All keyboard shortcuts in Windows (category wise)

Keyboard shortcuts in Windows are keys or key combinations that do a task you would normally do with the mouse, such as Ctrl+C to copy, Alt+Tab to switch windows and Win+E to open File Explorer.

The tables below group the default Windows 11 and Windows 10 shortcuts by category, from basic and Windows key shortcuts to File Explorer, text editing, screenshots, virtual desktops, Command Prompt, Edge and accessibility. Win means the Windows logo key.

Most useful Windows keyboard shortcuts to learn first

These essential, most-used shortcuts work across the whole desktop and save the most clicks. Learn this set first, then add the category tables below as you need them.

You want to	Press	Note
Copy, cut or paste	Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V	Ctrl+Shift+V pastes as plain text where the app supports it
Undo or redo	Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y	Works in most apps and in File Explorer
Switch between open windows	Alt+Tab	Keep holding Alt and press Tab to move along
Close the active window	Alt+F4	On the bare desktop it opens the shutdown prompt
Open File Explorer	Win+E	Opens a new File Explorer window
Open Settings	Win+I	Opens the Settings app
Search Windows	Win+S	Win+Q also opens search
Lock the PC	Win+L	Returns to the lock screen
Show or hide the desktop	Win+D	Press again to bring the windows back
Take a screenshot of an area	Win+Shift+S	The capture goes to the clipboard
Open clipboard history	Win+V	Turn on clipboard history the first time
Open Task Manager	Ctrl+Shift+Esc	Opens it directly, without the security screen

If you only learn ten, take the first ten rows. To learn them faster, add two or three new shortcuts a day and open PowerToys Shortcut Guide with Win+Shift+? when you forget one.

1. Basic keyboard shortcuts

These general shortcuts open, close and move around the Windows desktop. The most used pair lets you copy and paste with keyboard shortcuts in almost any app.

Press	Action
Ctrl+A	Select all items in a window
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y	Undo the previous action / redo an undone action
Esc	Stop or leave the current task, or dismiss a dialog box
F5 or Ctrl+R	Refresh the active window
F6	Cycle through elements in a window or on the desktop
F10	Activate the menu bar in the active window
Alt+underlined letter	Run the menu command that has that letter underlined
Alt+Left arrow / Alt+Right arrow	Go back / go forward
Alt+Page Up / Alt+Page Down	Move up or down one screen
Alt+F8	Show your password on the sign-in screen
Ctrl+F4	Close the active document in apps that keep several documents open
Ctrl+P	Print the current document or page in most apps
Ctrl+Shift	Switch the keyboard layout when several layouts are installed
Win+Spacebar / Win+Shift+Spacebar	Switch forward / backward through input languages and keyboard layouts
Win+Period (.) or Win+Semicolon (;)	Open the emoji panel
Win+H	Open voice dictation (voice typing)
Win+K	Open Cast from Quick Settings to connect to a display
Win+F	Open Feedback Hub

The F keys on their own do more than refresh and rename, and each of the function keys F1 to F12 has its own job.

2. File Explorer shortcuts

Press Win+E to open File Explorer, then use these keys to move through folders, tabs and panes without the mouse.

Press	Action
Alt+D or Ctrl+L	Select the address bar
F4	Select the address bar to change the current path
Ctrl+E or Ctrl+F	Select the search box
F3	Search for a file or folder
Ctrl+N	Open a new window
Ctrl+T / Ctrl+W	Open a new tab / close the active tab (closes the window if only one tab is open)
Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Move to the next / previous tab
Ctrl+Number (1-9)	Move to that tab number
Ctrl+Shift+N	Create a new folder
F2	Rename the selected item
Ctrl+D or Delete	Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
Shift+Delete	Permanently delete the selected item without using the Recycle Bin
Alt+Enter	Display properties for the selected item
Alt+P / Alt+Shift+P	Show or hide the preview pane / details pane
Alt+Left arrow or Backspace	Go to the previous folder
Alt+Right arrow	View the next folder
Alt+Up arrow	Move up a level in the folder path
Ctrl+Shift+E	Expand all folders in the navigation pane tree
Ctrl+Shift+Number (1-9)	Change the view style, for example 2 for Large icons and 6 for Details
Ctrl+Plus (+) on the numeric keypad	Resize all columns to fit the text
Home / End	Scroll to the top / bottom of the active window
Left arrow / Right arrow	Collapse the current selection or go to the parent folder / expand it or select the first subfolder
Shift+F10	Display the context menu for the selected item
F11	Maximize or minimize the active window

