Quick Tip: The 10 most useful Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts

By Jody Gilbert in Windows and Office, December 30, 2010, 12:57 AM // @jodylgilbert

Master these keyboard shortcuts and hit the ground running with Microsoft Windows 7.

Along with Windows 7's new features comes a set of new keyboard shortcuts. This little cheat sheet will help you work more efficiently with the latest version of Windows.

Note: This list is part of Greg Shultz's comprehensive collection of Windows keyboard shortcuts, available as a PDF download.

The shortcuts

About Jody Gilbert

Jody Gilbert has been writing and editing technical articles for the past 20 years, including a stint with The Cobb Group/ZD Journals. In 1998, she won Ziff-Davis' Chairman's Circle Award for Editorial Excellence for her work as author of several Mic...

28 comments

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perukhan

Hey Guys... We have been bashing Win 7 for a while... but Let me share something... I saw a 7 year old kid sit on a WIn 7 machine and play with it the other day in a Computer shop and believe me, the kid was able to open a lot of windows... so the person who thought about the keys layout had a mind as open as that of a child,,, Try that on an ubuntu or even Leopard... you cant make that happen... The keys work and some of these listed here do work if you need to press the right ones when the NASDAQ is scrolling and you need to sell :) If you can suggest a better list-- I am open to checking that out as well.. till the Keyboard survives ....

odin21

The most useful Windows 7 shortcuts are the classic ones: Ctrl + X Ctrl + C Ctrl + V Ctrl + B Ctrl + T Ctrl + P Alt + Tab ETC......

BobGeezer

@odin21 Those aren't Windows shortcuts: those are application shortcuts, available since before Windows..

BGT_DieNoMite

With the exception of Windows + Home and Windows + Spacebar, the others are a hassle....who's going to count down a file list to 9 just to use the numeric "shortcuts"? If you want to align a few windows, just whip them to the left or right. Windows + E is also great and all of the standard Ctrl + keys mentioned by odin21.

floripaplayer

I think that Windows 7 sucks with all that messing makeup.

stapleb

Apart from Win + L to immediately lock the computer - and I agree with the comment that not enough people to this - I also like Win + D to minimise all windows, or restore them. I notice that Win + D was only mentioned once in the posts - interesting.

scottselk

If any one else should wonder here they all are according to M$. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Keyboard-shortcuts

sean

The one I use the most and encourage everyone to use at work is WIN + L at least that locks the computer so that no one else can access it :) I make it a habit that whenever I get up from my chair to do this, it is surprising how many people do not lock their computers.

george

yes I agree Win+L is one I use the most , Win+R and Win+E are very close, Win+Home does not work either, Win+spacebar works like Win+D , Thanks for Win+T that ons is new to me, Win+Tab work great also. Again Thanks All.

groundhog32

Similar to Win+T, I often use Alt+Tab to cycle through open applications.

n122vu

The [Window]+left/right arrow shortcut for tiling the window makes it possible to tile to the soft edge of an extended-desktop dual display setup. VERY, very useful, something I have been wanting to be able to do on my work laptop since I upgraded. The normal method of tiling (dragging the window to the edge of the screen) obviously doesn't work on the soft edge of a dual display, as it just continues dragging to the other display. If you hit the key combination in the direction of the soft side it will become tiled to that side. Continually hitting the key in the same direction will cycle through all sides of the displays. I will be very quick to pass this on to my users. Thanks again!