How to control Windows with only a

keyboard
Important keyboard keys to control Windows:

 Arrow Keys: These keys allow you to move up, down, left and right on a page or a menu
(where it is possible).

 Enter: To execute any command or confirm a dialog, you need to press the Enter key.
 Spacebar: Usually used for scrolling, but when you are using just the keyboard, you can
use it to enable/disable different options in the check box via Control Panel or System
Properties. The Enter key will not change options inside a dialog.

 Tab: Simply allows you to move to the next item, text field or link on a page. The Tab key
highlights anything clickable on a page for your interaction.

 Shift: Allows you to use a different or opposite version of a key or function to change its
behaviour. For example, press Shift + Tab, and the Tab key will move you backwards on a
page instead of forward.
 Ctrl: This is used in conjunction with other keys to quickly perform different actions. Here
is a list of shortcuts you can use with the Ctrl button.

 Windows Key: The Key with a Windows logo on it is called the Windows key. It can be
used to start menu and combinable with other keys to perform different actions. The
Windows key, however, may not be able to control functions of third-party apps. Here is a
list of shortcuts you can perform using the Windows key.
 Menu Key: Located between Spacebar and the Ctrl key on the right side of the keyboard,
the Menu key allows you to navigate through arrow keys. Its function is similar but not
an alternative to the right-click as it only opens menu for highlighted item. If you don’t
find this button on your keyboard, then you can press Shift + F10 for alternative shortcut.

 Page Up/Page Down: These buttons will move you to a single page up or down on the
screen for quick scrolling. A page is usually the size of the content you are currently seeing
on your screen.
Reaching the Desktop

By pressing Windows Key + D will take you to the desktop from anywhere. Whether
you want to select an operating system, cancel disk check or enter your Windows password,
all can be effortlessly done with Arrow keys and the Enter button.

Interacting with the Desktop items

You cannot navigate between desktop items with the Arrow keys, and so you need to bring
focus to the desktop items in order to move between them. Since you don’t have access
to the mouse you will have to resort to an alternative.

Pressing the Tab key on the desktop will start switching the focus between desktop and
items on the taskbar. Press the Tab key multiple times to move the focus to the desktop.

When an item on the desktop is highlighted, use Arrow keys to move between the items
and press the Enter key to launch/open an item.

Interacting with the Start Menu items

You can press the Windows key to activate the Start menu. In the Start menu, you can use
the up/ down arrow keys to move between items and press the right arrow key to move
to the section on the right side of the Start menu (tiles in Windows 10), or use the jump list
if available.

You can also use the Tab key to move to the each section of the Start menu.

The same instructions apply to Windows 8 users, but they will be moved to the “Start
screen” instead of the Start menu.
Interacting with the Taskbar

As mentioned above, you can press the Tab key on the desktop to move between taskbar
items and press the enter key to open one. In case you have pinned items on the taskbar,
press Windows key + corresponding number to quickly open that program.

For example, if your browser is pinned at 3rd number in the taskbar, then you can
press Windows key + 3 to open your browser immediately. Same shortcut will be used
when you need to minimize or maximize an already opened program.

Using the File Explorer

You can press Windows key + E to open the File Explorer (My Computer), or navigate to
it from the desktop or the start menu.

Inside the File Explorer, you can use arrow keys, Tab key and the Enter key to navigate
and access files/folders. You can press and hold the Alt key and use the left and right
arrows to move backward or forward between folders.

If you want to select multiple items, then press and hold the Shift key and use the arrow
keys to start selecting multiple items. Once selected, you can press the Menu key (or Shift
+ F10 ) to open menu for the selected items (simply put, right-click on them).

Use your Browser with Keyboard shortcuts

Most of the keys and shortcuts mentioned in this guide function in the same way for third-
party applications. While it’s difficult to highlight all third party applications, we are
covering the most utilised applications, which is the web browser.

Once the browser launches, your cursor will be inside the search bar. Enter your query and
hit Enter to search for it. The search results can be navigated using the arrow keys.

If you want to access each button and link on the page, then Tab key, Arrow keys,
Spacebar and Page Up/ Page Down keys will help you scroll through the page. The Tab
key will help highlight clickable buttons. You can press Ctrl + T to quickly open a new tab
or press Ctrl + W to close a tab.

