Is it possible to use a laptop or computer without a touchpad or mouse? Is it possible to open a program without using the menu? At first glance, it seems impossible to accomplish this. Nevertheless, you can use the computer at full power without endless clicks. In such cases, keyboard shortcuts come to the rescue. The correct use of their combinations can significantly save time.
What are keyboard shortcuts for?
Hot keys or keyboard shortcuts - this is the ability to interact with a personal computer only using the keyboard. There is no doubt that for such "communication" far from random combinations of keys on the keyboard are used. The operating system has built-in actions that are called when certain keys are pressed.
Hot keys are used for more optimized work with a personal computer. These combinations are also called keyboard shortcuts and keyboard accelerator.
Combinations are most often used in cases where you have to work a lot with the mouse or touchpad. It is much faster to select an item from the drop-down menu by pressing one or two keys than to constantly click on a file and search for the desired item.
Keyboard accelerator also helps in working with text. The Word text editor recognizes several dozen combinations, pressing them will cause a certain action: copy, paste, bold, underline, page break, and so on.
But keyboard shortcuts have a disadvantage. It lies in the number of combinations. Remembering them all is very difficult. But even using the most popular ones will help optimize the work with files, text, browser and dialog boxes.
Using modifier keys
Any owner of a personal computer or laptop noticed that there are keys on the keyboard that themselves do not perform any function. These include Ctrl, Shift, and Alt. By clicking them, it is impossible to change anything in the system, browser window or text editor. But they are the modifier keys, thanks to which almost every key combination on the laptop or computer keyboard works.
Proper use of modifiers allows you to open quick access to the settings of the operating system. But such combinations work both globally and locally. With the right combination of buttons, you can create a new folder, rename the file, or completely disable the keyboard.
Change keyboard layout: change keyboard shortcuts
All owners of personal computers operating on the basis of the Windows operating system are aware of the key combination that helps to change the keyboard layout. In Windows 10, by default, two combinations Win + Space and Alt + Shift are used. However, this option is not suitable for everyone, so users want to change the key combination to change the keyboard layout.
To change the way you change the keyboard layout:
- Open "Options" through the "Start" menu.
- Select "Time and Language."
- Go to the "Region and Language".
- In the window, click on "Advanced date and time settings, regional settings."
- In the “Language” item, select “Change input method”.
- In the menu located on the left side of the window, click on "Advanced Options".
- In the "Switch input methods" group, select "Change the language bar shortcut keys."
- In the dialog that appears, click on "Change keyboard shortcut" and enter new parameters.
- Save settings.
After applying the settings, the parameters will change, and you can change the layout with a new combination.
Enter special characters using a key combination
In some situations, it becomes necessary to enter special characters that the standard computer keyboard does not provide. The combination of keys and the modifier seemed to help too.
What to do if you urgently need to insert a copyright sign in the message or document, a down, up or side arrow, a note, a paragraph or paragraph mark ? There are two ways to enter these characters.
The first way is to work with the Word text editor. In order to insert a special character, you will need to open a new document, go to the “Tab” menu and select “Symbol”. Among the list that appears, click on "Special Characters".
Next, a dialog box pops up, in which a list of all special characters will be presented. The user is left to choose the appropriate one. For a more convenient search, special characters are grouped by topic: currency, punctuation, geometric shapes, technical characters, and so on.
To save time, the special characters window can be called by the combination Ctrl + Alt + “-”.
The second way is keyboard shortcuts for characters. To enter special characters from the keyboard, you need to hold down the Alt button and at the same time enter a set of numbers. For example, Alt + 0169 is the code ©.
All codes are given below.
How to lock the keyboard using a keyboard shortcut
Unfortunately, there is no single key combination on the Windows 7 keyboard that would only lock the keyboard. On some computers and laptops, the combination F11 + Esc may work. Sometimes manufacturers introduce special combinations in their products for such tasks. For example, all Acer laptops lock the keyboard when you press Fn + F7.
But still, a partial blocking of the keyboard on the computer is possible. The key combination Win + L blocks not so much the keyboard itself as the operating system. After pressing the keys, the user will be moved to the window for entering the password from the system and changing the account. Only those who know the password will be able to log in again.
Keyboard shortcuts for working in Word
There is a whole list of keyboard shortcuts that allow you to optimize the work with documents in the Word text editor.
To create a new document, just use the Ctrl + N keys.
Ctrl + O - opens a new file.
Ctrl + W - closes the file.
Alt + Ctrl + S - splits file windows.
Alt + Shift + C - removes the split.
Ctrl + S - saves the document.
Ctrl + K - helps to insert a hyperlink into the document.
Alt + left arrow - move to the next page.
Alt + arrow right - move to the previous page.
Alt + Ctrl + I - preview.
Ctrl + P - print.
To go into reading mode, you need to press Alt - O and E. sequentially
Ctrl + D - calls a window that allows you to change the type, size and font properties.
Shift + F3 - changes the appearance of the text: lowercase letters are replaced with uppercase.
Ctrl + Shift + F - replace uppercase letters with lowercase.
To make the text "bold", just press Ctrl + B.
Ctrl + I - select text by tilting.
Ctrl + U - adds underline.
Ctrl + Shift + W - Adds a double underline.
Ctrl + Shift + D - double underline.
Ctrl + Enter - insert page break.
Ctrl +:
- C - copy a specific table, image or text.
- V - transfer data from the clipboard to the document.
- X - data is entered to the clipboard and deleted from the file.
- A - data selection.
- Z - cancel the last data entry.
There are many more hot keys to optimize the work with documents. But the list presented above includes the main and most popular combinations that will be useful to each user.
Work with dialog boxes
The combination of several buttons on the keyboard allows you to quickly navigate through the dialog boxes of the operating system. Using the arrows helps shift focus to other buttons in the window. The Backspace button moves the user to a folder that is one level higher. Pressing the “Space” will uncheck the box or checkmark.
Tab button allows you to move to the next active area of the window. To move in the opposite direction, just add the Shift button to the combination.
Quickly see all open folders and programs by holding Alt + Tab.
Keyboard shortcuts and the Windows button
The Windows or Win key for many is associated with the Start menu. But in combination with other buttons, it works on a global scale.
Button "Windows" +:
- A - call the "Support Center".
- In - allows you to minimize all windows.
- Alt + D - enables or disables the appearance of the current date on the desktop.
- E - quickly opens the conductor.
In the latest versions of the Windows operating system, Win + H brings up the Share menu. Win + I - moves the user to "Options".
"Windows" + K - instantly minimizes active windows.
Win + R - call the "Run" function.
Win + S - opens a window that allows you to search for files and programs on a personal computer.
Win + "+" / "-" - change the scale of the working surface.
Win and the enter button allow you to start the Narrator.
Win + Esc - closes the Screen Magnifier application.
You can quickly open the "Accessibility Center" by holding Windows and I.
Win in combination with the up or down arrows allows you to resize the dialog box.
Work with Explorer
Pressing Alt + D allows you to move to the address bar.
Ctrl + E - activates the search field.
Ctrl + N is a universal combination that allows opening a new window in almost any program.
Ctrl in combination with scrolling resizes files and folders in a specific window.
Ctrl + Shift + E - displays a list of all folders that precede the active.
Ctrl + Shift + N - creates a new folder.
If you press the F2 button after selecting a file or folder, you can immediately rename it. The F11 key activates full screen viewing. Pressing again deactivates it.
Win + Ctrl + D - allows you to create a new virtual desktop. To switch between them, you need to press Win + Ctrl + left or right arrows.