Tip of the Week: The Letters of the Alphabet, in Windows Shortcuts

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The Windows operating system comes with more than its fair share of capabilities, many of which are accessible through the appropriate keyboard shortcut. Because remembering so many would be a challenge for some (and impossible for most) we’ve put together a list of those associated with the letters found on the keyboard, with a few extras tacked on for good measure. Make sure to take note of any you may find the most useful.

Windows Shortcuts, from A to Z

  • WinKey + A opens the Action Center.
  • WinKey + B highlights the notification area.
  • WinKey + C launches Cortana in listening mode.
  • WinKey + D toggles Show Desktop and the previous state.
  • WinKey + E launches File Explorer in the Quick Access tab.
  • WinKey + F opens the Microsoft Feedback hub.
  • WinKey + G opens the Game Bar tools, for personal use at home.
  • WinKey + H opens the Dictation toolbar.
  • WinKey + I opens your Settings.
  • WinKey + K opens the Connect pane to connect to wireless displays and devices.
  • WinKey + L locks the device.
  • WinKey + M minimizes all open windows.
  • WinKey + O locks the device’s orientation on tablets and mobile devices.
  • WinKey + P opens the Project pane.
  • WinKey + Q opens Search.
  • WinKey + R displays the run dialog box.
  • WinKey + S launches Cortana in typing mode.
  • WinKey + T cycles through the apps on the taskbar.
  • WinKey + U launches the Ease of Access/Display Center to manage attached displays.
  • WinKey + V opens the clipboard app to view things copied to it with Ctrl + C.
  • WinKey + X opens the advanced, Secret Start menu.

Bonus: Adjusting Your Program Windows

A neat workspace is a productive workspace, and if there’s a quick way to arrange your computer’s display, that’s all the better. Fortunately, Windows has a few built-in shortcuts to help quickly accomplish just that:

  • WinKey + Left/Right Arrow will take the active window and adjust it to fill the left or right side of the monitor it is displayed in. 
  • WinKey + Shift + Left/Right Arrow will move the active window over to another display.
  • WinKey + Up Arrow will maximize the active window. 
  • WinKey + Down Arrow will minimize the active window.

Believe it or not, this list is just a small sample of the available Windows shortcuts out there. There are plenty more to explore. We periodically go over a few on this blog, so make sure you’re subscribed so you can be alerted whenever we post something new!