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Chapter 2: Windows 10 keyboard commands
Using Windows 10 with a keyboard
In the tables below you will discover many of the popular and frequently used keyboard commands used in Windows and Windows Explorer. You will also find many of the keyboard commands stated can also be used in applications, in particular, the keyboard commands for menus and dialog boxes.
Popular Windows and Windows Explorer commands
| Windows commands | Press |
|---|---|
| Open Start Menu (repeat to close) | WINDOWS KEY |
| Open Task View | WINDOWS KEY + TAB |
| Switch to application (action unchanged but now shows Task View when switching) | ALT + TAB |
| Create a new virtual desktop | CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + D |
| Switch to the next virtual desktop | CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + RIGHT ARROW |
| Switch to the previous virtual desktop | CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + LEFT ARROW |
| Close the current virtual desktop | CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + F4 |
| Open Share | WINDOWS KEY + H |
| Open Devices | WINDOWS KEY + K |
| Open Settings | WINDOWS KEY + I |
| Open the Tools menu | WINDOWS KEY + X |
| Snap window to top of screen (repeat to maximise window) | WINDOWS KEY + UP ARROW |
| Snap window to bottom of screen (repeat to minimise window) | WINDOWS KEY + DOWN ARROW |
| Snap window to left of screen (combine with snap to top/bottom to place window in quadrant) | WINDOWS KEY + LEFT ARROW |
| Snap window to right of screen (combine with snap to top/bottom to place window in quadrant) | WINDOWS KEY + RIGHT ARROW |
| Go to active notifications | WINDOWS KEY + V |
| Go to active notifications in reverse order | WINDOWS KEY + SHIFT + V |
| Go to the Taskbar | WINDOWS KEY + T |
| Exit an application | ALT + F4 |
| Open the Task Manager | CONTROL + SHIFT + ESCAPE |
| Open the context menu (a small pop up menu giving options relevant to the current situation) | APPLICATION KEY (or SHIFT + F10) |
| Open Windows Explorer (showing list of drives, folders, files etc.) | WINDOWS KEY + E |
| Go to Address bar in Windows Explorer | ALT + D |
| Minimise open programs and place focus on the desktop | WINDOWS KEY + D (or WINDOWS KEY + M) |
| Rename file or folder | F2 |
| Create new folder | CONTROL + SHIFT + N |
| Go to the Taskbar | WINDOWS KEY + T |
| Go to the Notification Area (see below for further instructions) | WINDOWS KEY + B |
| Open the Run dialog box | WINDOWS KEY + R |
| Open Ease Of Access Centre | WINDOWS KEY + U |
| Sign out and go to the lock screen | WINDOWS KEY + L |
Popular menu keyboard commands
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| Menu Bar Commands | Press |
|---|---|
| Move focus to the menu bar | ALT |
| Move focus across the menu bar | LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW |
| Open the menu item that has focus | DOWN ARROW or ENTER |
| Move to and open a corresponding menu | ALT + underlined letter |
| Move through an open menu | DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW |
| Open a sub-menu | RIGHT ARROW or ENTER |
| Close a sub-menu | LEFT ARROW or ESCAPE |
| Select a menu item | ENTER |
Popular dialog box keyboard commands
| Dialog Box Commands | Press |
|---|---|
| Move to the next control | TAB |
| Move to the previous control | SHIFT + TAB |
| Click a button, toggle a check box or select an option (RADIO BUTTON) | SPACEBAR |
| Select the active button (the button with the outline) | ENTER |
| Cancel | ESCAPE |
| Move directly to a control | ALT + underlined letter |
| Open the next tab in a multi-tab dialog box | CONTROL + TAB |
| Move to the previous tab in a multi-tab dialog box | CONTROL + SHIFT + TAB |
Popular SuperNova and ScreenReader Speak Keys for menus and dialog boxes.
The following table lists some SuperNova and ScreenReader hot keys you might find useful when navigating menus and dialog boxes.
