Windows 8.1 Guide

Windows 8.1 Guide
25 Tips and Tricks

I.T. Department
Archdiocese of Malta

Tips 1 to 7: Start-Screen Tweaks & More

Tip 1: How to Boot Straight to the Windows Desktop

We'll start here, since this is the change that so many Windows 8 users have been waiting for. Though the Start
screen remains a key fixture in Windows 8.1, it no longer has to be the first thing to greet you in the morning.
Windows 8.1 can do an end-run around the Start screen and take you directly to the desktop after you log in.
To turn this on, go to the desktop, right-click on the Taskbar, and then select Properties from the popup
menu. Select the Navigation tab in the "Taskbar and Navigation properties" window. In the "Start screen"
section of the window, check the option to "Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in." Click OK, then
restart Windows.
Click on the lock screen to log in, and the desktop will pop up in all its old-fashioned glory—no tiles
intervening.

Tip 2: How to Customize the Windows 8.1 Start Screen

Love it or hate it, the Start screen is here to stay—but, at least in Windows 8.1, it's easier to manage than in
Windows 8.

To start off, the Start screen now has its own dedicated Customize view where you can tweak a variety of
settings. Right-click on the Start screen, and select the Customize button from the app bar. The screen dims
slightly as a visual tipoff that you’re in Customize mode.

Click on any tile on the screen, such as the one for the Weather app, and several options appear on the app
bar, including Unpin from Start, Uninstall, Resize, and "Turn live tile on" (or "off" if it’s already on). Click on
the Resize option, and you’ll see four different sizes: small, medium, wide, and large. All four sizes appear
only for certain tiles; most other tiles offer two or three different sizes.

Select the remaining tiles in the current column. You can now move all of the selected tiles to another spot on
the Start screen simply by dragging and dropping them. You can organize similar tiles into a single group and
give the group a name by typing it in the Name Group field. When done, click anywhere on the screen to exit
the Customize view.

Tip 3: How to Sync the Background Images for Your Start Screen and
Desktop

Windows 8.1 offers more background choices for the Start screen than you’ll find in its predecessor. You can
pick from a healthy array of images, colors, and accents. And best of all, you can equip the Start screen with
the same background that populates your desktop and even keep the two in sync. That’s a welcome option, as
it makes the visual jump between the Start screen and the desktop less jarring than it is in Windows 8.
To match the backgrounds of your Start screen and desktop, make sure you’re at the Start screen. Launch the
Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and then select the Personalize link. The various background choices
appear as thumbnail images at the top of the Personalize pane, with your desktop background the last item in
the list. Select the thumbnail for your desktop background, and your Start screen takes on the same image.
Now that you've done this, change your desktop background anytime, and your Start screen background
changes as well.

Tip 4: How to Sort Your Apps List

The Windows 8 Apps screen takes on a few of the roles of the old Windows Start menu, displaying all of your
installed apps. In Windows 8, the Apps screen simply lists your apps alphabetically. (You can’t sort it any other
way, and you can’t tell which apps have been installed recently.)

Here comes Windows 8.1 to the "rescue" (which is to say, it outfits Windows 8 with an option it should have
had from the get-go). From the Windows 8.1 Start screen, click on the down arrow near the lower left of the
screen to segue to the Apps screen. By default, your apps are still sorted by name, but you can quickly change
that. Click on the “by name” option next to the word "Apps" at the top of the screen. You can now set the sort
order by date installed, by most used, or by category. And any apps you’ve recently installed are highlighted
with the word-flag "NEW" so you can pick them out of the lineup more easily.

