Using keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase your productivity, reduce repetitive strain, and help keep you focused. For example, to copy text, you can highlight text and press the Ctrl + C shortcut. The shortcut is faster than moving your hands from the keyboard, highlighting with the mouse, choosing copy from the file menu, and then returning to the keyboard.
Below are the top 10 keyboard shortcuts we recommend everyone memorize and use.
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert and Ctrl + X
Both Ctrl + C and Ctrl + Insert will copy the highlighted text or selected item. If you want to cut instead of copy press Ctrl + X.
Apple computer users can substitute the Ctrl key for the command (cmd) key on their computers. For example, pressing Cmd + C copies the highlighted text.
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert
Both the Ctrl + V and Shift + Insert will paste the text or object that's in the clipboard.
For Apple computer users use Cmd + V.
Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y
Pressing Ctrl + Z will Undo any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this will undo it. These shortcuts can also be pressed multiple times to undo or redo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would redo the undo.
For Apple computers use Cmd + Z and Cmd + Y to undo and redo.
Ctrl + F
Pressing Ctrl + F opens the Find in any program. Ctrl + F includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page. Press Ctrl + F now to open the Find in your browser and search for "shortcut" to find each time shortcut is mentioned on this page.
For Apple computer use Cmd + F to find.
Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab
Pressing Alt + Tab switches between open programs moving forward. For example, if you have your browser window open and other programs running in the background press and hold Alt and then press tab to cycle through each open program.
On Apple computers instead of using the Alt key use the Command (Cmd) key. For Example, Cmd + Tab to switch between open programs.
Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right arrow
Note: This is for PC computer users only and does not work on Apple computers
Pressing Ctrl + Backspace will delete a full word at a time instead of a single character.
Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow will move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you want to highlight one word at a time, hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.
Ctrl + S
While working on a document or other file in almost every program, pressing Ctrl + S saves that file. Use this shortcut key frequently if you're working on anything important in case an error happens, you lose power, or other problem that causes you to lose any work since the last save.
On Apple computers use Cmd + S to save a file.
Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End
Ctrl + Home will move the cursor to the beginning of the document, and Ctrl + End will move the cursor to the end of a document. These shortcuts work with most documents, as well as web pages.
On Apple computers use Command and the Cmd and the up arrow to get to the beginning of a document or text or Cmd and the down arrow to get to the end of a document or text.
Ctrl + P
Open a print preview of the current page or document being viewed. For example, press Ctrl + P now to view a print preview of this page.
On Apple computers use Cmd + P to open the print preview.
Page Up, Spacebar, and Page Down
Pressing either the page up or page down key will move that page one page at a time in that direction. When browsing the Internet, pressing the spacebar also moves the page down one page at a time.
