Windows Vista keyboard shortcuts

Mon, 06/04/2007 - 13:20 — Ciprian

Some of our visitors searched the site for keyboard shortcuts to various actions. We searched for a complete list of Windows Vista keyboard shortcuts and we found it on the Microsoft Windows Vista Help pages. The complete list is pretty big and some of them are not so useful or easy to remember. This is why we tried to compact it a little and we decided to publish in this article only those which we found useful.

General keyboard shortcuts

F1 - Display Help
CTRL+C - Copy the selected item
CTRL+X - Cut the selected item
CTRL+V - Paste the selected item
CTRL+Z - Undo an action
CTRL+Y - Redo an action
DELETE - 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
F2 - Rename the selected item
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow key - Select a block of text
SHIFT with any arrow key - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
CTRL with any arrow key+SPACEBAR - Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
CTRL+A - Select all items in a document or window
F3- Search for a file or folder
ALT+ENTER - Display properties for the selected item
ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or exit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR - Open the shortcut menu for the active window
CTRL+F4 - Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
ALT+TAB - Switch between open items
CTRL+ALT+TAB - Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size of icons on the desktop
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
ALT+ESC - Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
F6 - Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F4 - Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer
SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC - Open the Start menu
F10 - Activate the menu bar in the active program
RIGHT ARROW - Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
LEFT ARROW - Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
F5 - Refresh the active window
ALT+UP ARROW - View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
ESC - Cancel the current task
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC - Open Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD - Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+TAB - Move forward through tabs
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB - Move back through tabs
TAB - Move forward through options
SHIFT+TAB - Move back through options
ALT+underlined letter - Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
ENTER - Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
Arrow keys - Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
F1 - Display Help
F4 - Display the items in the active list
BACKSPACE - Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box

Windows Sidebar keyboard shortcuts

Windows logo key Picture of Windows logo key + SPACEBAR - Bring all gadgets to the front and select Sidebar
Windows logo key Picture of Windows logo key +G - Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
TAB - Cycle through Sidebar controls

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+N - Open a new window
END - Display the bottom of the active window
HOME - Display the top of the active window
F11 - Maximize or minimize the active window
LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder
ALT+LEFT ARROW - View the previous folder
RIGHT ARROW - Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - View the next folder
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
ALT+D - Select the Address bar

Windows Help viewer keyboard shortcuts

ALT+C - Display the Table of Contents
ALT+N - Display the Connection Settings menu
F10 - Display the Options menu
ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move back to the previously viewed topic
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to the next (previously viewed) topic
ALT+A - Display the customer support page
ALT+HOME - Display the Help and Support home page
HOME - Move the to beginning of a topic
END - Move to the end of a topic
CTRL+F - Search the current topic
CTRL+P - Print a topic
F3- Move to the Search box

Comments

Mon, 05/19/2008 - 09:17 — Anonymous (not verified)

Geeks... I dunno, thinkers maybe...

bear with me - the real problem is, as I sit here at 2 a.m. trying to help my computer illiterate sister get her vista machine going - while I am on xp, is that too many people buy and/or use computers and don't realize there are levels to go up to... they just think everything is "back" or some button. They don't know the first thing about paths or anything that's not practically done for them via a button click. It's irritating to those of us who get asked for help, constantly, year after year, by those who get the latest gadget but don't have a clue about the foundation the gadget works on! (no one take that personally, it's a rant as I'm into the 2nd day and the 12th hour of reiterating myself to my sister about how to find a control panel, of all things!)

My point truly is, stop relying on buttons and one clicks... learn a little something about the expensive machine you bought (and will be outdated in short order anyway). Once you know a little something about why or how something in the machine works you might just be a little irritated by how dumbed-down all those one clicks really are - built in, not necessarily for convenience, because, as you may experience, computers are anything but quick, convenient and simple!, but rather so people won't *have* to *learn*! - and you might even feel a little more educated in the process. Knowledge won't kill you.

Fri, 06/20/2008 - 08:09 — sachinbagra

driver problem

windows vista basic dont support ZTE EVDO USB internet connection b,coz driver is not supporting vista basic
Vista has a tremendous drivers problems

Sun, 06/29/2008 - 05:04 — PC Medic (not verified)

Simply hit the [Backspace]

Simply hit the [Backspace] key and it will take you back one level.

Tue, 07/01/2008 - 12:14 — Anonymous (not verified)

windows logo key + E -

windows logo key + E - brings up my computer :)

Found it by pressing "e" instead of "d" to minimize all open windows

Sat, 11/01/2008 - 03:19 — Anonymous (not verified)

Up Folder missing is just dumb

I used the up folder icon with the shortcut 'ctrl and left mouse click' to open up the folder level below in a separate window (so i had two folder levels open) and now that option is gone...what do i use now?
Using the shortcut Ctrl N to open up another window and then click to go back a level is adding more steps...NOT A SHORTCUT!

Whats the answer? What is the replacement in Vista for Ctrl & click Folder Up?

Thu, 02/19/2009 - 16:26 — Rico (not verified)

and the answer is...

Left Alt+UpArrow

Wed, 04/15/2009 - 04:55 — Anonymous (not verified)

HELP!

Whenever i type a '2', the output is '/2'. When i type an 'i', the cursor jumps down a line as if i hit the enter key. Several other keys do weird stuff. Also my arrow keys do nothing....WHAT IS WRONG??? How do i fix this??

Mon, 12/07/2009 - 04:26 — o.d (not verified)

spanish alphabet

my vista cannot type the spanish alphabet such as ó ñ using numeric keypad combination with ALT, for example ALT164 for ñ.
Previously i use this method in XP with no problem. how can i turn this on in Vitsa coz i dont want to use the international keyboard.

Thanks for help!

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