Quick, practical shortcuts to fly around Windows 11. A mix of everyday and power-user tricks
Essentials you might have missed
| Shortcut |
What it does |
| Shift + Right-click |
Extended context menu in File Explorer/desktop (make default via reg) |
| + V |
Clipboard history (enable in Settings → System → Clipboard) |
| + E |
File Explorer |
| + . |
Emoji, GIFs, symbols, Kaomoji |
| + L |
Lock PC |
| + A |
Quick Settings (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, brightness, volume) |
| + X |
Quick Link menu (power user menu) |
| + D |
Show desktop |
| + R |
Run dialog |
| + I |
Settings |
| + K |
Cast/Connect (wireless display/audio) |
| + P |
Change display output mode (duplicate/extend) |
| + H |
Voice typing |
| + Tab |
Task View (multi‑desktop overview) |
| Alt + Tab |
Switch apps (hold Shift to go backward) |
| Ctrl + Tab |
Switch tabs/documents |
| Tab / Shift + Tab |
Move forward/backward through form fields |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc |
Open Task Manager |
| Ctrl + F5 |
Hard refresh in browsers (ignores cache) |
| Shift + Delete |
Permanently delete (bypass Recycle Bin) |
| F2 |
Rename selected file/item |
| Ctrl + C (on an error dialog) |
Copy error text |
| + Pause/Break |
Open System/About settings |
Taskbar and windowing (Windows 11)
| Shortcut |
What it does |
| + [1–9, 0] |
Open/switch to the pinned app at that taskbar position |
| Shift + click taskbar icon |
Open a new instance |
| Middle-click taskbar icon |
Open a new instance |
| Middle-click a taskbar thumbnail |
Close that window/tab (where supported) |
| + Arrow keys |
Snap left/right/top/bottom; maximize/restore/minimize |
| + Z |
Snap Layouts menu for current window |
| + Shift + Left/Right |
Move window to next monitor |
| + P |
Project to a display (duplicate/extend/second screen only) |
| + G |
Xbox Game Bar (record, performance widgets) |
| + Ctrl + D |
New virtual desktop |
| + Ctrl + Left/Right |
Switch virtual desktops |
| + Ctrl + F4 |
Close current virtual desktop |
| + Tab |
Task View (manage virtual desktops and timelines) |
| + Home |
Minimize all windows except the active one |
| Ctrl + Shift + N |
New folder in File Explorer |
| + + / + - |
Magnifier zoom in/out |
- The key to the right of the space bar (sometimes to the right of AltGr) opens the context menu for the current selection.
- Great for fixing typos via spellcheck menus, renaming files, and accessing Properties without the mouse.
- After opening the menu, use underlined letters to trigger commands: m = Rename, r = Properties, n = Send to, d = Delete.
Useful run commands ( + R)
| Command |
Opens |
resmon |
Resource Monitor (CPU, disk, network) |
perfmon |
Performance Monitor |
cmd |
Command Prompt |
powershell |
Windows PowerShell |
wt |
Windows Terminal (if installed) |
control userpasswords2 |
Advanced user accounts dialog |
dxdiag |
DirectX diagnostics (hardware info) |
msinfo32 |
System Information |
regedit |
Registry Editor |
msconfig |
System Configuration |
services.msc |
Services management console |
compmgmt.msc |
Computer Management |
eventvwr |
Event Viewer |
appwiz.cpl |
Programs and Features |
charmap |
Character Map |
Text, navigation, and screen capture
| Shortcut |
What it does |
| Drag with right-click |
Choose copy/move/create shortcut when dropping |
| Esc |
Dismiss dialog or exit mode |
| Ctrl + Shift + Left/Right |
Select a word at a time |
| Ctrl + Backspace / Ctrl + Delete |
Delete previous/next word |
| Double-click window title |
Maximize/restore |
| Space |
Toggle checkbox, activate focused button, or scroll |
| Ctrl + Left/Right |
Move caret by word (hold Shift to select) |
| Ctrl + Up/Down |
Move caret by paragraph (hold Shift to select) |
| Page Up/Down |
Scroll one page |
| Home / End |
Jump to start/end of line or page (depends on app) |
| F5 |
Refresh page/folder/dialog |
| Alt + Left/Right |
Back/Forward in browsers and File Explorer |
| Ctrl + Enter |
Insert a line break (app‑dependent) |
| Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y |
Undo / Redo (use Ctrl + Shift + Z in Adobe apps) |
| Ctrl + X / Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V |
Cut / Copy / Paste |
| Ctrl + S / Ctrl + F / Ctrl + A |
Save / Find / Select all |
| Shift + click in lists |
Select a range |
| Ctrl + click in lists |
Select multiple individual items |
| Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I / Ctrl + U |
Bold / Italic / Underline |
| + Shift + S |
Snipping Tool capture (region/screen/window) |
| Alt + Print Screen |
Copy current window to clipboard |
| + Print Screen |
Save full screenshot to Pictures/Screenshots |
Bonus tips
| Shortcut |
What it does |
| + U |
Open Accessibility settings |
| + Space |
Switch input language/keyboard (if multiple installed) |
| Middle-click a favorites/bookmarks folder |
Open all links in new tabs (browser‑dependent) |
| Ctrl + Alt + [1–6] |
Apply heading levels in many word processors (Ctrl + [1–9] in many web apps) |
| + C |
Copilot (if available in your build) |
| + Ctrl + Q |
Quick Assist |
Lost a window? Try + Arrow keys to snap it back, or + Home to minimize others.