In today’s high speed and fast paced IT environment, it’s important to be able to work quickly, and efficiently. To do this, you should learn how to use both the keyboard and the mouse at the same time to do many tasks. This Page’s mission is to quickly show you these Windows XP Professional shortcuts, remind you of them or just give a handy chart for you to follow if you need a reference.
Desktop/Windows Explorer Shortcuts
| Function | Shortcut |
| Search for Files or Folders | F3 |
| Drop down the Address/Location Menu | F4 |
| Delete Item without moving to Recycle Bin | Shift–Delete |
| View Selected Item’s Properties | Alt–Enter |
| Rename Selected File | F2 |
| Keyboard equivalent to Right-Clicking with a mouse | Shift–F10 |
| View the folder one level up | Backspace |
| Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop | F6 |
Windows Explorer Tree View
| Function | Shortcut |
| Expand current selection (or go to first child item) | Right arrow |
| Expand everything under current selection | * (on keypad) |
| Collapse current selection | – (on keypad) |
| Expand current selection | + (on keypad) |
| Collapse current selection (or go to parent item) | Left arrow |
| NOTE: If keypad keystrokes do not work turn Num lock on and try again. |
Internet Explorer Shortcuts
| Function | Shortcut |
| Go to website without having to type in http://www or .com | Enter only name of website (like google) and press Ctrl–Enter |
| Refresh webpage | F5 or Ctrl–R |
| Highlight Address line (to enter new website) | F6 (or Alt–D) |
| Force Refresh a webpage | Ctrl-Refresh |
Uses for Windows System Key
| Function | Shortcut |
| Lock Computer/Switch Users (Windows XP only) | Windows Key–L |
| Search for Files or Folders | Windows Key–F |
| Open Run Command | Windows Key–R |
| Search for Computers | Windows Key–Ctrl–F |
| Minimize all windows and show Desktop | Windows Key–D (press again to re-open windows and go back) |
| Open Windows Explorer | Windows Key–E |
| Minimize all open windows | Windows Key–M (Windows Key–Shift–M will undo) |
| Cycle through taskbar buttons | Windows Key–Tab (press Spacebar or Enter to choose selected item) |
| Open System Properties dialog box | Windows Key–Pause/Break |
| Open Utility Manager | Windows Key–U |
Working with Windows/Programs
| Function | Shortcut |
| Close Program | Alt–F4 (sometimes Ctrl–Q also works) |
| Highlight First Menubar Item (that typically is the File menu) | F10 (you can then use arrows or letters to navigate) |
| Switch to Previous Document Window | Ctrl–Shift–F6 |
| Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop | F6 |
| Switch Windows/Programs | Alt–Tab (hold Alt, keep hitting Tab and release all keys to switch) |
| Switch to Next Document Window | Ctrl–F6 |
| Opens the shortcut menu for the active window | Alt–Spacebar |
| Close Current Window | Ctrl–F4 (sometimes Ctrl–W also works) |
Open/Save Dialog Boxes
| Function | Shortcut |
| Refresh View | F5 |
| Drop down the Location Menu (depending on cursor placement, may also open other menus like the File Name menu) | F4 |
| Go to parent folder (if focus is on view window) | Backspace |
Taking Screenshots (Copy Screen to Clipboard)
| Function | Shortcut |
| Capture Frontmost Window Only | Alt–Print Screen |
| Capture Entire Screen | Print Screen |
| Note: To use the screen capture: Go to your desired program (such as Photoshop) and Paste it into a document. |
Shutdown/Startup Commands
| Function | Shortcut |
| Shut Down Windows XP | Press Windows Key (don’t hold it down), Then press U two times |
| Start Up in Safe Mode | Start computer and press F8 at appropriate time. Choose Safe Mode. |
| Force Windows to Detect New Monitors (great for laptops!) | F8 (haven’t been able to test myself) |
| Shut Down Windows 2000 | Press Windows Key (don’t hold it down), Press U Press S (To choose Shut Down from menu) Press Enter |
Miscellaneous
| Function | Shortcut |
| Bypass auto-run when inserting CD | Hold Shift while inserting CD |
| Start Windows Help | F1 |
| Open the Start Menu | Ctrl–Esc (or Windows Key) |