According to the clever folk over at Brainscape the average worker who spends 8 hours a day in front of a computer screen could be wasting up to 8 days per year through using the mouse to perform repetitive tasks.
So what to do instead?
Well the answer is simple: Keyboard Shortcuts! - Almost every application has them and they are embedded in to your operating system as well.
Keyboard Shortcuts are simply combinations of keys that when pressed together will perform some of tasks that you would usually have to go in to menu options for.
Simple ones like CTRL+C (copy) and CTRL+V (paste) or ALT+TAB (to switch windows) you may already be using, but by spending a little time learning a few more each day, you could be well on your way to saving 8 days per year.
Here are some more useful shortcuts that can make your life easier:
Top Most Common
| Press this key | To do this |
|---|---|
|
Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert) |
Copy the selected item |
|
Ctrl+X |
Cut the selected item |
|
Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert) |
Paste the selected item |
|
Ctrl+Z |
Undo an action |
|
Alt+Tab |
Switch between open apps |
|
Alt+F4 |
Close the active item, or exit the active app |
|
Windows logo key +L
|
Lock your PC or switch accounts |
|
Windows logo key +D
|
Display and hide the desktop |
General Shortcuts (work in most applications)
| Press this key | To do this |
|---|---|
|
F2 |
Rename the selected item |
|
F3 |
Search for a file or folder in File Explorer |
|
F4 |
Display the address bar list in File Explorer |
|
F5 |
Refresh the active window |
|
F6 |
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop |
|
F10 |
Activate the Menu bar in the active app |
|
Alt+F4 |
Close the active item, or exit the active app |
|
Alt+Esc |
Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened |
|
Alt+underlined letter |
Perform the command for that letter |
|
Alt+Enter |
Display properties for the selected item |
|
Alt+Spacebar |
Open the shortcut menu for the active window |
|
Alt+Left arrow |
Go back |
|
Alt+Right arrow |
Go forward |
|
Alt+Page Up |
Move up one screen |
|
Alt+Page Down |
Move down one screen |
|
Alt+Tab |
Switch between open apps |
|
Ctrl+F4 |
Close the active document (in apps that are full-screen and allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously) |
|
Ctrl+A |
Select all items in a document or window |
|
Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert) |
Copy the selected item |
|
Ctrl+D (or Delete) |
Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin |
|
Ctrl+R (or F5) |
Refresh the active window |
|
Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert) |
Paste the selected item |
|
Ctrl+X |
Cut the selected item |
|
Ctrl+Y |
Redo an action |
|
Ctrl+Z |
Undo an action |
|
Ctrl+Right arrow |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word |
|
Ctrl+Left arrow |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word |
|
Ctrl+Down arrow |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph |
|
Ctrl+Up arrow |
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph |
|
Ctrl+Alt+Tab |
Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps |
|
Ctrl+arrow key (to move to an item)+Spacebar |
Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop |
|
Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key |
Select a block of text |
|
Ctrl+Esc |
Open Start |
|
Ctrl+Shift+Esc |
Open Task Manager |
|
Ctrl+Shift |
Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available |
|
Shift+F10 |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item |
|
Shift with any arrow key |
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document |
|
Shift+Delete |
Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first |
|
Right arrow |
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu |
|
Left arrow |
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu |
|
Esc |
Stop or leave the current task |
Windows Explorer Shortcuts
| Press this key | To do this |
|---|---|
|
Alt+D |
Select the address bar |
|
Ctrl+E |
Select the search box |
|
Ctrl+F |
Select the search box |
|
Ctrl+N |
Open a new window |
|
Ctrl+W |
Close the current window |
|
Ctrl+mouse scroll wheel |
Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons |
|
Ctrl+Shift+E |
Display all folders above the selected folder |
|
Ctrl+Shift+N |
Create a new folder |
|
Num Lock+asterisk (*) |
Display all subfolders under the selected folder |
|
Num Lock+plus (+) |
Display the contents of the selected folder |
|
Num Lock+minus (-) |
Collapse the selected folder |
|
Alt+P |
Display the preview pane |
|
Alt+Enter |
Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item |
|
Alt+Right arrow |
View the next folder |
|
Alt+Up arrow |
View the folder that the folder was in |
|
Alt+Left arrow |
View the previous folder |
|
Backspace |
View the previous folder |
|
Right arrow |
Display the current selection (if it's collapsed), or select the first subfolder |
|
Left arrow |
Collapse the current selection (if it's expanded), or select the folder that the folder was in |
|
End |
Display the bottom of the active window |
|
Home |
Display the top of the active window |
|
F11 |
Maximize or minimize the active window |