Tip 5: How to Customize the New Start Button

Yes, the Start button is back in Windows 8.1, but we suspect it may not be quite what you hoped for. That's
because the Start button has returned, but not the Start menu. In Windows 8.1, clicking on the Start button by
default simply takes you to the Start screen from any other screen. But you can change the Start button’s
behavior so it lands you in the Modern UI's Apps screen instead—a closer analogue to the pre-Windows 8 Start
menu.
To make this switch, go to the desktop, right-click on the Taskbar, and select Properties from the popup
menu. Select the Navigation tab in the "Taskbar and Navigation properties" window. In the "Start screen"
section, check the option to "Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start." Click OK.
Now, when you click on the Start button, you’ll see your Apps screen, sporting all of your installed apps.

Tip 6: How to Customize the Lock Screen

You can add some visual flair to the lock screen in Windows 8.1 by displaying a slide show of images instead of
just a single static image. To set this up, launch the Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and then select
the option to "Change PC settings." In the PC Settings screen, select the section for "PC & devices." The section
for "Lock screen" appears on this screen automatically, as it’s the first item in the list to the left, as you can
see above.

Turn on the option to "Play a slide show on the lock screen." Under that option, you can also choose whether
to play the slide show when using battery power, if you're tweaking this setting on a laptop.

Then, in the “Use pictures from” section, click on the link to "Add a folder" to select the folder with the
images you want to appear in the slide show. The most obvious choice is your local Pictures folder, but you
can choose other locations brimming with images, even your SkyDrive online storage. After you’ve opened your
preferred location, click on the button to "Choose this folder" and then select OK. You can add more than one
folder, if you wish. You can also click on a folder and select Remove to kick it out of the slide show.

Reboot Windows, and you can now watch your slide show play at the lock screen.

Tip 7: How to Shut Down or Restart Windows

Windows 8 provides a host of ways to shut down or restart your PC, but none of the methods is easily
accessible or especially memorable. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft shifted the Shut Down and Restart options back
to a familiar spot—the Start button.

To shut down or restart Windows 8.1, simply right-click on the new Start button. A Power User menu pops
up, displaying several options and features, including Device Manager, Disk Management, Task Manager,
Control Panel, and File Explorer. New to the menu is a Shut Down option. Hover over it, and commands to Shut
Down and Restart fly out. Simply select the one you want, and your PC immediately power downs or reboots.
No more messing around on the Charms bar to perform these tasks. Depending on your device, you can also
put your PC or tablet to sleep via this menu.

Tips 8 to 14: Searching, Saving, Tweaking Screens

Tip 8: How to Change Your Display Settings

In Windows 8.1, you can still adjust your screen settings from the Control Panel, but you may find it quicker
and easier to tweak them from a new location, in the PC Settings screen. (This assumes you're not already
relying on a separate graphics utility from AMD or Nvidia to tweak the settings on a dedicated video card.)
Launch the Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and then select "Change PC settings." At the PC Settings
screen, select the section for "PC & devices" and choose the left-column option for Display. In the Display
screen, you can now increase or decrease the resolution by dragging the black square on the resolution line
right or left. You can also change the screen orientation between portrait and landscape—a handy option for
tablets.

Tip 9: How to Run Multiple Apps Side by Side

In Windows 8, you can run only two apps in the Modern UI side by side, and your ability to resize each app’s
window is decidedly limited. In Windows 8.1, your options are more flexible—you can run two or more apps
alongside each other, so long as your screen resolution supports it. And you can more precisely control their
sizes.

From the Start screen, open an app such as Maps. Click on the Start button again, open another app (such as
Weather), and move to the upper-left corner of the screen to display the app switcher. Right-click on the
thumbnail for Maps, and select the option to "Insert left." The Maps app now appears on the left side of the
screen, while the Weather app is on the right. Then, hold down the divider bar and move it left or right. You’ll
see that you can more finely resize each pane than you can in Windows 8.

You can also launch additional apps and run as many as four side-by-side on a single screen. The number you
can run on a single screen depends on the display resolution of your monitor; for example, to display four apps
in a row on one display, you’ll need a beefy, super-high-resolution 2,560x1,600 screen, which few users own.
However, if you run multiple monitors, you'll have more flexibility, as the allotment is per-monitor.

