Monday, July 11, 2011

Unfamiliar Windows keyboard shortcuts

I like to open folders sometimes in a new window, sometimes the same window. It's difficult to right-click my particular computer mouse. Also, generally I prefer keyboard shortcuts.

First I tried using Microsoft Windows Explorer's option which always opens a new window; soon I was frustrated, closing the many resulting windows. (See Windows Explorer-Menu-Tools-Folder Options-General-Browse Folders.)

To open the other view (folder or explorer) in a new window, I was motivated to find a shortcut: either with the keyboard or a left mouse click. Some research found many that were unfamiliar and quite useful.

Here are my select keyboard and mouse shortcuts for Windows XP and later. You might not know all of them—I think you will find at least one excitingly useful!

Abbreviations:
App = Application key (AKA Menu key, context menu key)
Win = Windows key (AKA Flag key, Meta key, MOD4, Start key, Super key, Windows logo key, WinKey)

General:
Alt+ Esc: Cycle programs in starting order
Alt+ F6: Cycle windows of active program
Alt+ PrintScreen: Capture program window (paste into Paint)
Alt+ Shift+ Esc: Cycle programs in starting order, backward
Alt+ Spacebar M Arrow: Move active window
Alt+ Spacebar S Arrow: Resize active window
App: Show context menu
Ctrl+ Shift+ Esc: Task manager
F6: Cycle screen elements (e.g., in SeaMonkey, go to address bar)
Win: Show start menu
Win+ Break: Show system properties
Win+ D: Show desktop (toggle)
Win+ E: Explore My Computer
Win+ L: Lock/logon screen (switch user)
Win+ M: Minimize all windows
Win+ R: Run
Win+ Shift+ M: Undo minimize all windows (also undo show desktop)
Win+ Shift+ Tab Enter: Cycle programs in taskbar, backward
Win+ Tab Enter: Cycle programs in taskbar
Win+ U: Utility manager (accessibility)
(Shift+ F10: same as App)

Command-line window:
Alt+ Spacebar E K (make selection) Enter: Select text
Alt+ Spacebar E L Arrow: Scroll
Alt+ Spacebar E P: Paste text

Desktop:
Alt+ Double-click: Show properties (single folder or file)
Alt+ Enter: Show properties (multiple folders & files)
Enter: Open single selection in folder view (or last-selected)
Shift+ Enter: Explore single selection (or last-selected)
(App O: same as Enter; App X: same as Shift+ Enter)

Multi-document program:
Ctrl+ F4: Close active document

... Icon of non-maximized document:
Double-click: Close

Windows Explorer (file chooser in other programs):
Alt+ Double-click: Show properties (of single folder or file; except explore-view navigation pane)
Alt+ Enter: Show properties (multiple folders & files)
Alt F W Enter: Create new folder
Alt V E O: Show navigation pane (toggle)
Ctrl+ Keypad '+': Fit columns
F4: Show folder trail (toggle)
Shift+ Click: Select from top to pointer

Finally, to avoid right-clicking, here are the shortcuts I was looking for:

... In explore view:
App O: New folder-view window(s)
Enter: Change to single selection; explore (some of) multiple selection in new windows
(App X, Click Shift+ Double-click: same as Enter)

... In folder view:
Ctrl+ Enter: Open single (or some of multiple) selection in new window(s)
Enter: Change to first-selected
Shift+ Enter: Explore in new window(s)
(App X, Click Shift+ Double-click: same as Shift+ Enter)

Sources:
http://www.computerhope.com/shortcut/windows.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301583
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_key
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menu_key

1 comment:

  1. Thank You from the bottom of my heart. You have spent Your time and saved my.

    ReplyDelete

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