26 Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Know


If you have just gotten around to installing the all new Windows 10 OS then you should definitely check out the Windows 10 beginner tips and tweak some Windows 10 settingswhile you’re at it. However, if you really want to get a good grasp on this all new Operating System from Microsoft then you need to learn some useful keyboard shortcuts. Fortunately for you, today we bring you the best keyboard shortcuts for Windows 10. Below are the 26 best Windows 10 shortcuts that everyone should learn.

1. Snap A Window (Windows Key + Left/Right/Up/Down Key)

Snap-a-window

Windows 10 brings the all new snapping feature that lets you use multiple windows simultaneously side-by-side. All you have to do is snap the windows in any direction by using the shortcut. This comes in handy when you want to keep an eye on each active window.

2. Activate Cortana (Windows Key + C)

activate-cortana

Cortana is the best addition to Windows 10. It can help you with almost anything that you want on your device. Just use this shortcut to quickly activate Cortana and tell her whatever you want done. She will definitely obey as long as your command is understandable.

3. Record your gameplay (Windows key + Alt + R)

In Windows 10, you don’t need 3rd party screen recorder software to record your gameplay anymore because Windows 10 lets you record all your gameplay videos with just a simple shortcut. Whenever you are playing a game just use this shortcut to record your gameplay so you can share it with everyone later.

4. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)

open-task-manager

The good old Ctrl + Alt + Del for opening the task manager has been replaced with this new shortcut If you want to access the task manager on your Windows 10 device then you will have to use this new shortcut from now on.

5. Open Settings (Windows key + I)

Opening the settings menu manually in Windows 10 would take a decent amount of mouse clicks, however, if you’re not a big fan of manual labor then you can just press the dedicated keys for this shortcut and get the Settings right on your screen in a second.

6. Lock your Computer (Windows key + L)

Don’t want to shut down your computer but also don’t want anyone else to access it? Well by using this simple Windows 10 shortcut you can now lock your computer with your password or PIN so nobody can access it but you.

7. Switch between apps (Alt + Tab)

switch-tabs

If you have multiple apps running on your Windows 10 PC then using this shortcut will let you access any of the running apps on your computer without having to click on them individually. This comes in handy when you have a lot of tabs open.

8. Quick Restart (Windows key + X + U + R)

If you’re tired of going to the start menu and pressing the power button and restarting your PC then you are going to love this shortcut because it will quickly restart your Windows 10 PC whenever you want to restart it.

9. Open Search (Windows key + S)

Not a big fan of Cortana? Just want that normal search bar on your Windows 10 PC? Well, just fire up this shortcut to get the traditional Windows search menu and you can search anything locally or on the web without much hassle. It will be still linked to Cortana but you can type instead of speaking.

10. Open Action Center (Windows key + A)

Action-center

Action Center is where all the action happens, well not really but you can access all the toggle buttons and even the full settings from here. Just open up the Action center and you can see all your notifications in there.

11. Take a Peek at Desktop (Windows key + ,[comma key])

When you’re crowded by different active windows and don’t want to minimize each one of them to look at your desktop then you need to try out this shortcut because it will let you take a peek. As soon as you let go off the buttons, you will be returned back to the last active window.

12. Quick Shutdown (Windows key + X + U + U)

If Quick Restart is not what you’re looking for then Quick Shutdown should help you out when needed. Just use this shortcut to quickly shut your Window 10 PC down without having to wait at all.

13. Create New Virtual Desktop (Windows key + Ctrl + D)

The all new virtual desktop feature in Windows 10 lets you create individual desktops for different tasks so that one desktop doesn’t become cluttered with all the different stuff. Using this shortcut will create a new desktop so you can keep doing your work peacefully.

14. Switch Between Desktops (Windows key + Ctrl + Right/Left)

When you create a lot of virtual desktops, you also need a simple way to switch between them all. This simple shortcut will let you browse through all of your create virtual desktops so you can utilize them more efficiently.

15. Quick Access Menu (Windows key + X)

Are you looking for all the different options and features on your Windows 10 device? Well then use this shortcut to get the Quick access menu for most options available on your system. You can even get the task manager from there as well.

16. Open Gamebar (Windows key + G)

This will open up a small bar from where you can take screenshots or even record your gameplays. You can also access the Xbox app directly from this bar. You can take  screenshot by pressing the camera button or record via the Dot button.

17. Close Active Desktop (Windows key + Ctrl + F4)

Creating and switching between virtual desktops is all cool but what happens when you want to close a certain virtual desktop? This little shortcut will help you achieve just that. Get rid of any active desktop you want.

18. Minimize Everything on Windows 10(Windows key + M)

This shortcut simplifies your life and just gets rid of everything on your desktop without actually closing them. All your windows and open tabs will be minimized so you can get on the desktop easily without having to deal with the clutter.

19. Share Charm (Windows key + H)

If you want to share your screenshot that you have taken on your Windows 10 device then Share charm will come in really handy. You can quickly share it via email or just upload it to your OneNote account and share it to your social media channels from there.

20. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E)

Just use this simple shortcut to quickly open the Windows File Explorer so you can browse for your files and folders in different drives on your PC. It will open up the “This PC” folder where you will have access to all the folders on your computer.

21. Open Start menu (Windows key)

This is classic shortcut that has been running for ages in all the Windows iterations. Just hit the Windows key on your keyboard to fire up the start menu and access all the programs on your computer.

22. Open Task View (Windows key + Tab)

desktop

This is similar to switching between active apps but this one will actually show you all your active tabs and all your created desktops. You can manage all of them from here like close some of the virtual desktops or create a few more. You can also handle all the open apps from here as well for each desktop.

23. Take a Screenshot (Windows key + PrntScrn)

You can take a screenshot of your whole desktop on Windows 10 by using this simple shortcut. If you’re only looking for a way to take a screenshot of the current active window then press Windows Key + Alt + PrntScrn,  this will let you only capture the current active window. the screenshot image will be saved on your hard drive.

24. Connect to other wireless devices (Windows key + K)

If you have other wireless devices like a wireless keyboard or a mouse and you want to connect your Windows 10 device to them then just use this shortcut to make the whole process simpler. All the wireless devices will be available in the list so you can connect to them easily.

25. Open Narrator (Windows key + Enter)

narrator

If you want to hear everything that appears on your computer’s screen then you will need the help from the built-in narrator. It will speak out every word that’s available on the screen which comes in very handy for people with eyesight problems.

26. Enable Copy/Paste (Ctrl + C/Ctrl + V) feature in Command Prompt

CMD shortcut

In previous version of Windows, you were not able to use the copy/paste shortcuts in the CMD. This was pretty annoying for many people who had to type everything in the command prompt. However, with the advent of Windows 10, you can now easily use the copy/paste shortcut inside the command prompt. First of all, you will have to enable it from the command prompt setting. Open Command Prompt, right click on the top edge of the cmd window and click Properties, now check “Enable Ctrl key shortcuts”. You can now easily use Ctrl + C/Ctrl + V to copy/paste inside the cmd.