Tip 10: How to Disable the Hot Corners

By default, all four corners of the screen in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 trigger certain actions. Moving to the
lower-left corner displays the Start button, while moving to the upper-left corner shows you the app switcher,
with thumbnails for all open apps. And the upper-right and lower-right corners conjure up the Charms bar.

Ever find yourself accidentally triggering some of those hot corners, or simply prefer not to use them? No
problem. In Windows 8.1, you can easily put the kibosh on two of them.

From the Start screen, launch the Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and select the link to "Change PC
settings." From the PC settings screen, select the "PC & devices" option and then select "Corners & edges." In
the "Corner navigation" section, the first setting is named "When I point to the upper-right corner, show
Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings." Turn off that long-winded setting. Now, when you move to the
upper-right corner of the screen, the Charms bar no longer pops up.

The second setting to tweak is named "When I click the upper-left corner, switch between my recent apps."
Turn that one off, and now you can move to the upper-left corner without triggering the app switcher.

Making these changes disables these hot corners, but it doesn't kill the features themselves. You can still
launch the Charms bar by hovering over the lower-right corner of the screen or by pressing Win+C. And you can
continue to display the app switcher by hovering over the Start button and moving up to the top of the screen.

Tip 11: How to Find Stuff With the New Smart Search

The Windows 8 search feature has something of a limited design, as it scours only your apps, files, and settings
when you make an initial search. You then have to select each separate Windows feature or app, such as
Internet Explorer, to see more specific search results.

The Windows 8.1 search feature, dubbed Smart Search, is much more expansive. You can search for files and
content everywhere, meaning your local PC or tablet, your SkyDrive storage space, your Windows settings, and
throughout the Web.

To try this out, type a word or phrase at the Start screen, such as "Microsoft." The search pane pops up to
show you all results for Microsoft. By default, the search looks everywhere, though you can narrow the
locations. Click on the word "Everywhere" under Search and select another category (such as Settings, Files, or
Web images) to filter the results. Change the selection back to Everywhere, and click on the magnifying-glass
search icon. You’ll now see a page that displays all of the search results divided into different columns—one
for files, another for Web pages, another for apps. Simply select a specific result to open it.

Smart Search is also adept at finding information on people, places, events, and other items. At the Start
screen, type the name "Abraham Lincoln" and click on the magnifying-glass icon. You’ll find a biography of
Lincoln, courtesy of Wikipedia, along with videos, articles, apps, and Web pages about our 16th president.

Tip 12: How to Select Your Default Apps

Just as in previous versions of Windows, Windows 8.1 lets you set your default apps to determine which
specific apps open which specific file types. But the option to control your default apps is now part of the PC
Settings screen, so you no longer need to navigate your way through the Control Panel.

To view and select your default apps, launch the Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and then select the
"Change PC settings" link. In the PC Settings screen, click on the section for "Search & apps" and then select
Defaults. You’ll see the default apps already set for certain types of content. To change the default for a
particular type of content, simply click on the item. For example, to change the default app for playing music,
click on the tile for Music. You can now switch the default app from the Music app to, say, Windows Media
Player or iTunes to listen to your favorite tunes.

Tip 13: How to Search for a Specific PC Setting

The PC Settings screen now has more options, and they’re more logically organized. But it’s still difficult to
find a specific setting without knowing which category it falls under.

Instead of hunting around the PC Settings screen, you can simply search for a particular setting. To do this,
launch the Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and then select the link for "Change PC settings." A
magnifying-glass search icon pops up in the upper-left corner of the screen to the right of the title words "PC
Settings," as you can see in the image above. Click on that icon. In the upper-right corner of the screen, type a
specific word or phrase in the search field, such as "password" or "lock screen." Search results appear below
the search field. Select a specific result, and Windows takes you to the screen where you can tweak the
corresponding setting.