3. Desktop and window management

These Windows key shortcuts snap, move and resize windows, which is the keyboard route to split screen. For apps and games, there are also several ways to go full screen on Windows 11.

Press	Action
Win+Left arrow / Win+Right arrow	Snap the window to the left / right side of the screen
Win+Alt+Up arrow / Win+Alt+Down arrow	Snap the active window to the top / bottom half of the screen
Win+Z	Open the snap layouts
Win+Up arrow	Maximize the active window
Win+Down arrow	Minimize the active window
Win+Shift+Up arrow	Stretch the window to the top and bottom of the screen
Win+Shift+Down arrow	Restore a snapped or maximized window
Win+Shift+Left arrow / Win+Shift+Right arrow	Move the active window to the monitor on the left / right
Win+Home	Minimize or restore all windows except the active one
Win+M / Win+Shift+M	Minimize all windows / restore minimized windows
Win+D	Display and hide the desktop
Win+Comma (,)	Temporarily peek at the desktop
Alt+Tab	Switch between open windows
Ctrl+Alt+Tab	View thumbnails of all open apps and pick one with the arrow keys
Alt+Esc	Cycle through windows in the order they were opened
Alt+Spacebar	Open the context menu for the active window
Win+Shift+Enter	Make the active Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app full screen
Win+P	Choose a presentation display mode for a second screen
Win+O	Lock the device orientation
Win+Alt+D	Display and hide the date and time on the desktop

4. Taskbar and Start menu shortcuts

The number shortcuts follow the order of pinned apps on the taskbar, counting from the left, so the first pinned app is 1.

Press	Action
Win or Ctrl+Esc	Open or close the Start menu
Win+X	Open the Quick Link menu (same as right-clicking Start)
Win+number (0-9)	Open the pinned app in that position, or switch to it if it is running
Win+Shift+number (0-9)	Start a new instance of the pinned app in that position
Win+Ctrl+number (0-9)	Switch to the last active window of that pinned app
Win+Alt+number (0-9)	Open the jump list for that pinned app
Win+T / Win+Shift+T	Cycle forward / backward through apps on the taskbar
Win+B	Set focus to the first icon in the notification area
Alt+Shift+Arrow	Move a focused app icon in the direction of the arrow
Win+Alt+Enter (taskbar item in focus)	Open taskbar settings
Win+A	Open the action center (Quick Settings)
Win+N	Open the notification center and calendar
Win+Shift+V	Cycle through notifications
Win+W	Open Widgets
Win+Ctrl+V	Open the sound output page of Quick Settings

If you want the taskbar out of the way instead, you can hide the Windows taskbar and bring it back on demand.

5. Virtual desktop shortcuts

Windows calls virtual desktops multiple desktops. Each desktop keeps its own set of open windows, which makes multitasking across projects easier.

Press	Action
Win+Tab	Open Task View
Win+Ctrl+D	Create another desktop
Win+Ctrl+Right arrow	Switch to the desktop on the right
Win+Ctrl+Left arrow	Switch to the desktop on the left
Win+Ctrl+F4	Close the desktop you are using

6. Command Prompt and Terminal shortcuts

The first rows apply to the classic Command Prompt window. The Windows Terminal rows are the app's default key bindings, which you can change in its settings. Terminal hosts PowerShell and Command Prompt in tabs, so those rows work whichever shell you open.

