Basic CTRL Keyboard Shortcut Keys A to Z and their Functions
In today’s world, having a laptop/desktop is essential for everyone, whether it’s a large business or an individual. Almost everyone uses a computer to manage their data and perform various tasks. However, sometimes working on a computer can be tiring and time-consuming. That’s where keyboard shortcuts come in handy.
By using simple keyboard shortcut keys, you can accomplish significant tasks on your laptop/desktop in the blink of an eye. This saves you time and effort.
We’re here to introduce you to some of the most useful keyboard shortcut keys and their functions.
- Ctrl + A – Used to select all units on a page.
- Ctrl + B – Creates bold text.
- Ctrl + C – Copies the selected text.
- Ctrl + D – Opens the font formatting window.
- Ctrl + E – Aligns selected text or line to the center of the screen.
- Ctrl + F – Used to search for content on a page.
- Ctrl + G – Goes to a specific page.
- Ctrl + H – Used to replace current text with another.
- Ctrl + I – Makes text italic.
- Ctrl + J – Justifies the text uniformly.
- Ctrl + K – Inserts a hyperlink in the text.
- Ctrl + L – Aligns text to the left side of the screen.
- Ctrl + M – Indents a paragraph from the left.
- Ctrl + N – Opens a new file or document.
- Ctrl + O – Opens an existing document or file.
- Ctrl + P – Used to print the selected document.
- Ctrl + Q – Removes paragraph formatting.
- Ctrl + R – Aligns text to the right side of the screen.
- Ctrl + S – Used to save a document.
- Ctrl + T – Creates a hanging indent.
- Ctrl + U – Underlines selected text.
- Ctrl + V – Pastes copied text.
- Ctrl + W – Closes the open tab.
- Ctrl + X – Cuts selected text.
- Ctrl + Y – Redoes the user’s last action.
- Ctrl + Z – Undoes the user’s last action.
Use of Function Keys in Keyboard F1 to F12
You can perform various tasks using the function keys F1 to F12:
- F1 – Opens the help screen for the current program.
- F2 – Allows the user to rename a selected file/folder.
- F3 – Activates the search function within an application.
- F4 – Opens the drive selection while browsing.
- F5 – Refreshes the currently open page or window.
- F6 – Moves the cursor to the address bar.
- F7 – Checks the spelling of the selected content.
- F8 – Reaches the boot menu in Windows when starting up.
- F9 – Refreshes a document in MS Word.
- F10 – Activates the menu bar.
- F11 – Creates a chart in MS Excel.
- F12 – Saves files/documents with a specific name.
Boost Your Productivity with Computer Shortcut Keys
Windows Keyboard Shortcut Keys
Windows Key or Winkey, combined with the following shortcuts, can perform various tasks:
- Windows Key – Opens or closes the Start menu.
- Windows Key + D – Shows or hides the desktop.
- Windows Key + M – Minimizes all windows.
- Windows Key + Shift + M – Restores minimized windows.
- Windows Key + E – Opens File Explorer.
- Windows Key + F – Displays Windows Search/Find feature.
- Windows Key + R – Opens the Run window.
- Windows Key + U – Opens Utility Manager.
- Windows Key + F1 – Displays Microsoft Windows Help.
- Windows Key + L – Locks the computer.
- Windows Key + Any Number – Opens the pinned app on the Taskbar corresponding to the number.
- Windows Key + Ctrl + D – Adds a virtual desktop.
- Windows Key + Enter – Opens Narrator (add Ctrl in Windows 11).
- Windows Key + PrtScn – Captures a screenshot and saves it in the Screenshots folder.
- Windows Key + Shift + Up/Down Arrow – Expands or shrinks the desktop window.
- Windows Key + Home – Minimizes all windows except the active one.
- Windows Key + A – Opens the Action Center.
- Windows Key + G – Opens the Xbox Game Bar when a game is running.
- Windows Key + I – Opens the Settings window.
Alt Function Keyboard Shortcut Keys
You can combine Alt with the following units on your keyboard to perform actions:
- Alt + F4 – Closes the currently open window.
- Alt + F – Opens the File menu option in the current program.
- Alt + Tab – Switches between open applications.
- Alt + Left Arrow – Goes back (in browsers or file explorers).
- Alt + Right Arrow – Goes forward (in browsers or file explorers).
- Alt + Page Up – Moves up one screen.
- Alt + Page Down – Moves down one screen.
- Alt + Ctrl + F2 – Opens a new document.
- Alt + Space Bar – Opens the system menu.
- Alt + Backspace – Undoes the previous action.
- Alt + F1 – Inserts a chart (in Excel).
- Alt + F8 – Opens the macro dialog box.
- Alt + F11 – Opens the Visual Basic Editor.
- Alt + Shift + F2 – Creates a new worksheet (in Excel).
- Alt + Shift + F2 – Saves the current worksheet (in Excel).
Keyboard Shortcut Keys with Special Characters
Special character keyboard shortcuts, often used with Ctrl and Shift:
- Ctrl + Shift + ! – Applies strikethrough formatting.
- Ctrl + Shift + $ – Applies currency formatting.
- Ctrl + Shift + # – Applies date formatting.
- Ctrl + Shift + % – Applies percentage formatting.
- Ctrl + Shift + ^ – Applies exponentiation formatting.
- Ctrl + Shift + & – Borders selected cells in MS Excel.
- Ctrl + + – Inserts a new cell or row.
- Ctrl + – – Deletes a cell or row.
- Ctrl + Shift + ( – Shows rows.
- Ctrl + Shift + ) – Shows columns.
Final Words
We hope you find these keyboard shortcut keys handy for improving your computer productivity. Feel free to ask any more questions in the comments section below. For more meaningful and engaging content like this, stay connected with us through our homepage.