Tip 14: How to Save and Sync Your Files Online via SkyDrive

Microsoft’s SkyDrive provides an online home to store your documents and other files. In Windows 8.1, you can
automatically save your files directly to SkyDrive so they’re accessible from any SkyDrive-enabled device. To
do this, launch the Charms bar, click on the Settings charm, and then select the link for "Change PC settings."
From the PC Settings screen, select the option for SkyDrive.

On the SkyDrive screen, the "Storage space" selection at left shows you how much total and free space you
have on SkyDrive. Here, though, you'll want to select the Files setting and turn on the option to "Save
documents to SkyDrive by default" to automatically store your files on SkyDrive. Below this selector, you can
then click on the link to "See my files on SkyDrive" to see which ones are being stored online.

Return to the PC Settings screen by moving to the upper-left corner and choosing its thumbnail from the app
switcher. (That is, assuming you haven't disabled that hot corner in Tip 10!) In the Camera Roll folder section,
you can choose to upload any photos taken with your device’s camera. Select either "Upload photos at good
quality" or "Upload photos at best quality." Keep in mind that the best-quality option will take up more space
on SkyDrive. You can also choose to automatically upload videos to SkyDrive, but that option may also take up
a hefty amount of storage.

Also, in the "Metered connections" area of the SkyDrive Files section, you can determine if you want your files
on SkyDrive to be uploaded or downloaded over such connections, such as a 3G or 4G network. That's good to
know if you'll be using your Windows 8.1 laptop or tablet with a cellular connection that charges you by the
byte.

Finally, you might want to select the "Sync settings" option in the left sidebar if you own other Windows 8
computers or tablets. Here you can determine which, if any, settings you wish to sync to SkyDrive and across
all of your Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 devices.

Tips 15 to 19: New Utilities, Organization Help & More

Tip 15: How to Show Your Libraries in File Explorer

Windows libraries are handy, as they let you group together scattered bunches of similar kinds of files in a
single logical, themed place for easy access. For example, if you store your music both locally on your PC and
on a network drive, you can access both locations from a single library.
By default, the File Explorer in Windows 8.1 doesn’t display your libraries, but you can easily fix that. Open
File Explorer from the desktop, select the View menu, and then select Navigation Pane. From the drop-down
list, check the option to "Show libraries."

Tip 16: How to Edit Your Photos

The Photos app in Windows 8 is fine for viewing your photos, but you can’t do a whole lot more with it than
that. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft beefed up the app with a gang of editing controls, so you can tweak your
photos all you like.

To give it a whirl, click on the Start screen tile for the Photos app. Open a photo from your Pictures folder or
another folder, and right-click on the photo to display the app bar. You can rotate it or crop it by selecting the
appropriate buttons.

To do more intensive work, select the Edit button, and up pops a host of options for modifying your shot. You
can choose one of the photo thumbnails at the right to apply an autofix to your photo. Alternately, you can
select one of the other settings on the left (including Basic fixes, Light, Color, and Effects) to manually fine-
tune your photo. When you’re done, right-click on the screen to display the app bar again. You can now save a
copy of the tweaked photo, update the original, or cancel your changes.

Tip 17: How to Calculate in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 still includes the traditional calculator that you access from the Windows desktop, but now you
can also do some calculating within the Modern UI without having to make the trek to the desktop. From the
Start screen, simply click on the down arrow to take you to the Apps screen, then select the green tile for
Calculator.

The Calculator app offers three types of formats: standard, scientific, and converter. It doesn’t pack quite the
power of the desktop calculator, which also offers a view for programmers, a date calculator, and other cool
options. But unless you’re trying to convert decimal to hex, the Calculator app should fulfill all of your basic
math needs.

Tip 18: How to Wake Up With Windows

Want Windows 8.1 to wake you up tomorrow morning? It can do just that, courtesy of its new Alarms app.

