You’ll probably already be aware of keyboard shortcuts you can use with your PC to speed up common tasks, such as Ctrl + X, C and V for Cut, Copy and Paste, and Alt + Tab to switch between running apps. But did you know there are a lot of shortcut keys you can use with the Windows key to speed up your work, and increase your productivity? Here are some keyboard shortcuts you might find useful.
| Key combination | Action |
|---|---|
| Win + A | Open Action Centre |
| Win + D | Display the desktop |
| Win + M | Minimize all windows |
| Win + Shift + M | Restore minimized windows to the desktop |
| Win + E | Open File Manager |
| Win + L | Lock your computer or switch users |
| Win + T | Cycle through programs on the Taskbar |
| Win + number | Start or switch to the program pinned to the Taskbar in the position indicated |
| Win + Shift + number | Start a new instance of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated |
| Win + Ctrl + number | Switch to the last active window of the program pinned to the Taskbar in the position indicated |
| Win + Alt + number | Open the Jump list for the program pinned to the Taskbar in the position indicated |
| Win + Tab | Open Windows Timeline |
| Win + V | Open the Clipboard app |
| Win + Up Arrow | Maximize the current window |
| Win + Left Arrow | Snap the window to the left side of the screen |
| Win + Right Arrow | Snap the window to the right side of the screen |
| Win + Down Arrow | Minimize the window |
| Win + Home | Minimize all but the active window |
| Win + Shift + Up Arrow | Stretch the window to the top and bottom of the screen |
| Win + Shift + Left or Right Arrow | Move a window from one monitor or virtual desktop to another |
| Win + P | Choose a presentation display mode |
| Win + U | Open Accessibility Settings |
| Win + X | Open the context menu for the Start button |
| Win + . or + ; | Open the Emoji panel |
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Post expires at 2:00am on Tuesday October 14th, 2025