App	Press	Action
Command Prompt	Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert	Copy the selected text
Command Prompt	Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert	Paste text
Command Prompt	Ctrl+M	Enter Mark mode
Command Prompt	Alt+selection key	Begin selection in block mode
Command Prompt	Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End (Mark mode)	Move the cursor to the beginning / end of the buffer
Command Prompt	Ctrl+Up arrow / Ctrl+Down arrow	Move up / down one line in the output history
Command Prompt	Page Up / Page Down	Move the cursor one page up / down
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+T	Open a new tab
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+N	Open a new window
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+D	Duplicate the current tab
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+1 to Ctrl+Shift+9	Open a new tab with that profile
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Go to the next / previous tab
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Alt+1 to Ctrl+Alt+8	Switch to that tab
Windows Terminal	Alt+Shift+D	Split the current pane
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+W	Close the current pane
Windows Terminal	Alt+arrow keys	Move focus between panes
Windows Terminal	Alt+Shift+arrow keys	Resize the focused pane
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+F	Find text
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+A	Select all
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+V	Copy / paste
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Plus / Ctrl+Minus / Ctrl+0	Increase / decrease / reset the font size
Windows Terminal	Alt+Enter or F11	Toggle full screen
Windows Terminal	Ctrl+Comma (,)	Open the Settings UI

7. Text editing and formatting shortcuts

These keys work in text boxes and most editors. Bold, italic and underline only apply in apps that support formatting such as Word or email editors.

Press	Action
Ctrl+B / Ctrl+I / Ctrl+U	Apply bold / italic / underline to the selected text
Ctrl+A	Select all text
Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert	Copy the selected text
Ctrl+X	Cut the selected text
Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert	Paste the last item from the clipboard
Ctrl+Shift+V	Paste as plain text
Ctrl+F / Ctrl+H	Find text / find and replace text
Ctrl+Backspace / Ctrl+Del	Delete the word to the left / right of the cursor
Ctrl+Left arrow / Ctrl+Right arrow	Move to the start of the previous / next word
Ctrl+Up arrow / Ctrl+Down arrow	Move to the start of the previous / next paragraph
Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End	Move to the beginning / end of the document
Home / End	Move to the beginning / end of the line
Shift+arrow keys	Select characters or lines from the cursor
Shift+Ctrl+Left / Shift+Ctrl+Right	Select words backward / forward
Shift+Ctrl+Up / Shift+Ctrl+Down	Select paragraphs backward / forward
Shift+Home / Shift+End	Select to the beginning / end of the line
Shift+Ctrl+Home / Shift+Ctrl+End	Select to the beginning / end of the document
Shift+Page Up / Shift+Page Down	Select one page of text backward / forward
Tab	Indent the cursor one tab stop

Insert emojis, GIFs, and symbols with the emoji panel

1. Place the cursor in any text field and press Win+Period (.).
2. Pick an emoji with the mouse, or keep typing to search for one, such as a smile.
3. Choose GIFs or Kaomoji in the panel for those, or select Symbols for punctuation, accented letters and currency signs.
4. For a symbol without the panel, hold Alt, type its four-digit code on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. The number row does not work for Alt codes.

Common Alt codes: © Alt+0169, ® Alt+0174, ™ Alt+0153, en dash Alt+0150, em dash Alt+0151, and the pound £ Alt+0163, euro Alt+0128 and yen ¥ Alt+0165 from around the world.

To type accented letters often, add a keyboard layout for that language and switch with Win+Spacebar one key at a time. For copying several items, Win+V opens clipboard history to let you paste any recent one.

8. Microsoft Edge and browser shortcuts

These are Microsoft Edge shortcuts on Windows. Chrome and Firefox share most of the tab and address bar keys, but check each browser's own list for the rest.

