Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

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Generally useful shortcuts

1. Winkey + D - toggle 'show desktop'
2. Winkey + L - lock workstation
3. Winkey + E - windows explorer
4. Middle click a link (or Ctrl + Click) - load page in background tab (useful for google, reddit)
5. Middle click a tab - close tab
6. Middle click back button - open history in new tab (not for IE)
7. Ctrl + F5 - clear page cache and refresh webpage (great for page errors/testing)
8. (Shift +) tab button - when filling out a form, skip to next (or previous) form field
9. Alt + (shift +) tab - switch windows forwards (or backwards)

10.                Ctrl + (shift +) tab - switch tab/document forwards (or backwards)

11. Hold Shift while inserting removable media - prevents 'autorun'
12. Shift + Delete - permanently deletes files (without going to recycle bin)
13. Shift + Right click - usually adds 'experienced user' context menu options
14. F2 - 'edit', renames selected file. Also used with spreadsheet cells.
15. Alt + PrtScn - Copies an image of the current window to clipboard
16. Winkey + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - launch corresponding windows dock item, or app-specific alt+tab
17. Winkey + Shift + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - launch a new window of dock item
18. Winkey + Ctrl + Shift + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - launch a new window of dock item as administrator
19. Winkey + Ctrl + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - show/hide all instances of app
20. Winkey + Alt + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - show app jumplist
21. Winkey + T - use keyboard arrow keys to navigate dock
22. Middle click an app on dock - Open a new app instance
23. Middle click a thumbnail from dock - Close app instance/tab
24. Shift + drag file to a dock app - open file with dock application. (default behavior is 'pin')
25. Drag up on dock item - Quick jumplist
26. Shift + Right click dock item - Legacy menu
27. Winkey and + or - , zoom in/out of screen (very cool)
28. Ctrl + Shift + N - New Folder
29. Winkey + "c:" - browse HDD from Start Menu. Tap up, down & '\' to browse directories.
30. Winkey + Search Term - Instant search. Tap up, down & enter to select.
31. Winkey + [dos appname] + enter - Instant app launch: no need to wait for search.
32. Alt - bring up old-style file menus where they've been removed
33. Winkey + P - multi-display config quick-switch (press twice to switch)
34. Winkey + X - bring up laptop settings control panel
35. Winkey + (shift +) tab - Flip 3D task switcher
36. Winkey + left, right, up or down key - manage window position
37. Drag window to left, right or top edge to 'snap' them.

Run Commands:

38. "resmon" - win7 only, awesome resource monitor - bandwidth etc
39. "perfmon" - a pretty decent performance monitor (vista, xp?)
40. "cmd" - command line
41. "control userpasswords2" - set windows to auto-login
42. "dxdiag" - hardware properties (processor, ram, etc)
43. Winkey + pause - system properties
44. "regedit", "msconfig", "services.msc", "compmgmt.msc", "eventvwr", "appwiz.cpl" - manage system stuff
45. "ping bing.com", "ping 192.168.0.1", "ping 10.0.0.1", "netstat", "ipconfig" - network tests
    (don't ping google if your homepage is also google!)
46. "charmap" - unusual characters (also, note the keyboard shortcuts provided in its status bar only work with the numpad)

Useful Keys

47. Middle click a folder of favorites - open all favorites in new tabs
48. Winkey + U - 'usability' (disabled) control panel
49. Winkey + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - launches corresponding quicklaunch/win7dock item
50. Winkey + shift + left, right, up, down - [win7], dual screen window management
51. Winkey + space - [win7] peek at desktop
52. Winkey + G - [vista/7] view desktop gadgets
53. Ctrl + alt + [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0] - Creates header-level text in word processors. You can use this to auto-generate a document outline or table of contents. In web apps it's just Ctrl + [1,2...]
54. Ctrl + Shift + Right click on blank area of start menu - End explorer process (to restart, ctrl+shift+esc, file -> new task, "explorer")