The Windows 98 Keyboard Guide covers these topics: * Shortcut keys throughout Windows1. Shortcut Keys 1.1 General Windows Keys The following keys work throughout Microsoft Windows.
Keys: F1 Action: Displays Help information for the active object or the window as a whole.Keys: Windows logo key or CTRL+ESC Action: Opens the Start menu located on the taskbar.
Keys: CTRL+ALT+DELETE Action: In Microsoft Windows, opens the Close Program dialog box, which contains a list box of applications to be closed and the command buttons End Task, Shut Down, and Cancel. In Microsoft Windows NT, opens the Windows NT Security dialog box, with the following options: Lock Workstation, Logoff, Shut Down, Change Password, Task Manager, and Cancel. If you are not logged on, opens the logon dialog box.
Keys: DELETE Action: Deletes the selected item(s). If the items are files, moves them to the Recycle Bin.
Keys: SHIFT+DELETE Action: Delete the selected item(s). If the items are files, destroys them immediately without moving them to the Recycle Bin.
Keys: CTRL+N Action: Opens the New dialog box. (You also can choose the New command from the File menu.)
Keys: CTRL+O Action: Opens the Open dialog box. (You also can choose the Open command from the File menu.)
Keys: CTRL+P Action: Opens the Print dialog box. (You also can choose the Print command from the File menu.)
Keys: CTRL+S Action: Opens the Save dialog box. (You also can choose the Save command from the File menu.)
Keys: CTRL+X Action: Cuts the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can choose the Cut command from the Edit menu.)
Keys: CTRL+INSERT OR CTRL+C Action: Copies the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can choose the Copy command from the Edit menu.)
Keys: SHIFT+INSERT OR CTRL+V Action: Pastes the copied items(s) from the Clipboard. (You also can choose the Paste command from the Edit menu.)
Keys: ALT+BACKSPACE OR CTRL+Z Action: Undoes the last action. Note that not all actions, such as shutting down, can be undone. (You also can choose the Undo command from the Edit menu.)
Keys: ALT+SHIFT+BACKSPACE Action: Redoes the previously undone action. (You also can choose the Redo command from the Edit menu.)
Keys: Windows logo key+M Action: Minimizes all open windows. The keyboard focus goes to the least recently selected icon on the desktop. Add SHIFT to expand previously opened windows and return focus to the most recently used application.
Keys: Windows logo key+E Action: Opens the Windows Explorer. (You also can choose the Windows Explorer command from the Program item in the Start menu.)
Keys: Windows logo key+F Action: Opens the Find All Files dialog box. (You also can choose the Files Or Folders command from the Find item in the Start menu.)
Keys: Windows logo key+R Action: Opens the Run dialog box. (You also can choose the Run command in the Start menu.)
Keys: Windows logo key+BREAK Action: Opens the System Properties dialog box. (You also can choose the Systems item in Control Panel.)
Keys: Windows logo key+CTRL+F Action: Opens the Find Computer dialog box. (You also can choose the Computer command from the Find item in the Start menu.)
Keys: Windows logo key+number Action: Reserved for use by computer manufacturers.
Keys: SHIFT+F10 or Application key (also the right mouse click) Action: Opens the shortcut menu for the active item. This can be selected text, a toolbar button, a taskbar button, or other item.
Keys: SHIFT Action: Press down and hold the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the AutoPlay feature. Hold down the SHIFT key while Microsoft Word is loading to suppress the AutoExec macro.
1.2 Selecting Items by Access Key or by Name 1.3 Desktop and Taskbar Navigation Keys
Keys: Windows logo key+M Action: Minimizes all open windows. The keyboard focus goes to the most recently selected icon on the desktop. Add SHIFT to expand previously opened windows and return focus to the most recently used application.
Keys: ARROW KEY Action: Selects the adjacent icon or taskbar button in the direction of the arrow.
Keys: Any printing character Action: Selects the next icon with the specified name or initial letter.
