent folder, move to (in Windows Explorer)

Ctrl-V
Paste the contents of the Clipboard

Alt-double-click, or select and then press Alt-Enter
Properties, display for an icon

F5
Refresh (in Windows Explorer, on the Desktop, and some other applications)

F2
Rename selected icon or file in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop

Windows Logo Key-R
Run

Alt-PrintScreen
Screenshot, copy current window as a bitmap to the Clipboard

PrintScreen
Screenshot, copy entire screen as a bitmap to the Clipboard

Page Down
Scroll down one screen

Page Up
Scroll up one screen

Ctrl-arrow key
Scroll without moving selection

Windows Logo Key-F
Search for files or folders

F3 or Ctrl-F
Search for files or folders (in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop only)

Ctrl-A
Select all

Alt-drag file
Shortcut, create

Windows Logo Key or Ctrl-Esc
Start menu, open

Alt-Tab or Ctrl-Esc (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Switch to next application

Ctrl-F6 or Ctrl-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Switch to next document window

Alt-hyphen
System menu, show for current document

Alt-Space bar
System menu, show for current window

Windows Logo Key-Pause/Break
System Properties, open

Ctrl-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Tabs, switch between tabs

Shift-Ctrl-Esc (or press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and click Task Manager)
Task Manager, open

Ctrl-Esc, then Alt-Enter
Taskbar and Start Menu Properties, open

Windows Logo Key-Tab
Launches Flip 3D

Ctrl-Z
Undo

Alt-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Window, activate next

Alt-F4
Window, close

Alt-Esc
Window, drop to bottom of pile

Windows Logo Key-M (hold Shift to undo)
Window, minimize

Windows Logo Key-D (hold Shift to undo)
Window, minimize all

Alt-Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Window, switch to

Windows Logo Key-E
Windows Explorer, open

F6
Windows Explorer, switch between panes

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This entry was posted on Sunday, April 8th, 2007 at 1:59 am and is filed under Windows Vista. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.