18 Important keyboard Shortcuts you should know and why

In computer users some use Windows OS and it is the one popular, if you are included in the users of this OS this is a post for you and you are going to be navigating your computer in easy way. I know most people are not shortcut friendly, but I can show you how you are losing something because you do not use shortcuts. 

Let me give you a simple example, take a time it takes you to turn off (shut down) your computer, you need to go to start and then click to power to finally reach the power button. I know this is the way most of us have learned in schools because it is very formal are formal but they are not as helpful as the shortcuts would.

When I use computer in whatever I do, I mostly use shortcuts because the seem to ease my workflow in what I do and moreover saves my time. I am to share with you the shortcuts that I found to be useful to me because I use them often. Today, I will show you my favorite shortcuts that I use and how they are going to be productive to you.

Most important keyboard shortcuts you should know

Basic keys

Win + E: Open file explorer

Naturally, this "Win" is an abbreviation button for windows and it's a window logo that is on the left of "Left Alt" button to your keyboard. When you press this button and hold and again press "E" this will open your file explorer.

F5/ Fn + F5: Refresh

I use two option because I know that it depends on the type of keyboard. This shortcut is again useful in many ways, I mostly use it on desktop and browser, it is used to refresh an address (website tab) and files on desktop or in folder.

Win: Open start

This shortcut opens the start to access the start menu and programs. Instead of going through the taskbar it is very useful because it is a one press process to reach the start.

Alt + F4: Close a window

The shortcut helps to close a program or folder. Not only that but also helps in shutting down your computer while on desktop you can use it for instant shut down.

Alt + Ctrl + Del: User account options

This command is important again I use it for different purposes as it is multi-functional. When you utilize this command, you get a bunch of options like locking, task manager, account switch, etc…

Alt + Tab: Navigate opened windows

I like how I can be able to navigate windows without even getting to taskbar with the help of Alt + Tab. This shortcut when is used, it shows you every single window opened in the taskbar so that you choose the one you wish to go.

What save my time on computer is to do what takes a couple of seconds into one second: Image by Windows on Unsplash

Editing shortcuts

Ctrl + C: Copy

This "Ctrl" means "Control". This shortcut is used when you are copying a selected text in a text file or either on the web, it can be used in anyways possible almost in any software that supports texts.

Ctrl + X: Cut

This shortcut is a cut shortcut it is used when you want to move a text and you don't need to copy it. This option doesn't work anywhere like "copy" it only works in text editors like MS Products (Word, PowerPoint, etc...).

Ctrl + V: Paste

Here this command is again a text-edit command only, you use it to paste a copied or cut content. This combo works pretty straightforward and makes it quicker, I almost never use the right click option to paste because it makes me sick right clicking every time I copy or cut.

Ctrl + A: Select All

This is a master shortcut that will allow you get everything in a blink of an eye. this shortcut is used to select all elements on a page and is well known as "select all". This shortcut works almost everywhere and is classic for me since I started to use shortcuts.

Ctrl + Z: Undo

To be honest, if this shortcut wasn't exist I don't to this earth what I would have been because it saves me every time. Errors exist every time thanks for ITs to know that it exists, this shortcut is used to undo the action most of the time writing. Even while I was writing this content I used it.

Ctrl + O: Open

Whether you are in browser or whatever software you are in it is likely that this combo will work for sure. Hitting it will save your energy to navigating all the menu stuffs, and it gets you into where you are looking to get a file from.

Ctrl + S: Save

Another useful shortcut you can use while for a file, a document or saving a page in browser. You can be familiar with this shortcut because it is an absolute time saver, saving is at your fingertips, it is for sure faster than normal process of save as things.

Shift + Arrow (Up, Down, Left, right): Highlight

It is disturbing to make a selection of specific words or paragraph that precision it requires to highlight (select) that portion but holding down shift together with arrow select a portion you want. When you tap a right or left arrow once it selects a single letter, but when you tap an up or down arrow selects a sentence or line upward or downward.

Shift + Home / End: Highlight a line

Yet another selection shortcut, holding down shift and press Home button on your keyboard it selects the current line to its start and click and drag, and using End button functions the other way around (selects line to its end).

You need to make your fingers work less and produce more: Image by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Navigation Shortcuts

Ctrl + N: New window in a browser

In a browser this combo shortcut will open a new window. When you want to browse in two or more different windows you can use this shortcut to open other new windows of the browser. When you hold this shortcut together with Shift (Shift + Ctrl + N) will open a new window but in Incognito or Private mode (depends on term a browser uses).

Ctrl + Shift + B: Show/Hide bookmark bar

Bookmark helps us to not overload our brain with pages or websites we like. Anytime you want to view or hide all the pages that you have bookmarked in browser just hit Ctrl + Shift + B the bookmark bar will pop up or pop out. 

Recap

As I was starting this post, I told that you I am going to be giving you a list of my favorite shortcuts on windows computer. The shortcuts in this post are not the only one available I believe that like 90% of all actions performed on computer have their respective shortcuts and that’s thousands of combos. 

If you have noticed well the structure of the shortcuts, there are special buttons that are the engines of the shortcut to be able to work which are “Ctrl, Shift, Win and Alt” mostly. So, if you are going to work with a shortcut, I advise you to first hold those buttons before hitting any other key or it will mess up your things. 

Conclusion

As I try to be acquainted with shortcuts Slow-by-slow, I knew that some buttons we take as useless in our keyboards are instead useful more than we could imagine. I will repeat this again, the shortcuts I listed above are my favorites hence, this doesn’t mean that they should be used. You can take a look at other shortcuts; there are many other people who have written posts and documents to shortcuts that might be useful to you.

This post is supposed to point to windows users but I believe that most shortcuts from Windows are the same as the Mac even though the names of keys could change but it might not change the pattern of combo. 

It is better for you to adopt the shortcut use, of course it saves some energy of going through a complex way to reach an action thus, when you use a combo makes fast and saves time for you.

What are your favorite shortcuts you wish other people to know? – Share them with us!

Let us know in the comments.