Copy only active
window to clipboard Normally, the Print
Screen key copies the entire display (or two displays if you got them), ALT +
Print Screen only copies the currently active window to the clipboard. Whether
taking a screenshot to diagnose a problem, or just because you want to show
something to a friend, this will come in handy.
Fix those little
mistakes Did you know you can
undo almost any action? CTRL + Z is the ultimate hot key, and for sure you knew
about it already, however note that undo doesn’t just apply to typing. If you
accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit CTRL + Z to bring it right back
to where it was. In Chrome and Firefox you can also undo closing a tab using
CTRL + SHIFT + T.
Cycle through open
windows Pressing ALT+TAB
allows you to cycle through currently open windows. This makes switching back
and forth between running processes quick and painless. If you want a more
stylish method of cycling through open programs, Windows + TAB will do the job
for you.
Interrupt all
processes CTRL + ALT + Delete is
one of the most common PC shortcuts, and one almost everyone is familiar with.
The important thing to note is that it interrupts all processes, including the
one that is bogging down your system, which can mean the difference between
needing to restart or not.
Close the current program Typing ALT + F4 will close the program that
is running. This is useful as it saves you time mousing over the "X"
and clicking. People will often use this as a joke, telling you to press ALT +
F4 to fix a problem. Don’t fall for it unless you want to close what you are
doing.
Minimize all windows Sometimes you have a bunch of stuff
running, and you want it all to go away so you can get to the desktop. Simply
pressing Windows + D will minimize everything you have up, which will save you
some time pressing the minimize button for each window. It should be noted that
Windows + M offers similar functionality, but there is no undoing, so Windows +
D is the more favorable approach.
Open the task manager directly If you want to bypass the interrupt that
happens when pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL and jump right to the task manager,
typing CTRL + Shift + ESC launches it directly.
Close the current window/tab Stick of moving all the way to that X button?
Press CTRL + W and the current window will close. (Don’t do it now, or you will
miss the rest of the tricks!)
Bring up the system information
window This is
so much quicker than digging this out the traditional way... Just press Windows
+ Pause/Break and the System Information panel will be ready to go. This might
be the only use for the Pause/Break key you will ever find, so enjoy it!
Better
multiple monitor control There are several useful keyboard shortcuts for controlling
open windows on multiple monitors. Pressing the Windows Key + Arrow Keys will
cause a window to quickly snap to each side of either monitor. Alternatively,
hitting Shift + Windows Key + Arrows will cause the window to jump to the other
monitor. Lastly, pressing Windows + P will allow you to quickly set up a second
display or projector.