These instructions should be enough to do a basic search on the web. You will have to
check shortcuts guide for your browser in order to learn shortcuts for specific features
such as access history, bookmarks or the settings.

Use the Mouse with the Keyboard

Windows allows you to control your mouse with the keyboard buttons. Of course, it is
not even nearly as intuitive as using an actual mouse, but when you are stuck; it can be
astonishingly helpful.
To enable mouse control with keyboard, press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock keys
and then press Enter to confirm the dialog that appears. You must use the Left Alt and Left
Shift keys otherwise this will not work

Once enabled, you can use the keys on the numpad to move the mouse around and click
on items, similar to how a mouse works. Numpad keys 8, 4, 2 and 6 are used for moving
around and you can press the numpad key 5 to execute left-click.

To right-click you must first change function of numpad key 5 to right-click by pressing
the – (minus) button and then use it to execute right-click.

Here is a list of all the keys you can use to control your mouse with the keyboard. Some
smaller laptops don’t have numpad keys or the touchpad is not compatible, so it can’t be
applied.

Important Keyboard shortcuts to remember

Remembering important keyboard shortcuts will help a lot in controlling Windows

and its functions in a snap. Below is a list of Windows keyboard shortcuts that will help
you immensely :

 F2 : Rename a file
 Delete Key : To delete an item
 Shift + Delete : Permanently delete an item
 Ctrl + Shift + N : Create new folder
 Ctrl + A : Select everything on a page
 Ctrl + C : To Copy
 Ctrl + X : To Cut
 Ctrl + V : To Paste
 Window Key + S : Open Windows search field
 Ctrl + Shift + Esc : Open Task Manager
 Alt + F4 : Close currently opened program/window
 Windows Key + Tab : To preview and move between opened windows

The above are just few of the basic Windows shortcuts that will make it easier to navigate
and perform common tasks. I will also recommend you to go through our ultimate list of
over 200 Windows keyboard shortcuts. It may become even more easy for you to use
Windows with the keyboar as compared to the mouse.
How to move the mouse cursor with the
keyboard in Windows
Whether your mouse breaks, runs out of batteries, or if you want to have
an alternative way to the cursor, you can use the arrow keys on the
numeric keypad. Before proceeding, make sure the Num Lock feature is
toggled on by pressing the key until you see an indicator light, or can type
numbers with the keypad. Shortcut in all versions of Windows

1. Press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock on your keyboard at the same time.
2. When the window appears, press Spacebar or Enter.
3. Repeat this process to turn Mouse Keys off.

Windows 10

If the shortcut key combination listed above did not work, you may enable or disable
Mouse Keys, using the following steps. If your mouse isn't working, use the Tab key and
Spacebar to navigate through menus.

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard.

2. In the box that appears, type Ease of Access mouse settings and press Enter.
3. In the Mouse Keys section, toggle the switch under Use numeric pad to move mouse
around the screen to On.
4. Press Alt + F4 to exit this menu.

Windows 8

If the shortcut key combination listed above did not work, you may enable or disable
Mouse Keys, using the following steps. If your mouse isn't working, use the Tab key and
Spacebar to navigate through menus.

1. With nothing selected, type the word "Mouse" anywhere on the Start Screen.
2. Arrow down to Ease of Access mouse settings and press Enter.
3. Toggle the switch under Mouse Keys to On.
4. Press Alt + F4 to exit this menu.

Windows XP, Vista and 7

If the shortcut key combination listed above did not work, you may enable or disable
Mouse Keys using the following steps. If your mouse isn't working, use the Tab key and
Spacebar to navigate through menus.
 1. While viewing the Desktop, press the Windows Key or Click Start in the lower left-hand
corner.
2. Select Control Panel from the list on the right-hand side.
3. Within the Control Panel, open Ease of Access.
4. Under Ease of Access Center, select Change how your mouse works.
5. Check the check box next to Turn on Mouse Keys.
6. Select Apply then OK.

Tip: If you want to change the cursor's movement speed or other settings, select Set up
Mouse Keys.

How to use Mouse Keys

The following table shows each of the keys on the Numeric Keypad and how they interact
with the mouse cursor. Make sure you're only using the Keypad to execute these actions.

