Here is a large practical Windows shortcut-key reference, grouped so it is easier to remember and print.
🪟 Windows — Essential Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Win | Open Start |
| Win + D | Show/hide desktop |
| Win + E | Open File Explorer |
| Win + I | Open Settings |
| Win + L | Lock PC |
| Win + R | Open Run |
| Win + S | Search |
| Win + A | Quick Settings / Action Center |
| Win + N | Notifications/calendar |
| Win + X | Quick Link menu |
| Win + Tab | Task View |
| Win + V | Clipboard history |
| Win + . | Emoji/symbol panel |
| Win + ; | Emoji/symbol panel |
| Win + H | Voice typing |
| Win + P | Project/display options |
| Win + K | Cast/connect display or audio |
| Win + U | Accessibility settings |
| Win + W | Widgets |
| Win + G | Xbox Game Bar |
| Win + Shift + S | Screen snipping |
| Win + PrtScn | Save screenshot |
| Win + PrtScn | Screenshot to Pictures |
| Alt + PrtScn | Screenshot active window |
| PrtScn | Copy screen to clipboard |
🖥️ Windows & Window Management
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open apps |
| Alt + Shift + Tab | Switch backwards |
| Alt + F4 | Close active window |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close current document/tab |
| Win + Up | Maximize window |
| Win + Down | Minimize/restore window |
| Win + Left | Snap window left |
| Win + Right | Snap window right |
| Win + Up + Left | Snap to upper-left |
| Win + Up + Right | Snap to upper-right |
| Win + Down + Left | Snap to lower-left |
| Win + Down + Right | Snap to lower-right |
| Win + Shift + Left | Move window to monitor left |
| Win + Shift + Right | Move window to monitor right |
| Win + Home | Minimize all except active window |
| Win + M | Minimize all windows |
| Win + Shift + M | Restore minimized windows |
| Win + Ctrl + D | New virtual desktop |
| Win + Ctrl + Left | Previous virtual desktop |
| Win + Ctrl + Right | Next virtual desktop |
| Win + Ctrl + F4 | Close current virtual desktop |
📁 File Explorer
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Win + E | Open File Explorer |
| Ctrl + N | New Explorer window |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | New folder |
| Ctrl + W | Close window |
| Ctrl + L | Select address bar |
| Alt + D | Select address bar |
| Alt + Left | Back |
| Alt + Right | Forward |
| Alt + Up | Go to parent folder |
| F2 | Rename selected item |
| F4 | Address-bar dropdown |
| F5 | Refresh |
| F6 | Cycle through screen elements |
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Delete | Recycle Bin |
| Shift + Delete | Permanently delete |
| Alt + Enter | Properties |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Expand navigation tree |
| Enter | Open selected item |
| Backspace | Go back |
✍️ General Editing
These work in many Windows programs.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste without formatting* |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
| Ctrl + S | Save |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Save As |
| Ctrl + P | Print |
| Ctrl + F | Find |
| Ctrl + H | Find & Replace |
| Ctrl + N | New |
| Ctrl + O | Open |
| Ctrl + W | Close |
| Ctrl + B | Bold |
| Ctrl + I | Italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline |
| Home | Beginning of line |
| End | End of line |
| Ctrl + Home | Beginning of document |
| Ctrl + End | End of document |
*Depends on the application.
⌨️ Cursor & Text Selection
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Shift + Left/Right | Select character |
| Shift + Up/Down | Select line |
| Ctrl + Shift + Left | Select previous word |
| Ctrl + Shift + Right | Select next word |
| Shift + Home | Select to beginning of line |
| Shift + End | Select to end of line |
| Ctrl + Left | Move one word left |
| Ctrl + Right | Move one word right |
| Ctrl + Up | Move paragraph up |
| Ctrl + Down | Move paragraph down |
| Ctrl + Backspace | Delete previous word |
| Ctrl + Delete | Delete next word |
| Shift + Home | Select from cursor to line start |
| Shift + End | Select from cursor to line end |
🌐 Web Browser Shortcuts
Chrome, Edge and many other browsers:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl + T | New tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopen closed tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + W | Close browser window |
| Ctrl + Tab | Next tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Previous tab |
| Ctrl + 1–8 | Go to tab 1–8 |
| Ctrl + 9 | Go to last tab |
| Ctrl + L | Address bar |
| Alt + Left | Back |
| Alt + Right | Forward |
| Ctrl + R | Refresh |
| F5 | Refresh |
| Ctrl + F5 | Hard refresh |
| Ctrl + D | Bookmark page |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Show/hide bookmarks bar |
| Ctrl + H | History |
| Ctrl + J | Downloads |
| Ctrl + Shift + Delete | Clear browsing data |
| Ctrl + + | Zoom in |
| Ctrl + – | Zoom out |
| Ctrl + 0 | Reset zoom |
| F11 | Full screen |
| Ctrl + U | View page source |
| Ctrl + Shift + I | Developer tools |
| Ctrl + Shift + J | Developer console |
⚙️ System / Troubleshooting
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Task Manager |
| Ctrl + Alt + Delete | Security screen |
| Win + R | Run |
| Win + X | Power-user menu |
| Win + Pause | System information* |
| Win + Ctrl + Shift + B | Reset graphics driver |
| Win + R → msconfig | System Configuration |
| Win + R → services.msc | Windows Services |
| Win + R → devmgmt.msc | Device Manager |
| Win + R → diskmgmt.msc | Disk Management |
| Win + R → taskmgr | Task Manager |
| Win + R → control | Control Panel |
| Win + R → cmd | Command Prompt |
| Win + R → powershell | PowerShell |
| Win + R → calc | Calculator |
| Win + R → notepad | Notepad |
*Availability/behavior can vary by keyboard and Windows version.