From the Start screen, click on the down arrow to switch to the Apps screen and select the tile for Alarms.
You’ll see an alarm set for 7:15 a.m. for each weekday. To change that, click on the time. You can now alter
the hour by moving the inner circle and the minutes by moving the outer circle. To repeat the same alarm,
select the Repeats option and select the days you wish the alarm to go off. To set the alarm sound, select the
Chimes item under Sound. You can choose Xylophone, Chords, Jingle, and Echo, among other sounds, and
preview the sound before you pick it.

When you’re done, select the Save icon in the upper right corner, and your alarm will wake you up at the
appointed hour. The Alarms app can also serve as a timer and a stopwatch.

Tip 19: How to Scan a Document

You can scan a document directly from Windows 8.1, thanks to the new Scan app. To try this out, make sure
your scanner is connected to your PC or is on the same Wi-Fi network if it’s a wireless scanner. Place the
document you wish to scan in your scanner.

From the Start screen, click on the down arrow to open the Apps screen and click on the tile for Scan. In the
Scan app, be sure your scanner is selected. You can leave the source as auto-configured. Choose the file type,
such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or bitmap.

By default, Windows 8.1 stores your scanned documents in a folder called Scans, located in your Pictures
folder. But you can click on the "Show more" link to change this destination to a different folder. If all looks
good, click on the Scan button. After the scan completes, click on the View button to check out the results.

Tips 20 to 25: IE Tweaks & Handy New Apps

Tip 20: How to Organize Your Favorite Web Sites Into Folders in IE 11

The Windows 8 Modern UI/"app" version of Internet Explorer 10 offers no quick way to access your favorites, no
method to organize them into folders, and no option to sync them with the desktop version of the browser. In
the Windows 8.1 edition of IE 11, Microsoft has resolved all of those obstacles.
To give the new features a whirl, fire up Internet Explorer from its Start screen tile. To quickly see your
favorites, right-click anywhere on the browser’s screen and click on the Favorites button (the one with the
five-pointed star). All your favorite Web sites will appear in a row.
You can add existing and new favorites to individual folders to better organize them. To add an existing
favorite, right-click on its tile, click on Edit, select the "New folder" button, and give the new folder a name.
To add a new favorite to a folder, open the Web page that you want to save as a favorite. Click on the Add to
Favorites button (the one with the five-pointed star and a plus sign). Click on the drop-down list called "All" to
choose an existing folder, and then click Add. Or click on "New folder" to generate a new folder for your
favorite, enter a name for the folder, click on Create, and then click on Add. You’ll see the new favorite in its
new folder.
Also good to know: The Modern UI and desktop flavors of Internet Explorer 11 now actually talk to each other
to keep your favorites in sync. (In Windows 8, they operated in silos of their own.) Add, modify, or remove a
favorite or folder in one version, and your change automatically pops up in the other version.

Tip 21: How to View Web Pages Side by Side in IE 11

The Windows 8 Modern UI/"app" version of IE 10 can show you just one Web page at a time. In contrast, in
Windows 8.1, IE 11 can display two Web pages side by side.

To try this, fire up Internet Explorer via its Start screen tile in Windows 8.1. Open a Web site, such as
Bing.com, by typing its name in the address field. Right-click on the screen to display your browser tabs, then
click on the "New tab" button and browse to another site, such as Google. Right-click again, and you can
bounce back and forth between Bing and Google by clicking on each site’s tab.

To display both sites alongside each other, right-click on the tab for Google and select the option to "Open tab
in new window." Google now appears on the right side of the browser, while Bing is nestled on the left. You
can also change the relative size of the two windows by dragging the divider bar to the left or right.

Tip 22: How to Display Your Address Bar and Tabs in IE 11

The Windows 8 Modern UI version of Internet Explorer 10 doesn’t display your address bar or the tabs for open
Web pages unless you right-click on the screen. Windows 8.1 carries on that tradition with Internet Explorer
11, but now you can reverse that behavior.