Press	Action
Ctrl+T	Open a new tab and switch to it
Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4	Close the current tab
Ctrl+Shift+T	Reopen the last closed tab
Ctrl+N / Ctrl+Shift+N	Open a new window / a new InPrivate window
Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Switch to the next / previous tab
Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+8 / Ctrl+9	Switch to a specific tab / the last tab
Ctrl+L, Alt+D or F4	Select the URL in the address bar
Ctrl+D	Save the current tab as a favorite
Ctrl+Shift+B	Show or hide the favorites bar
Ctrl+H / Ctrl+J	Open History / Downloads
Ctrl+F	Find on page
Ctrl+R or F5 / Ctrl+Shift+R	Reload / reload ignoring cached content
Ctrl+Plus / Ctrl+Minus / Ctrl+0	Zoom in / zoom out / reset zoom
Ctrl+Shift+Delete	Open clear browsing data options
Ctrl+Shift+U	Start or stop Read Aloud
F9	Enter or exit Immersive Reader
F11	Enter or leave full screen
F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I	Open Developer Tools

9. Accessibility shortcuts

These shortcuts turn on vision, hearing and typing aids. Several, such as Sticky Keys, are toggled by holding or repeating a single key.

Press	Action
Win+U	Open Accessibility settings
Win+Ctrl+Enter	Open Narrator
Win+Ctrl+N	Open Narrator settings
Win+Ctrl+O	Turn on the On-Screen Keyboard
Win+Ctrl+C	Turn color filters on or off (if turned on in Settings)
Win+Plus (+)	Turn Magnifier on, or zoom in when it is on
Win+Minus (-)	Zoom out in Magnifier
Win+Esc	Close Magnifier
Win+Ctrl+M	Open Magnifier settings
Ctrl+Alt+F / Ctrl+Alt+L / Ctrl+Alt+D	Magnifier full screen / lens / docked view
Ctrl+Alt+I	Invert colors in Magnifier
Shift five times	Turn Sticky Keys on or off
Right Shift for eight seconds	Turn Filter Keys on or off
Num Lock for five seconds	Turn Toggle Keys on or off
Left Alt+left Shift+Print Screen	Turn High Contrast on or off
Left Alt+left Shift+Num Lock	Turn Mouse Keys on or off
Win+Alt+H	Move focus to the voice typing dialog

10. Screenshot and Game Bar shortcuts

Snipping Tool shortcuts copy to the clipboard or save to the Pictures and Videos folders. Xbox Game Bar captures from gaming sessions go to the Captures folder under Videos.

Press	Action	Where it goes
PrtScn	Select a region of the screen to capture	Clipboard; open Snipping Tool to mark it up
Win+Shift+S	Select a region of the screen to capture	Clipboard
Alt+PrtScn	Capture the active window	Clipboard
Win+PrtScn	Capture the full screen	Pictures > Screenshots
Win+Shift+R	Select a region of the screen to record a video	Videos > Screen Recordings (MP4)
Win+G	Open Game Bar	Shows the Game Bar controls
Win+Alt+R	Start or stop recording a clip	Videos > Captures (MP4)
Win+Alt+Print Screen	Take a screenshot of the game or app	Videos > Captures (PNG)
Win+Alt+M	Turn the microphone on or off while recording	Not applicable

11. Dialog box shortcuts

These keys work in dialog windows such as Save As, Open, Properties and system alerts.

Press	Action
Tab / Shift+Tab	Move forward / back through options
Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Move forward / back through tabs
Ctrl+1, 2, 3…	Move to that tab number
Alt+underlined letter	Run the command or select the option with that letter
Spacebar	Select or clear the active check box
Arrow keys	Select a button in a group of option buttons
F4	Display the items in the active list
Backspace	Open the folder one level up in a Save As or Open dialog

12. Run command shortcuts

Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box, type a command and press Enter. These commands are documented by Microsoft and open a tool directly.