📋 Clipboard
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Win + V | Clipboard history |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste plain text in supported apps |
Very useful:
Press Win + V → Windows can show things you’ve copied recently, rather than only the last item.
🔍 Search & Navigation
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Win + S | Windows Search |
| Win + Q | Search |
| Win + E | File Explorer |
| Win + R | Run |
| Win + I | Settings |
| Win + A | Quick Settings |
| Win + X | Quick Link menu |
| Win + Tab | Task View |
| F3 | Search in many applications |
| Ctrl + F | Find within document/page |
📸 Screenshots & Screen Recording
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| PrtScn | Copy entire screen |
| Alt + PrtScn | Copy active window |
| Win + PrtScn | Save screenshot |
| Win + Shift + S | Select area to capture |
| Win + G | Game Bar |
| Win + Alt + R | Start/stop Game Bar recording |
Win + Shift + S is probably the one I would remember first.
🔊 Volume / Display
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Win + A | Quick Settings |
| Win + P | Display/project |
| Win + K | Connect/cast |
| Win + Ctrl + Shift + B | Restart graphics driver |
| Win + + | Magnifier zoom in |
| Win + – | Magnifier zoom out |
| Win + Esc | Close Magnifier |
On many keyboards, dedicated Fn + volume/brightness keys also work, but these vary by manufacturer.
🔢 Function Keys
| Key | Common Function |
|---|
| F1 | Help |
| F2 | Rename selected file |
| F3 | Search |
| F4 | Address-bar dropdown / repeat action |
| Alt + F4 | Close window |
| F5 | Refresh |
| F6 | Cycle interface elements |
| F7 | Caret browsing in some browsers |
| F10 | Activate menu bar |
| F11 | Full screen |
| F12 | Developer tools in browsers / Save As in some Office apps |
📝 Microsoft Word — Useful Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl + B | Bold |
| Ctrl + I | Italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline |
| Ctrl + E | Center |
| Ctrl + L | Align left |
| Ctrl + R | Align right |
| Ctrl + J | Justify |
| Ctrl + 1 | Single spacing |
| Ctrl + 2 | Double spacing |
| Ctrl + 5 | 1.5 spacing |
| Ctrl + M | Increase paragraph indent |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Decrease indent |
| Ctrl + Shift + > | Increase font size |
| Ctrl + Shift + < | Decrease font size |
| Ctrl + K | Insert hyperlink |
| Ctrl + Enter | Page break |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy formatting |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste formatting |
| Ctrl + Home | Beginning of document |
| Ctrl + End | End of document |
📊 Microsoft Excel — Useful Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl + N | New workbook |
| Ctrl + O | Open |
| Ctrl + S | Save |
| Ctrl + P | Print |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + F | Find |
| Ctrl + H | Replace |
| Ctrl + A | Select data/all |
| Ctrl + 1 | Format Cells |
| Ctrl + ; | Insert current date |
| Ctrl + Shift + ; | Insert current time |
| Ctrl + Arrow | Jump to edge of data |
| Ctrl + Shift + Arrow | Select to edge of data |
| F2 | Edit cell |
| Alt + = | AutoSum |
| Ctrl + ` | Show formulas |
| Ctrl + Page Up | Previous worksheet |
| Ctrl + Page Down | Next worksheet |
| Shift + Space | Select row |
| Ctrl + Space | Select column |
| Ctrl + Shift + + | Insert cells/rows/columns |
| Ctrl + – | Delete cells/rows/columns |
🧠 A Small Set Worth Memorising First
If you’re building your own Google Drive reference sheet, I wouldn’t try to memorize 100+ keys. Start with these:
Win + E → File Explorer
Win + I → Settings
Win + L → Lock PC
Win + R → Run
Win + D → Desktop
Win + V → Clipboard
Win + Shift + S → Screenshot
Alt + Tab → Switch apps
Alt + F4 → Close window
Ctrl + C → Copy
Ctrl + X → Cut
Ctrl + V → Paste
Ctrl + Z → Undo
Ctrl + S → Save
Ctrl + F → Find
Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Task Manager
Ctrl + Shift + T → Reopen closed browser tab
Win + Left/Right → Snap window
Win + Ctrl + Left/Right → Switch virtual desktop