Keyboard shortcutsare a boon for productivity on Windows.

Some of these have been around for years, but aren’t used often enough.

I bet there’s at least one shortcut you didn’t know about but wish you had.

Here’s how you might make your system even quicker:

Windows-i: Opens Windows configs.

Keep pressing it again and again, and it’ll eventually bring you back to the tweaks home page.

Windows-A: Opens quick tweaks (the equivalent of Mac’s Control Center).

Windows-L: Locks the PC.

Windows-D: Shows the desktop.

Windows-N: Opens the Notification Center and also shows the calendar.

Windows-R: Opens the Run window and lets you quickly launch apps.

Windows-S: Allows you to use Windows search.

Windows-V: Shows your clipboard history.

Windows-Spacebar: Switches between keyboards or input languages.

Windows-PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of everything visible on the screen.

Alt-PrtScn: Captures a screenshot of the active window.

Windows-F: Takes a screenshot and opens Windows 11’s Feedback Hub.

Lets you report any bugs or other issues within your machine to Microsoft.

Windows-Shift-S: Takes a screenshot of a part of the screen.

it’s possible for you to define a custom area and Windows will take a screenshot within it.

Windows-Alt-PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the active game window, using Windows Game Bar.

Lets you cycle through all open apps and switch between them.

Shift-Alt-Tab: Cycles through open apps in reverse order.

Ctrl-Tab: Cycles through open tabs in your net net app, File Explorer, or other apps.

Shift-Ctrl-Tab: Cycles through tabs in reverse.

Ctrl-1: Opens the first tab in the online window.

Change the number to anything from 1 to 9, and you’ll jump to the corresponding tab.

Tab: Cycles through all clickable elements on the screen.

Keep hitting it to go to the next available option.

Ctrl-Tab: The same as Tab, but in reverse.

Windows-Tab: Opens the task view to see your virtual desktops.

Windows-Ctrl-D: Adds a virtual desktop.

Windows-Ctrl-Right Arrow: Switches to the virtual desktop on the right.

Windows-Ctrl-Left Arrow: Switches to the virtual desktop on the left.

Windows-Ctrl-F4: Closes the virtual desktop you’re using.

F11: Maximizes the open window or brings it back to its original size.

Alt-F4: Closes the open window.

F3: Quickly goes to the search bar in file explorer.

Ctrl-E and Ctrl-F also do the same thing.

Ctrl-L: Selects the address bar.

Also works in your web client.

In the File Explorer, you could also use F4 to do this.

F5: Refreshes the active window.

Alt-Enter: When you select any file or folder, this shortcut opens Properties.

Alt-Left Arrow: Go back to the previous page.

Alt-Right Arrow: Go forward.

Ctrl-T: Opens a new tab.

Ctrl-Shift-N: Creates a new folder.

Alt-P: Opens the preview pane.

Useful miscellaneous shortcuts

There are many, many more keyboard shortcuts in Windows.

Here are some of the most useful among them:

Ctrl-C: Copy.

Ctrl-V: Paste

Ctrl-Shift-V: Paste without formatting.

Ctrl-D: Deletes the selected item and sends it to the Recycle Bin.

you’re free to also press Delete to do this.

Ctrl-Esc: Opens the Start menu.

Useful alternative if your keyboard’s Windows key isn’t working.

Ctrl-Shift-Esc: Opens Task Manager.

Shift-F10: The keyboard version of the right-click.

Shift-Delete: Permanently deletes selected items.

Esc: Helps you escape lots of things, such as pop-ups or accidentally executed actions.