Keys: Windows logo key or CTRL+ESC Action: Opens the Start menu from the taskbar. When you use CTRL+ESC, you can press ESC again to place the keyboard focus on the Start button. When you use the Windows logo key, pressing ESC again closes the Start menu.
Keys: TAB Action: Moves between the last selected icon on the desktop, the Start button on the taskbar, and the taskbar as a whole. There is no visual indication of the focus on the taskbar, but you can use the arrow keys to move between the taskbar buttons. You also can use SHIFT+F10 to bring up the shortcut menu for the taskbar.
Keys: Windows logo key+TAB Action: Cycles through the taskbar buttons.
Keys: F2 Action: Rename a selected item. A bold rectangle appears around the title creating a text box. Type the new name and press ENTER. Press ESC to cancel. Some icons on the desktop cannot be renamed.
Keys: F3 Action: Opens the Find All Files dialog box.
1.4 Window manipulation keys
Keys: ALT+F4 Action: Closes the active application window. (You also can choose the Close command from the Program menu of the active application.)
Keys: ALT+SPACEBAR Action: Opens the Program menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar of the active window. The Program menu typically contains the following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize and Close.
Keys: ALT+TAB Action: Switches to the most recently used application window. To select an application from a list, continue to hold ALT down and press TAB more than once to move through the list. Add SHIFT to reverse direction through the list.
Keys: ALT+ESC Action: Switches keyboard focus to next application window, including minimized windows on the taskbar. Press ESC more than once to switch through successive windows and add SHIFT to reverse the direction.
Keys: ALT+ENTER Action: Switches an MS DOS-based application between full-screen and windowed modes.
Keys: PRINT SCREEN Action: Copies an image of the screen to the Windows Clipboard.
Keys: ALT+PRINT SCREEN Action: Copies an image of the active window to the Windows Clipboard.
Keys: CTRL+F4 Action: Closes the active document window.
Keys: CTRL+F6 Action: Switches to next document window in the active application. Add SHIFT to switch to the previous document window.
Keys: ALT+HYPHEN Action: Opens the Document menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar of the active document window. The Document menu typically contains the following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize and Close.
1.5 Menu commands
Keys: Windows logo key or CTRL+ESC Action: Opens the Start menu on the taskbar.
Keys: F10 or ALT Action: Activates the menu bar of the active window. The leftmost menu name is selected. (In a maximized document window, the leftmost menu has an icon instead of a name and there is no visual indication that it is selected.) Press F10 or ALT again to toggle the focus back to where it was previously.
Keys: LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW Action: Moves the focus between menus on the menu bar in the direction of the arrow. If the original menu was open, the target menu is opened as well, and the first item in it gets the focus.
Keys: UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW Action: Opens the selected menu. DOWN ARROW selects the next command in the list. UP ARROW selects the previous command in the list.
Keys: ENTER Action: Opens the selected menu when focus is on the menu title, but activates a menu item when focus is on a menu item. If the selected menu item is unavailable, ENTER closes the menu.
Keys: ALT+SPACEBAR Action: Opens the Program menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar of the active window. The Program menu typically contains the following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize and Close.
Keys: ALT+HYPHEN Action: Opens the Document menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar of the active document window. The Document menu typically contains the following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize and Close.
Keys: ESC Action: Closes an open menu and moves the focus back to the parent menu if there is one. Otherwise it returns the focus to the menu title. If the focus was already on the menu title, focus moves back to wherever it was before activating the menu bar.
Keys: ALT+Any printing character Action: Chooses the menu with the underlined character (access key) on the main menu bar.
Keys: Any printing character Action: Chooses the command with the underlined character (access key) on an open menu.
Keys: SHIFT+F10 or Application key (also the right mouse click) Action: Opens the shortcut menu for the active item. This can be selected text, a toolbar button, a taskbar button, or other item.
1.6 Windows Explorer keys 1.6.1 View Control Keys
Keys: Arrow keys Action: Select the next item in the indicated direction. Add SHIFT to select or deselect additional items. Add CTRL to move to the item without selecting it. In Details View there is only one column, so RIGHT and LEFT ARROW scrolls the window a small amount to the right or left. In List View the UP and DOWN ARROW keys wrap between columns.