Desired Action Key Combination

Move up and to the left Press 7

Move up Press 8

Move up and to the right Press 9

Move left Press 4

Move right Press 6

Move down and to the left Press 1

Move down Press 2

Move down and to the right Press 3

Select the left mouse button Press /

Select both of the mouse buttons Press *

Select the right mouse button Press -

Click With the left button selected, press 5

Right-click With the right button selected, press 5

Double-click With the left button selected, press +

Drag an item Point to the item, and then press 0

Drop the item you are dragging Press .

The complete list of Windows Logo

keyboard shortcuts
Windows logo key Open or close the Start menu.
Windows logo key +Pause 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 Computer.
Windows logo key +F Search for a file or folder.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +F Search for computers (if you're on a network).
Windows logo key +L Lock your computer or switch users.
Windows logo key +R Open the Run dialog box.
Windows logo key +T Cycle through programs on the taskbar.
Windows logo key+number Start the program pinned to the taskbar in the
position indicated by the number. If the
program is already running, switch to that
program.
Shift+Windows logo key+number Start a new instance of the program pinned to
the taskbar in the position indicated by the
number.
Ctrl+Windows logo key+number Switch to the last active window of the
program pinned to the taskbar in the position
indicated by the number.
Alt+Windows logo key+number Open the Jump List for the program pinned to
the taskbar in the position indicated by the
number.
Windows logo key +Tab Cycle through programs on the taskbar by
using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs
on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +B Switch to the program that displayed a
message in the notification area.
Windows logo key +Spacebar Preview the desktop.
Windows logo key +Up Arrow Maximize the window.
Windows logo key +Left Arrow Maximize the window to the left side of the
screen.
Windows logo key +Right Arrow Maximize the window to the right side of the
screen.
Windows logo key +Down Arrow Minimize the window.
Windows logo key +Home Minimize all but the active window.
Windows logo key +Shift+Up Arrow Stretch the window to the top and bottom of
the screen.
Windows logo key +Shift+Left Arrow or Right Move a window from one monitor to another.
Arrow
Windows logo key +P Choose a presentation display mode.
Windows logo key +G Cycle through gadgets.
Windows logo key +U Open Ease of Access Center.
Windows logo key +X Open Windows Mobility Center.

Ctrl keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl is used in keyboard shortcut key such as the three finger salute or CTRL + ALT +
DEL. This key combination suggests pressing and holding down the CTRL, ALT, and DEL
keyboard keys to open the Task Manager or reboot the computer.

Some documentation may also list commands such as ^X, ^C, ^Z, etc. this means CTRL-X,
CTRL-C, CTRL-Z, etc. In other words, a user would want to press and hold the
CONTROL or CTRL key and then press the letter following the caret. Below are some
other commonly used Ctrl shortcut keys on a Windows computer.

Ctrl + A These two keys will select all text or other objects.

Ctrl + B Bold highlighted text.

Copy any selected text or other object. See Control C definition for further
Ctrl + C
information.

Ctrl + D Bookmark an open web page or open font window in Microsoft Word.

Ctrl + E Center text.

Ctrl + F Open find window.

Ctrl + G Open Find in browser and word processors.

Ctrl + H Open the Find and Replace in Notepad, Microsoft Word, and WordPad

Ctrl + I Italicize text.

Ctrl + J View downloads in browsers and set Justify in Microsoft Word.

Create a hyperlink for the highlighted text in Microsoft Word and many HTML
Ctrl + K
editors.

Ctrl + L Select address bar in browser or left align text in word processor.

Ctrl + M Indent selected text in word processors and other programs.

Ctrl + N Create a new page or document.

Ctrl + O Open a file in most programs.

Ctrl + P Open print window to print page you're viewing.

Ctrl + R Reload page in browser or right align text in word processor.

Ctrl + S Save the document or file.

Ctrl + T Create a new tab in an Internet browser or adjust tabs in word processors.

Ctrl + U Underline selected text.

Ctrl + V Paste any text or other object that has been copied.

Ctrl + W Close open tab in a browser or close a document in Word.

Ctrl + X Cut selected text or other object.

Ctrl + Y These keys will redo any undo action.

Ctrl + Z Pressing these two keys will undo any action.

Ctrl + Esc Open the Windows Start Menu.

