If you’re new to the world of keyboard shortcuts, they are extremely easy to use. Simply press and hold the appropriate modifier key (Windows, Ctrl, ALT or Function) and then press the key that follows the plus sign. You’ll find the Windows key on the lower left-hand corner of the keyboard between the Ctrl and Alt keys (check out the photo at the bottom of the page for exact placement).

Now that the preliminaries are out of the way, here is your complete list of Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts:

 

ALT key shortcuts…

Alt  Display a hidden Menu Bar
Alt + D  Select the Address Bar
Alt + P  Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer
Alt + Tab  Cycle forward through open windows
Alt + Shift + Tab  Cycle backward through open windows
Alt + F  Close the current window and open the Shut Down Windows dialog box
Alt + Spacebar  Display the Shortcut menu for current window
Alt + Esc  Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened
Alt + Enter  Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item
Alt + PrtScn  Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard
Alt + Up Arrow  Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer
Alt + Left Arrow  Display the previous folder
Alt + Right Arrow  Display the next folder

 

CTRL key shortcuts…

Ctrl + A  Select all items
Ctrl + C  Copy the selected item
Ctrl + X  Cut the selected item
Ctrl + V  Paste the selected item
Ctrl + D  Delete selected item
Ctrl + Z  Undo an action
Ctrl + Y  Redo an action
Ctrl + N  Open a new window in Windows Explorer
Ctrl + W  Close current window in Windows Explorer
Ctrl + E  Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window
Ctrl + Shift + N  Create new folder
Ctrl + Shift + Esc  Open the Windows Task Manager
Ctrl + Alt + Tab  Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows
Ctrl + Alt + Delete  Display the Windows Security screen
Ctrl + Click  Select multiple individual items
Ctrl + Click and drag an item   Copies that item in the same folder
Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item Creates a shortcut for selected item
Ctrl + Tab  Move forward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Tab  Move backward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button  Launch a program as Administrator

 

 

FUNCTION key shortcuts…

F1     Display Help
F2     Rename a file
F3     Open Search
F4     Display the Address Bar list
F5     Refresh display
F6     Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
F7     Display command history in a Command Prompt
F10   Display hidden Menu Bar
F11   Toggle full screen display 

 

 

Shift key shortcuts…

Shift + Insert   Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
Shift + Delete  Permanently delete an item skipping the Recycle Bin)
Shift + F6  Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
Shift + F10  Display the context menu for the selected item
Shift + Tab  Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
Shift + Click  Select a consecutive group of items
Shift + Click  on a Taskbar button  Launch a new instance of a program
Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button  Display context menu forselected item

 

 

Windows key shortcuts…

Windows + C  Display the charms bar
Windows + Tab Display the Modern Desktop Taskbar
Windows + I  Display the Settings charm
Windows + H  Display the Share charm
Windows + K  Display the Devices charm
Windows + Q  Display the Apps Search screen
Windows + F  Display the Files Search screen
Windows + W  Display the Settings Search screen
Windows + P  Display the Second Screen bar
Windows + Z  Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running
Windows + X  Display the Windows Tools Menu
Windows + O  Lock screen orientation
Windows + V  View all active Toasts/Notifications
Windows + Shift + V  View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order
Windows + PrtScn  Takes a screenshot saves it in the Pictures folder
Windows + Enter  Launch Narrator
Windows + E  Open Computer
Windows + R  Open the Run dialog box
Windows + U  Open Ease of Display Center
Windows + Ctrl + F  Open Find Computers dialog box
Windows + Pause/Break  Open the System page
Windows + T  Cycle through the items on the Taskbar
Windows + M  Minimize all windows
Windows + Shift + M  Restore all minimized windows
Windows + D  Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows)
Windows + L  Lock computer
Windows + Up Arrow  Maximize current window
Windows + Down Arrow  Minimize/restore current window
Windows + Home  Minimize all but the current window
Windows + F1  Launch Windows Help and Support

The more you utilise the shortcuts, the better you memorise them and the easier it gets for you to get used to them.