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WINDOWS ESSENTIALS · UNIT 10

Windows shortcut mastery

Small shortcuts for everyday tasks. Learn when to use each one, how to press the keys and where it works. Lessons you have completed elsewhere already count here.

Build your confidence one skill at a time.

Choose the task you need today. Each new shortcut lesson has Understand, Learn and a quick question, with no practice area required. The existing lessons below keep their original format and share any progress you have already earned.

Lessons in this unit

Learn at your own pace

55 lessons

Skills you may already know (5)

FREE · BEGINNER

Use the Control key

Use Ctrl with A, C and V to select, copy and paste practice text.

6 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Move a file into a folder

Move a practice list into Holiday plans and understand why it leaves its previous location.

5 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Copy a file to another folder

Make a second copy of a practice list while keeping the original in its starting location.

5 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Use Tab and Enter

Move between controls with Tab and activate a focused button with Enter.

5 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Use the Windows key

Find the Windows logo key and understand how it opens the Start menu.

4 minutes

Reading, writing and editing (12)

FREE · BEGINNER

Find words on a page: Ctrl + F

A long page can hide the one detail you need. Finding a word or phrase helps you reach matching places in the page or document you already have open, instead of reading every line.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Prepare a printed copy: Ctrl + P

Sometimes you need information on paper, such as directions to take with you. Preparing a printed copy lets you check which pages will be included before using paper and ink.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Keep your changes: Ctrl + S

The work visible on screen is not always safely stored yet. Saving keeps the latest changes in a file so you can return to them later, rather than depending on the app staying open.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Choose everything in one area: Ctrl + A

When a whole group needs the same treatment, selecting it together saves repeated work. A selection marks what the next action will affect; it does not itself copy, move or remove anything.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Reverse a recent edit: Ctrl + Z

A small editing mistake does not always mean starting again. Undo steps back through recent changes in the current app, giving you a chance to recover text or remove an unwanted edit.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Bring back an undone change: Ctrl + Y

Sometimes you reverse a change and then realise you preferred it. Redo can bring that change forward again, so you do not have to rebuild the work you have just undone.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Make important text stand out: Ctrl + B

Bold text has heavier strokes that draw the eye. It can help a reader notice a heading or a key point, especially when you use it sparingly rather than giving every sentence equal emphasis.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Add a slanted text style: Ctrl + I

Italic text leans to one side. It can gently distinguish a book title or a particular phrase without giving it the heavier appearance of bold text. Use it where the change in style has a clear purpose.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Put a line beneath text: Ctrl + U

An underline places a line beneath chosen text. It is one way to mark a heading or phrase in a document, though on the web people may mistake underlined words for a clickable link.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Jump to the beginning or end: Ctrl + Home or End

Long documents can take a lot of scrolling. Going straight to the beginning or end is useful when you need the introduction, a final note or space to add something after the existing text.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Move through text a word at a time: Ctrl + Left arrow / Right arrow

Editing is easier when you can reach the exact word you need. Moving a word at a time gets through a sentence faster than moving letter by letter, while leaving the existing text unchanged.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Remove text a word at a time: Ctrl + Backspace / Delete

Sometimes a whole word needs to go, rather than one wrong letter. Removing text in word-sized chunks can make corrections quicker, provided you first check which side of the typing cursor contains the unwanted text.

3 minutes

Windows and your workspace (22)

FREE · BEGINNER

Show your desktop: Windows + D

Your desktop may be hidden behind several open windows. You can uncover it without closing your work.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Put windows side by side: Windows + Left arrow / Right arrow

Comparing a letter with a reference document is easier when both windows are visible beside each other.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Maximise or minimise a window: Windows + Up arrow / Down arrow

Sometimes one app needs more room. At other times you want it out of the way while keeping it open.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Switch between open apps: Alt + Tab

You can return to another open app without hunting for its taskbar icon. Your work stays open as you move between apps.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Close the current window: Alt + F4

Closing a window ends that view of your work. It is different from hiding a window or switching to another one.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Open File Explorer: Windows + E

File Explorer is where you browse folders and saved files. A direct shortcut helps when no folder window is already visible.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Find an app with Windows search: Windows + S

Windows search can help you locate an installed app without browsing the Start menu. It can also show file, settings and web results.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Open Windows Settings: Windows + I

Windows Settings brings together controls for your computer, including display, sound and accessibility.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Lock your computer when you step away: Windows + L

An unattended computer can leave your accounts and documents open to other people nearby. Locking protects access while leaving your apps running.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Capture part of your screen: Windows + Shift + S

A picture of part of your screen can help someone understand what you are seeing. Choosing just the useful area keeps the picture focused.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

See your open windows with Task View: Windows + Tab

When several windows are open, an overview can make the one you need easier to recognise.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Choose a window layout: Windows + Z

A large screen can hold several apps in a tidy arrangement. Windows offers layouts so you do not have to size every window yourself.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Choose an earlier copied item: Windows + V

The clipboard normally gives you the most recently copied item. Clipboard history can let you choose from several recent items instead.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Insert an emoji: Windows + .