Switch between open tabs in browsers or other tabbed programs. Ctrl + Shift +
Ctrl + Tab
Tab will go backwards (right to left).

Shortcut keys ABCs

Shortcut keys help provide an easier and usually quicker method of navigating and
executing commands in computer software programs. Shortcut keys are commonly
accessed by using the Alt key (on IBM compatible computers), Command key (on Apple
computers), Ctrl key, or Shift key in conjunction with another key. The de facto standard
for listing a shortcut is listing the modifier key, a plus symbol, and another key. In other
words, "Ctrl+S" is telling you to press and hold the Ctrl key, and then press the S key too.

You can also find the shortcut keys to their most popular
program by looking for underlined letters in their menus. For example, the image to the
right has an underline on the "F" in File, which means you can press the Alt key and then
the "F" key to access the File menu.

Some programs require the user to press and hold Alt to see the underlined characters. In
the same image above, you can see that some of the common features, such as Open
(Ctrl+O) and Save (Ctrl+S), have shortcut keys assigned to them. As you begin to
memorize shortcut keys, you'll notice that many applications share the same shortcut keys.
We have a list of the most commonly shared ones in the basic PC shortcut keys section.

Tip: Users outside the United States or who have a foreign copy of Microsoft Windows or a
Microsoft application may not be able to use all of the below shortcut keys.

Basic PC shortcut keys

Below is a list of some of the most commonly used basic shortcut keys that work with
almost all IBM compatible computers and software programs. It is highly recommended
that all users keep a good reference of these shortcut keys or try to memorize them. Doing
so will dramatically increase your productivity.

Tip: Besides the special character shortcuts listed here, some special characters are also
located on the number keys (below the F1 - F12 keys). You can enter these special
characters by pressing the Shift key and the number key that has the special character listed
on it.

Shortcut Keys Description

Alt + F File menu options in current program.

Alt + E Edit options in current program

Alt + Tab Switch between open programs

F1 Universal Help in almost every Windows program.

F2 Rename a selected file

F5 Refresh the current program window

Ctrl + N Create a new, blank document in some software programs

Ctrl + O Open a file in current software program

Ctrl + A Select all text.

Ctrl + B Change selected text to be Bold

Ctrl + I Change selected text to be in Italics

Ctrl + U Change selected text to be Underlined

Ctrl + F Open find window for current document or window.

Ctrl + S Save current document file.

Ctrl + X Cut selected item.

Shift + Del Cut selected item.

Ctrl + C Copy selected item.

Ctrl + Ins Copy selected item

Ctrl + V Paste

Shift + Ins Paste

Ctrl + K Insert hyperlink for selected text

Ctrl + P Print the current page or document.

Home Goes to beginning of current line.

Ctrl + Home Goes to beginning of document.

End Goes to end of current line.

Ctrl + End Goes to end of document.

Shift + Home Highlights from current position to beginning of line.

Shift + End Highlights from current position to end of line.

Ctrl + Left arrow Moves one word to the left at a time.

Ctrl + Right arrow Moves one word to the right at a time.

Ctrl + Esc Opens the START menu

Ctrl + Shift + Esc Opens Windows Task Manager

Alt + F4 Close the currently active program

Alt + Enter Open the Properties for the selected item (file, folder, shortcut, etc.)

PC shortcut keys for Special Characters

There are many special characters that can be created using keyboard shortcuts. Below are
some of the more common and popular special characters and the keyboard shortcuts to
create them.

Shortcut Keys Special Character

Alt + 0224 à

Alt + 0232 è

Alt + 0236 ì

Alt + 0242 ò

Alt + 0241 ñ

Alt + 0228 ä

Alt + 0246 ö

Alt + 0252 ü

Alt + 0248 ø

Alt + 0223 ß
Alt + 0198 Æ

Alt + 0231 ç

Alt + 0191 ¿

Alt + 0176 ° (degree symbol)

Alt + 0177 ± (plus/minus symbol)

Alt + 0153 ™

Alt + 0169 ©

Alt + 0174 ®

Alt + 0128 € (Euro currency)

Alt + 0162 ¢ (Cent symbol)

Alt + 0163 £ (British Pound currency)

Alt + 0165 ¥ (Japanese Yen currency)