Many frequently repeated work steps on the PC can be completed much more quickly using key combinations. There are dozens of them that are impossible to remember, but every Windows user should know a few particularly practical and helpful shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts are a great thing because they make working on the Windows PC much easier. There are dozens, but most users probably only know a handful of them.
The most popular are probably Control + C and Ctrl + V for copying and pasting selected elements. Control + Ato select everything and Control + Zto undo a step are also familiar to most users. The same applies Ctrl + Sto save and Ctrl + Pto print.
They may also be quite well known Control + X, to cut something out, Ctrl + Oto open files within a program and Ctrl + Nto start a new project.
It's worth trying out other keyboard shortcuts; ntv.de presents some combinations that you should try out. A few of them have only been around since Windows 11, others have been part of the operating system for a long time but are still unknown to many users.
Windows key + E
File Explorer is often placed on the desktop or taskbar for quick access. But it's much easier to open it with Windows + E.
Ctrl + Alt + Del
Ctrl + Alt + Del used to be common knowledge, as Windows computers often caused problems. Windows 10 and 11 are pretty stable, but sometimes a program still freezes. Using the “bracket handle” is the quickest way to reach the task manager to fix the problem. After using the combination, you can also change the password, change users, log out or lock the computer. But the latter can be done more quickly Windows + L.
Windows + V
Pressing Control + C copies an item to the clipboard to paste it elsewhere. What many users don't know: If you repeat the step, copied content is not lost. You can find it in the clipboard history, which you open with Windows + V. If the function has not yet been activated, you have the opportunity to do so the first time you use the combination.
Windows + I
You can also turn on the clipboard history in Settings, which you can access with Windows + I.
Windows + A/N
Use Windows + A to open the quick settings in Windows 11. In Windows 10, the information center starts, which also displays notifications. To see this information under Windows 11, use Windows + N.
Alt + Tab
The Alt + Tab combination is super practical because it opens an overview of all open windows and programs. To select one of them, hold down the Alt key and tap Tab repeatedly until the desired thumbnail is activated. Then release both buttons.
Windows + Tab
With Windows + Tab you open the so-called timeline. It also displays a thumbnail overview of open windows and programs. You can also see activities from the past few days and can quickly access all virtual desktops or create new ones.
But you can also do it right away Windows + Ctrl + D Press to create a new virtual desktop and go directly to it. You can easily assign programs in the task view by dragging them onto the thumbnail of a desktop. If you want to remove a desktop, press Windows + Ctrl + F4 while it is displayed.
Windows + D
If you want to take a look at the desktop, you don't have to close or minimize windows until you can see it. You just press Windows + D.
Windows + Shift + S
If you want to take a screenshot, you can search and open the “Cut and Sketch” app. But it's much easier to get there with Windows + Shift + S to record the entire screen, a freely selected section, a rectangle or a window.
Different buttons + pressure
If things have to go quickly, you overdo it Windows + Printing a screenshot of the screen. It is saved directly in the user folder under Pictures\Screenshots. You can put a screenshot on the clipboard just by typing Pressure presses. From here you can, for example, insert it into an image editing program. With Alt + Print you take a screenshot of the active window.
Windows + arrow keys
If you like to work with several windows in parallel, use the Windows key and the arrow keys. This is particularly practical for large screens. Windows + left arrow or Windows + right arrow moves the window to the respective corner. To place it in the top or bottom corners, press directly after it Windows + up arrow or Windows + down arrow. You press it directly Windows + up arrowyou maximize the current window, to minimize it you press Windows + down arrow.
Windows + Z
If Windows 11 is installed on the computer, “Snap Assist” helps you arrange the windows on the desktop by allowing you to choose one of six different layouts for two, three or four windows. The function is called with Windows + Z.
Alt + F4
To close an application you don't have to click on the small cross in the top right corner. With Alt + F4 it's much easier and quicker. If no application is selected, the key combination opens the window to shut down, restart or send the computer to sleep. You can log out or change users in the same place.
Ctrl + Plus/Minus
With Ctrl + Plus You can enlarge the screen contents, which is good for websites with text that is too small, for example. Ctrl + Minus reduces the display size again.
Windows + S
With Windows + S you open the universal search. This is not only the easiest way to find contacts, files, photos and more. This is also the quickest way to start a program that isn't pinned to the taskbar or linked to the desktop. If you enter the name of the application, it will appear in the search results after the first few letters.
Windows + W
Some users ignore them, others find the widgets in Windows 11 good for quickly getting an overview of messages and information from apps. If so, the quickest way to open it is to use Windows + W.