Keys: PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN Action: Moves to the bottom or top item on the screen. Use a second time to select the item one screen above or below. Add SHIFT to select additional items. Add CTRL to move to the item without selecting it.
Keys: HOME or END Action: Selects the first or last item in the list. Add SHIFT to select or deselect additional items. Add CTRL to move to the item without selecting it.
Keys: Any printing character Action: Selects the next icon with the specified name or initial letter. SPACE behaves this way when it is typed as part of a name--see section 1.2, "Selecting Items by Access Key or by Name"
Keys: ENTER Action: Opens the selected item. This may open a new window, depending on the options you have selected. (You also can choose Open from the File menu.)
Keys: BACKSPACE Action: Displays the contents of the parent directory. This may open a new window, depending on the options you have selected.
Keys: SPACE Action: When typed alone, selects the current item if it is not already selected. Use after moving with the CTRL key to select separate groups of items.
Keys: CTRL+SPACE Action: Selects or deselects the current item. Use after moving with the CTRL key to select separate groups of items.
Keys: SHIFT+SPACE Action: Extends the selection to the current item. If you have already selected more than one item, it selects only the items from the first item you selected to the current item.
Keys: CTRL+Z Action: Undoes the last action. Some actions cannot be undone. (You also can choose Undo from the Edit menu.)
Keys: CTRL+X Action: Cuts the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can choose Cut from the Edit menu.)
Keys: CTRL+C Action: Copies the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can choose Copy from the Edit menu.)
Keys: CTRL+V Action: Pastes the copied item(s) from the Clipboard. (You also can choose Paste from the Edit menu.)
Keys: CTRL+A Action: Selects all the items in the current window. (You also can choose Select All from the Edit menu.)
Keys: CTRL+G Action: Opens the Go To Folder dialog box. (You also can choose Go To from the Tools menu).
Keys: CTRL+F or F3 Action: Opens the Find All Files dialog box. (You also can choose Find from the Tools menu, then the Files Or Folders command).
Keys: DELETE Action: Deletes the selected item(s) to the Recycle Bin. (You also can choose Delete from the File menu.)
Keys: SHIFT+DELETE Action: Delete the selected item(s) immediately without moving the item(s) to the Recycle Bin.
Keys: ALT+ENTER Action: Displays the properties of the selected item. (You also can choose Properties from the File menu.)
Keys: F2 Action: Renames a selected item. A bold rectangle appears around the item. Type the new name and press ENTER. Press ESC to cancel. (You also can choose Rename from the File menu.)
Keys: F4 Action: Opens the drop-down list box on the toolbar. Pressing F4 again moves the keyboard focus back to the previously used item.
Keys: F5 Action: Refreshes the current window. (You also can choose Refresh from the View menu.)
Keys: F6 or TAB Action: Switches between panes and the toolbar.
1.7 Dialog Boxes
Keys: CTRL+PAGE DOWN or CTRL+TAB Action: Switches to the next tab and displays the page.
Keys: CTRL+PAGE UP or CTRL+SHIFT+TAB Action: Switches to the previous tab and displays the page.
Keys: RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW Action: When the focus is on a tab selector, chooses the next or previous tab in the current row and displays the page.
Keys: DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW Action: Chooses the tab in the next or previous row and displays the page.
Sliders appear as an indicator on a vertical or horizontal gauge. The slider both displays and sets a value from a continuous range, such as speed, brightness, or volume. Use TAB or the appropriate access key to move the focus to the slider.
Keys: RIGHT ARROW or DOWN ARROW Action: Selects the next higher setting.
Keys: LEFT ARROW or UP ARROW Action: Selects the next lower setting.
Keys: HOME or END Action: Selects the lowest or highest setting.
Keys: PAGE DOWN Action: Selects a somewhat lower or higher setting depending on the application. (This is the equivalent of pressing an arrow key many times.)
Keys: PAGE UP Action: Moves in the reverse of the PAGE DOWN.
Last Updated: 6/28/00