Probably there is no such person who would use a computer without using a keyboard. But do you all know about her? What keys are there on it, what names do they carry, what are they used for? Do you know how to simplify work on a laptop or computer using the keys on the keyboard, especially Win? Do not know?
Letβs talk about what the Win key is on the keyboard of your PC, what it is used for and how to use it to facilitate your work with the computer.
What are keys and what are they
Before talking about Win and "hot" keys, we will understand what a keyboard is and what keys generally exist on it.
To begin with, the keyboard is a device for entering data into a computer, one of the elements of the user interface.
As you might imagine, the keys also have their own names and even groups, depending on the function they perform. Here we will talk about them.
Groups such as typing keys are distinguished on the keyboard, that is, those elements with which we type texts - these are letters, numbers, various punctuation marks.
There are also numeric keys with which you can quickly type numbers. On most keyboards, they are separate and located on the right side of the panel.
There are also control keys with which you can perform certain actions and tasks. These include Win, Esc, Alt, and Crtl. Next, we will talk in more detail about where the Win key is and what exactly it serves.
There are function keys that execute their own special programs. This includes the F1 to F12 keys.
And finally, there are navigation keys that help you quickly navigate through various open documents. These are such as Delete, Insert, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and those with arrows.
"Hotkeys. general characteristics
First, let's talk about hot keys, since the subject of our conversation concerns them directly. After all, oddly enough, the Win key on the keyboard refers specifically to them.
Let's start with the definition. A hotkey is one that provides quick interaction between a computer and a person. This is one of the varieties of the user interface that allows you to perform certain actions and commands without resorting to using the mouse.
Some commands can be executed using just one key, some - combinations of two or more. The first include Esc, Win, F1 - F12, Num, Break, and others.
What is the Windows key?
For those who do not know where the Win key is located, we immediately note that it is located on the keyboard on the left side, between the Alt and Ctrl keys. It is on all keyboards and laptops, which imply the presence of Windows software. The design of the key is the logo of the company Mircosoft Windows - a complete drawing or a schematic image. Used to open the Start menu.
On some keyboards, it is located not only on the left side, but also on the right.
How to find out all the keyboard shortcuts
Before we begin to discuss such a question as Win hot keys, let's talk about the combination of all the hot keys on your personal computer.
Sometimes you need to know what combinations you can use for your operating system. This can be done in two ways - to search the Internet, which is quite long and problematic, especially considering that sometimes the keyboards on devices can have some slight differences at first glance, or go the other way - call the help window. To do this, use the hotkey combination Win + F1. Next, in the window that appears, enter the following into the search bar: "Keyboard shortcuts." In the list of results that appears, you can select the section you are interested in.
Below we will analyze the main keyboard shortcuts with this one.
Combinations
So, we have figured out where the Win key is located on the keyboard. Now let's talk directly about the hotkey combinations with this button.
As already mentioned at the very beginning of our article, to open the Start menu, press the Windows key. This is the most important purpose of this hotkey.
Further, using the combination of Win + F1, we can quickly open the Windows Help window, which is also important.
File Explorer, or "My Computer", will help open a simple key combination - Win + E.
Running (executing) the program allows you to open Win + R. It should be noted here that in this case it is not a command line that is meant.
In the event that you need to quickly open or, conversely, hide the desktop, we recommend using the Windows + D keyboard shortcut.
Win + U will help you access the Accessibility Center. Here you can open the screen magnifier and keyboard, adjust the contrast and much more.
In order to minimize all the windows, it is not necessary to click the mouse, just click Win + M. To restore them, the combination of Windows + Shift + M will help.
Win + F will help open the file search window (in some Win + F3 OSs). In this case, the conductor opens.
Using the Win + Pause combination, you can open the "System Properties" window. But the combination of Win + X will help open the Windows Mobility Center.
That's all the most important and famous Win keyboard shortcuts. There are also a few less used, but still useful combinations. Thus, combinations of Win + "+" and Win + "-" will help to increase or decrease the scale.
Next, we will talk about Aero mode and how to start it using hot keys.
Aero Mode
Another important key combination - Win + Ctrl + Tab allows you to start scrolling Aero. Let us dwell on this issue in more detail, since not everyone knows the essence of this function.
Starting this scrolling mode, we start displaying all open windows in the form of a stack. Thus, we can see almost all open programs at the same time and can quickly scroll through them using the Tab key.
Using this function is convenient for those who have a fairly impressive number of programs open, and viewing using the taskbar in this case becomes not very convenient. In this situation, Win comes to the rescue. On the keyboard, scrolling pages in this mode takes less time.
It is also worth noting that the mode does not work on all versions of Windows.
Use when working with text
So, we have already discussed quite a few issues. We figured out what the keyboard is and what hot keys are, talked about where the Win key is and what its function is. Let's talk a little about whether there are combinations with Windows that help when working with text documents.
Unfortunately, the hot keys for working with text do not contain this button. Moreover, sometimes when working with text, it becomes necessary to record a particular macro, assigning a keyboard shortcut to start it, and create a combination for quickly inserting a particular character. It would seem that you can use any key for these purposes, but it's not so simple. Using Win in combination with other buttons when working with text documents is not possible. The Win key on the keyboard serves only to work directly with the Windows menu.
findings
Anyone who works on a computer, probably more than once thought about how you can facilitate your work using the "hot" keyboard keys. We have partially dealt with this issue, finding out what the keyboard is and what buttons are on it. We learned that there are several groups of buttons depending on the function they perform.
We also examined the question of what hot keys are and what their role is. We talked about what the Win key on the keyboard is and what it is used for, and also examined the most useful and well-known combinations with this button.