... Keyboard Shortcuts 1 ...

The new keyboard for Windows has three additional keys. Similar to the current CTRL (Control) and ALT (Alternate) pairs of keys located on both sides of the space bar. Microsoft has introduced the Windows key (a key with the MS Windows flag on it located between the CTRL and ALT keys on the left side of the space bar and between the CTRL and Applications key on the right side of the space bar) and the Applications (or Context Menu) key. As with the Control and Alternate keys, the Windows and Applications keys add increased functionality to interface the Windows environment.

Pressing the Windows key by itself will activate the taskbar and open the Start menu. From there you can use the up and down, left and right cursor keys to navigate the Start menu and the Enter key to launch the application. The Applications key produces the same result as clicking the right mouse button (or secondary mouse button, if you prefer) to bring up the Context Menu of an object. This key also works in many Microsoft applications such as Word and Excel to produce the same right click Context Menu of a range or selection.

Below are other uses for the Windows key on the new Windows keyboard:

The Windows Key Used In Conjunction With Other Keys On The Keyboard

• Win + F1 = Help
• Win + E = Explorer
• Win + F = Find Files & Folders (Ctrl + Win + F = Find Computer)
• Win + M = Minimize All (Shift + Win + M = Undo Minimize All)
• Win + R = Run Dialog Box
• Win + Tab = Cycle Through Taskbar Buttons
• Win + BREAK = System Properties Dialog Box

Other Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows

• Press ESC when starting Windows to see the DOS screen startup
• CTRL + ESC opens up the Start Menu
• CTRL + A to select all items in a window
• CTRL + Z ... undo's your last boo-boo
• CTRL + X ... cuts where cutting is applicable
• CTRL + C ... copies from whatever you selected
• CTRL + V ... pastes whatever is on your clipboard
• CTRL + SHIFT + A ... opens the ICQ user list when it is minimized. It's very convenient: pinky on Ctrl, ring finger on Shift, and tallman on A.
• Hold down the Shift key when loading a CD to disable AutoPlay feature
• Hold down the Shift key when closing multiple windows to close several at once
• ALT + ENTER or ALT + Double Click on an Icon or Folder to bring up Properties
• ALT + TAB (Cool Switch) to cycle through all open applications
• ALT + BACKSPACE for Undo
• BACKSPACE to move up to parent folder
• SHIFT + DEL or SHIFT + Drag to Recycle Bin for immediate deletion

Function Keys in Windows

• F1 = Help
• F2 = Rename (when object is selected)
• F3 = Find
• F4 =
• F5 = Refresh
• F6 = Tabs Between Panes in Explorer
• F7 =
• F9 =
• F10 = Goes to Menu Mode
• Shift + F10 = Displays Context Menu for Selected Item

There's a great deal you can do with a keyboard, especially when it's time to select some text for formatting or editing:

• Shift + Ctrl + UpArrow selects a paragraph up.
• Shift + Ctrl + DownArrow selects a paragraph down.
• Shift + Ctrl + End selects to the end of the document.
• Shift + Ctrl + Home selects to the beginning of the document.

While we're on the subject of keyboards, here's how to adjust speed matters to suit your preference. Remember that the keyboard is your direct link to your computer, so your keyboard should work with you instead of against you. You can adjust several settings as follows:

Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel, Keyboard. Next, choose the Speed tab. You'll see slider controls for these three settings. Adjust them as you wish.

• Repeat rate: A measure of how many times per second that characters are repeated once you've held down the key long enough to begin repeating letters, numbers, or symbols.

• Repeat delay: A measure of how long you must hold down a key before that character repeats.

• Cursor blink rate: This setting doesn't affect your typing speed. Rather, it controls how quickly the cursor blinks on and off.

For an expanded list of shortcuts for all aspects of the computer, see a page that (shhh, nobody say anything; it was "borrowed" from Microsoft) that I once put together. You never know, they might go out of business and such pages will be gone forever. I call this page Shortcuts Numero Dos … and it has a lot of extra information and it comes from M$.

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