www.geekybob.com

Just a short, simple blog for Bob to share his thoughts.

Windows 7 Hotkeys

02 May 2010 • by Bob • Windows

I put together this list for my brother when Windows 7 launched. I got the information from a variety of sources, thereby living up to the old adage that "Copying from one person is plagiarism, copying from a hundred people is research." Some of these are new to Windows 7, while others have been around a little while. In any event, here are some notes that explain how to interpret the keystrokes:

  • A plus symbol (+) between keys means to press the keys at the same time, whereas a comma (,) between keys means to press the keys one after another.
  • [Right] text stands for the right cursor key, [Left] for the left cursor key, etc.

Taskbar Modifiers

Shift+Click Open a new instance of the program
Ctrl+Click Cycle between windows in a group
Middle Click Open a new instance of the program
Ctrl+Shift+Click Open a new instance of the program as Administrator
Shift+Right-Click Show window menu

Managing Windows

Alt+F4 Close the active window
Alt+Tab Switch to previous active window
Alt+Esc Cycle through all open windows
Win+Tab Flip 3D
Ctrl+Win+Tab Persistent Flip 3D
Win+T Cycle through applications on taskbar (showing its live preview)
Win+M Minimize all open windows
Win+Shift+M Undo all window minimization
Win+D Toggle showing the desktop
Win+P Open the projection menu (generally used for laptops connected to projectors)
Win+[Up] Maximize the current window
Win+[Down] If the current window is maximized, restore it; if the current window is restored, minimize it
Win+[Left] Dock the current window to the left half of the screen
• If it is already docked left, it is moved to the right half of the screen
• If it is already docked right, it is restored to its original size
Win+[Right] Dock the current window to the right half of the screen
• If it is already docked right, it is moved to the left half of the screen
• If it is already docked left, it is restored to its original size
Win+Shift+[Left] Move current window to the left monitor (with dual monitors)
Win+Shift+[Right] Move current window to the right monitor (with dual monitors)
Win+Home Minimize all but the current window
Win+Space Peek at the desktop
Win+[Plus sign] Zoom in
Win+[Minus sign] Zoom out

Starting Programs

Win+1 Open the first program on your Quick Launch bar
Win+2 Open the second program on your Quick Launch bar
Win+n Open the nth program on your Quick Launch bar
Win+U Open the ease of access center
Win+F Open the search window
Win+X Open the Mobility Center
Win+E Open Explorer
Win+R Open the Run window
Win+B Move focus to notification tray (the right-most portion of the taskbar)
Win+Pause Open the System Properties portion from the Control Panel
Ctrl+Shift+Esc Open Windows Task Manager

Logging In And Out

Win, [Right], Enter Shutdown
Win, [Right], [Right], R Restart
Win, [Right], [Right], S Sleep
Win, [Right], [Right], H Hibernate
Win, [Right], [Right], W Switch Users
Win+L Locks computer

Viewing Folders With Explorer

Alt+[Left] Go back
Alt+[Right] Go forward
Alt+[Up] Go up a directory
Alt+D Move focus to address bar
Alt+D, Tab Move focus to search bar
Alt+Enter Open the Properties window of the current selection
Ctrl+Mousewheel Change the view type (extra large, small, list view, detail, etc.)
Alt+P Show/hide the preview pane

Tags: Windows, Keystrokes, Hotkeys

Disclaimer

All content within this blog represents my personal views and opinions only. This content is not intended to represent the views, positions, or strategies of my employer or any other organization with which I may be associated. All content and code samples are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.