Type in Run	What opens
control	Control Panel
control /name Microsoft.ProgramsAndFeatures	Programs and Features (uninstall or change a program)
control /name Microsoft.PowerOptions	Power Options
msinfo32	System Information, with hardware, components and software details
mstsc	Remote Desktop Connection

13. Power user and admin shortcuts

These shortcuts reach system tools and open apps with administrator rights. Task Manager alone has a dozen opening shortcuts beyond Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

Press	Action
Win+X	Open the Quick Link menu, the keyboard route to the Start button right-click menu
Ctrl+Shift+Esc	Open Task Manager
Ctrl+Alt+Del	Open the security screen to lock, switch user, sign out, change a password or open Task Manager
Ctrl+Shift+select a taskbar icon	Open the app as an administrator
Win+Ctrl+Shift+number (0-9)	Open a new instance of that pinned app as an administrator
Win+Pause	Open Settings > System > About
Win+R	Open the Run dialog box
Win+Ctrl+Q	Open Quick Assist
Win+Ctrl+F	Search for devices on a network
Alt+Ctrl+Insert	Switch focus back to the host machine from Windows Sandbox
Win+Ctrl+Shift+B	Wake the device when the screen is blank or black

14. Bonus: mouse + keyboard combos

Holding a modifier key while you drag, click or scroll changes what the mouse does.

Hold and use the mouse	Result
Ctrl+drag a file	Copy the file to the drop location
Shift+drag a file	Move the file to the drop location
Alt+drag a file	Create a shortcut to the file at the drop location
Ctrl+scroll wheel in File Explorer	Change the size of file and folder icons
Shift+right-click a file	Open the full Show more options context menu
Shift+click a taskbar icon	Open another instance of the app
Ctrl+click a grouped taskbar icon	Move through the windows in that app group
Shift+right-click a taskbar icon	Show the window menu for the app or group
Ctrl+Alt+scroll wheel	Zoom in and out with Magnifier

Copilot key and Settings app keyboard shortcuts

Newer keyboards have a Copilot key. Inside the Settings app, plain navigation keys move between regions.

Press	Action
Copilot key or Win+C	Open Microsoft Copilot or Microsoft 365 Copilot; if Copilot is unavailable, open or close Windows search
Win+J	Open Recall on devices that meet its system requirements
Tab / Shift+Tab (Settings)	Cycle forward / backward through regions
Arrow keys (Settings)	Move focus through the selected region
Enter or Spacebar (Settings)	Select the item in focus
Backspace (Settings)	Go back

Windows 11 vs Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts: what changed

Most Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts work the same in Windows 11. These version-specific keys are the ones that actually changed or are new.

Press	Windows 11	Windows 10
Win+A	Open the Windows 11 action center (Quick Settings)	Open Action center
Win+C	Open Copilot, or Windows search if Copilot is unavailable	Open Cortana in listening mode (off by default)
Win+Z	Open snap layouts	Show the commands in a full-screen app
Win+N	Open the notification center and calendar	Not listed
Win+W	Open Widgets	Not listed
Win+J	Open Recall on supported devices	Not listed

How to change keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11

Windows has no built-in editor for its own shortcuts, apart from the setting to remap the Copilot key. Microsoft's free PowerToys app adds Keyboard Manager, which remaps keys and shortcuts or makes a shortcut start an app.

1. To change the Copilot key, open Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard and pick what it opens.
2. For other shortcuts, install Microsoft PowerToys and open PowerToys Settings.
3. Select the Keyboard Manager tab and make sure it is turned on.
4. Select Remap a shortcut, then Add shortcut remapping.
5. In the Select column, press the shortcut you want to use. It must start with Ctrl, Shift, Alt or Win.
6. In the To send column, choose the shortcut, text, app (Start App) or URI it should trigger.
7. Select OK. The remap works immediately while PowerToys runs in the background.

Win+L and Ctrl+Alt+Del are reserved by Windows and cannot be remapped. PowerToys Shortcut Guide (Win+Shift+? by default) shows a searchable on-screen list of shortcuts for the app in front.

Windows keyboard shortcuts not working

These common problems and fixes help you troubleshoot a shortcut that does nothing or does the wrong thing.

Win+G does nothing

Xbox Game Bar is turned off in Settings.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. Type xbox in the search box and select Enable Xbox Game Bar.
3. Turn the switch On, then press Win+G again.