Note: You can make SuperNova and ScreenReader automatically announce more or less information about menus, menu items, buttons, check boxes, lists and radio buttons by changing the Verbosity Level. See the product manual for more help on how to change the Verbosity Level.
| Speak Key Commands | Desktop - Default hot key set | Laptop - Universal hot key set |
|---|---|---|
| Read focus (multikey) | NUMPAD 0 | CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW |
| Read Control (multikey) | NUMPAD PERIOD | (*) No Assignment |
| Describe Shortcut key (multikey) | LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD PERIOD | CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + LEFT ARROW |
| Where Am I? | NUMPAD 7 | CAPS LOCK + PAGE UP |
| Read window (multikey) | NUMPAD 9 | CAPS LOCK + P |
| Additional focus information | LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 0 | CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW |
Popular edit area keyboard commands
| Edit area Commands | Press |
|---|---|
| Move to the next character | RIGHT ARROW |
| Move to the previous character | LEFT ARROW |
| Move to the next word | CONTROL + RIGHT ARROW |
| Move to the previous word | CONTROL + LEFT ARROW |
| Move to the next line | DOWN ARROW |
| Move to the previous line | UP ARROW |
| Move to the next paragraph | CONTROL + DOWN ARROW |
| Move to the previous paragraph | CONTROL + UP ARROW |
| Move to the start of the line | HOME |
| Move to the end of the line | END |
| View the next window | PAGE DOWN |
| View the previous window | PAGE UP |
| Move to the top of the document | CONTROL + HOME |
| Move to the bottom of the document | CONTROL + END |
TIP: To select text use the SHIFT key in combination with the navigation keys above, for example, press CONTROL + SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW to extend a selection a word at a time.
Popular SuperNova and ScreenReader Speak Keys for edit areas
The following table lists some SuperNova and ScreenReader hot keys you might find useful when working in edit areas and documents.
| Speak Key commands | Desktop Default hot key set | Laptop - Universal HOT KEY Set |
|---|---|---|
| Read character (repeat key press for more information) | NUMPAD 4) | caps lock + left arrow |
| Read word (repeat key press for more information) | NUMPAD 5 | CAPS LOCK + RIGHT ARROW) |
| Read line (repeat key press for more information) | NUMPAD 6 | CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW (this Speak Key is also the Read Focus hot key) |
| Read line to cursor (repeat key press for more information) | LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 1 | CAPS LOCK + HOME |
| Read line from cursor (repeat key press for more information) | LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 2 | CAPS LOCK + END |
| Read sentence | CAPS LOCK + NUMPAD 4 | LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + S |
| Read paragraph | CAPS LOCK + NUMPAD 5 | LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + P |
| Read From Here | NUMPAD PLUS (press ESCAPE to stop reading) | CAPS LOCK + DOWN ARROW (press ESCAPE to stop reading) |
| Read selection (repeat key press for more information) | NUMPAD 1 | SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + DOWN ARROW |
| Additional focus information | LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 0 | CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW |
Popular Notification Area keyboard commands
The Notification Area (also called the System Tray) is the area to the far right of the Windows taskbar that includes the Windows clock. A number of programs place icons in this area of the taskbar for easy access. The Notification Area also typically holds icons that indicate network connection status, firewall activity, anti-virus protection, battery status and more. In Windows, you can choose to show or hide icons in the Notification Area. You can find these settings in the Taskbar properties.
Windows includes a keyboard command to move the focus to the Notification Area. This keyboard command is WINDOWS KEY + B. SuperNova and ScreenReader also provide a number of options to help you review and interact with these program icons. You can use these icons to find out the status of the program, left click the icon to open the program or right click the icon to open a pop-up menu that usually provides quick access to important features like performing a scan, doing a system update or quitting the program.
| Notification Area Commands | Desktop - Default hot key set | Laptop - Universal hot key set |
|---|---|---|
| List items in the Notification Area (the dialog box that appears includes options to left and right click an item) | CAPS LOCK + 0 | CAPS LOCK + 0 |
| Move Dolphin Cursor to Notification Area | LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD SLASH | (*) No Assignment |
| To perform a left click with the Dolphin Cursor | INSERT | CAPS LOCK + 8 |
| To perform a right click with the Dolphin Cursor | DELETE | CAPS LOCK + 9 |
| Read time and date | LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD SLASH | CAPS LOCK + F12 |
| Read battery status | LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD PLUS | SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + B |