A short message can include a small symbol or expression. Windows offers an emoji chooser without needing to search the web for a picture.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Enlarge the screen with Magnifier: Windows + Plus (+) / Minus (-)

Small details anywhere on the screen can be hard to see. Magnifier enlarges the view, including areas outside a webpage.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Find accessibility settings: Windows + U

Windows includes options to make a computer easier to see, hear and control. The accessibility settings bring these choices together.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Choose what a second screen shows: Windows + P

A second monitor or projector can mirror your main screen or provide extra workspace. These are different ways to use the same connected display.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Move a window to another monitor: Windows + Shift + Left arrow / Right arrow

With two monitors, moving an app to the other screen can free space without closing or reopening it.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Open Task Manager: Ctrl + Shift + Esc

When an app stops responding, Task Manager can help you see running apps and whether they are busy. Opening it does not automatically fix a problem.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Create and switch virtual desktops: Windows + Ctrl + D

Virtual desktops let you group open windows into separate workspaces. They share the same computer, files and account.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Open the menu for a selected item: Shift + F10

An item’s context menu offers actions that apply to that item. It is useful when you prefer keys to a right mouse click.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Check a file’s details: Alt + Enter

A file’s properties can tell you about its size, type and location without opening its contents.

3 minutes

Capture, communication and quick settings (6)

FREE · BEGINNER

Reach everyday controls: Windows + A

Small adjustments, such as lowering the sound or checking your wireless connection, should not interrupt what you are doing. A compact group of everyday controls can save a trip through the full Settings app.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Review alerts and dates: Windows + N

A brief alert may disappear before you have time to read it. The notification centre keeps available recent alerts together, alongside a calendar for checking dates.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Speak your draft: Windows + H

Sometimes saying a sentence is easier than typing it. Voice typing turns spoken words into a draft you can read and correct before using it.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Save a picture of the screen: Windows + PrtScn

You may want a picture of the whole screen kept as a file for later. A screenshot records what is visible at that moment, so it can include information from more than one app.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Copy a picture of one window: Alt + PrtScn

When someone needs to see one app, a picture of that window may be enough. Leaving out the surrounding desktop keeps the picture focused on the useful information.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Choose your typing layout: Windows + Space

The same physical key can produce different characters when a different typing layout is selected. Choosing the intended layout helps the keys match the way you want to type.

3 minutes

Getting around your browser (10)

FREE · BEGINNER

Open another browser tab: Ctrl + T

A new tab gives you another place to browse while keeping your current page open. It is useful when you want to look up something else and return to what you were reading.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Close the page you have finished: Ctrl + W

Closing a browser tab removes one open page from your workspace. This helps clear away pages you have finished with while keeping the other tabs available.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Bring back a closed browser tab: Ctrl + Shift + T

A page closed by mistake can often be brought back without searching for it again. Reopening restores a recently closed tab so you can continue browsing.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Move between your open tabs: Ctrl + Tab

Switching tabs changes which already-open page you are looking at. It is useful for comparing information without closing pages or loading them again.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Go straight to the address bar: Ctrl + L

The address bar is where you enter a website address or begin a web search. Reaching it directly is useful when you already know where you want to go next.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Make a webpage easier to read: Ctrl + Plus (+)

Browser zoom changes how large a webpage appears on your screen. It can make small text and pictures easier to see without editing the website itself.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Return to pages you visited: Alt + Left arrow

A tab can remember a sequence of pages you have visited. Back and Forward help you return along that sequence without entering the addresses again.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Keep a website address for later: Ctrl + D

A bookmark keeps a website address so you can return later without remembering or searching for it. Edge calls bookmarks favourites. Keeping an address is different from downloading the page's contents.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Find your recent browser downloads: Ctrl + J

The browser's Downloads list helps you find items transferred through that browser. It can show a recent file and its progress, so you do not have to remember every file name or download time.

3 minutes
FREE · BEGINNER

Ask the current page to load again: Ctrl + R

Reloading asks the browser to load the current page again. It can help when a page has not finished displaying properly or when you want to check for updated information.

3 minutes