Win+V only asks to turn on clipboard history

Clipboard history is off by default.

1. Press Win+V and select the prompt to turn on history, or open Settings > System > Clipboard.
2. Set Clipboard history to On.
3. Copy two items, then press Win+V to see both.

Print Screen opens the snipping bar instead of copying the whole screen

Print Screen opens screen snipping by default.

1. Open Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
2. Set Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping to Off.
3. Use Win+PrtScn when you want a full-screen file saved automatically.

Keyboard keeps opening shortcuts or modifier keys seem stuck

Sticky Keys was turned on, often by pressing Shift five times, or a PowerToys remap is active.

1. Press Shift five times to turn Sticky Keys off, or open Win+U and check the keyboard settings.
2. If you use PowerToys, open PowerToys Settings > Keyboard Manager and remove or turn off the remap.
3. Test the shortcut again in a different app, since some apps change the behavior of default shortcuts.

Windows keyboard shortcuts FAQ

What is the purpose of keyboard shortcuts?

Keyboard shortcuts give you a faster alternative to the mouse. One key combination, such as Win+E for File Explorer or Ctrl+Shift+Esc for Task Manager, replaces several clicks through menus, and many shortcuts also help people who cannot use a mouse easily.

Why are keyboard shortcuts important?

Keyboard shortcuts are important because they save time on repeated tasks and keep your hands on the keyboard. Copying, switching windows, snapping windows and taking screenshots all take one key press instead of a trip through menus with the mouse.

How do you use keyboard shortcuts on Windows?

Hold the first key, such as Ctrl, Alt, Shift or the Windows logo key, then press the other key once and release both. For Win+Shift+S, hold Win and Shift together, tap S, then release.

How do I change keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11?

Windows 11 only lets you change the Copilot key, under Settings > Personalization > Text input. To change other shortcuts, use Microsoft PowerToys Keyboard Manager and select Remap a shortcut. Win+L and Ctrl+Alt+Del cannot be remapped.

Can you create keyboard shortcuts on Windows?

Yes. PowerToys Keyboard Manager can map a new shortcut to another shortcut, to text, to a web address or to start an app. The shortcut must begin with Ctrl, Shift, Alt or Win and works while PowerToys is running.

What is the keyboard shortcut for a screenshot in Windows?

Press Win+Shift+S to capture a region to the clipboard, Win+PrtScn to save the full screen to Pictures > Screenshots, or Alt+PrtScn to copy only the active window. Win+Shift+R records a region of the screen as a video.

What is the keyboard shortcut for split screen in Windows?

Press Win+Left arrow or Win+Right arrow to snap the active window to half of the screen, then pick a window for the other half. Win+Z opens the snap layouts menu with more arrangements.

What is the keyboard shortcut for emojis in Windows?

Press Win+Period (.) or Win+Semicolon (;) to open the emoji panel in any text field. Pick an emoji with the arrow keys and press Enter to insert it.

Why is my keyboard opening shortcuts instead of typing?

Sticky Keys may be on, so a modifier key stays active after you release it. Press Shift five times to turn it off. A PowerToys Keyboard Manager remap can also change what keys do until you turn it off.

How do I get keyboard shortcuts to work again?

Check that the feature behind the shortcut is turned on: Xbox Game Bar for Win+G and clipboard history for Win+V. Then turn off Sticky Keys and any PowerToys remap, and test in another app, since some apps override default shortcuts.

Is there a Windows keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet?

Microsoft's PowerToys includes Shortcut Guide, opened with Win+Shift+? by default. It shows a searchable list of shortcuts for Windows, File Explorer and the app currently in the foreground.

Which Windows keyboard shortcuts should you learn first?

Start with Alt+Tab, Win+E, Win+L, Win+Shift+S, Win+V and the Windows key plus arrow snapping keys, then add the File Explorer and text editing tables. Those shortcuts cover the tasks you repeat most every day: switching, opening files, locking the PC, capturing the screen, pasting and arranging windows.