At the Windows 8.1 Start screen, click on the tile for Internet Explorer. Launch the Charms bar, click on the
Settings charm, and select the Options category. Under Appearance, turn on the switch to "Always show
address bar and tabs." The address bar and tabs will now hang out all the time. The tabs also display at the
bottom of the screen above the address bar, where they’re more easily accessible.

Tip 23: How to Save an Online Article to Read Offline

Like its predecessor, Windows 8.1 works best when you’re online, but a connection isn’t always going to be
available. To save some online reading material for times when you’re disconnected, you can use the new
Reading List app. This app lets you save articles from the Web that you can then read offline.

To use the Reading List app, launch the Modern UI version of Internet Explorer from the Start screen. Browse
to an online article that you wish to save. Launch the Charms bar, click on the Share charm, and then select
the Reading List app from the Share panel. The Reading List app opens on the right side of the screen. Click on
the Add to Reading List button in the upper-right corner to capture the current article.

The next time you’re offline, click on the Start screen tile for Reading List. You’ll see a list of saved articles.
Click on the article you wish to read, and up it pops in Internet Explorer.

Tip 24: How to Improve Your Health and Diet with Windows 8.1

Microsoft has added a few new apps to Windows 8.1, and one that you might find helpful is called Health &
Fitness. From the Start screen, click on the tile for Health & Fitness. The app opens with a health- or fitness-
related story, which you can select to read in full.

That part is just window dressing, though. Move back to the home screen, scroll to the right, and you’ll find a
host of features under Quick Access, including a Diet Tracker, a Nutrition and Calorie Center, an Exercise
Tracker, exercise videos, and an overall Health Tracker. Right-click anywhere in the app, and a top app bar
appears so you can quickly jump to a specific section. (And they say Microsoft doesn’t care about its
customers!)

Tip 25: How to Find a Recipe for Tonight’s Dinner

Another useful new Windows 8.1 app is Food & Drink. Select its tile from the Start screen, and up pops a
featured recipe to tempt your taste buds. Select that recipe, and you’ll see a list of ingredients and step-by-
step instructions on how to prepare it.

You can move back to the app’s home screen and scroll to the right to find more mouth-watering dishes, each
with a recipe to follow. Scroll further to the right to read profiles of top chefs, browse a wine selection, and
learn how to mix your favorite cocktails. Other options help you put together a shopping list and access a meal
planner. You can also search for a particular dish or recipe through the app’s search field at the top.

Of course, if you find yourself putting on too many kilos, it may be time to bounce back to the Health &
Fitness app (Tip 24) again.

Windows 8.1 Guide
keyboard shortcuts

New keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains new keyboard shortcuts that you can use in Windows.

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key +start Search your PC
typing

Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-) Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the
Start screen

Ctrl+scroll wheel Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the
Start screen

Windows logo key +C Open the charms

In an app, open the commands for the app

Windows logo key +F Open the Search charm to search files

Windows logo key +H Open the Share charm

Windows logo key +I Open the Settings charm

Windows logo key +K Open the Devices charm

Windows logo key +O Lock the screen orientation (portrait or landscape)

Windows logo key +Q Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within an open app
(if the app supports app search)

Windows logo key +S Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web

Windows logo key +W Open the Search charm to search settings

Windows logo key +Z Show the commands available in the app
Note

You can also see some settings and options by going to the Settings
charm when the app is open.

Windows logo key Switch input language and keyboard layout
+spacebar

Windows logo key Change to a previously selected input
+Ctrl+spacebar

Windows logo key +Tab Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)

Windows logo key Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)
+Ctrl+Tab

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse
+Shift+Tab order

Windows logo key Snaps an app to the left
+Shift+period (.)

Windows logo key +period Cycle through open apps
(.)

Esc Stop or exit the current task

General keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains general keyboard shortcuts that you can use in Windows.

Press this key To do this

F1 Display Help

F2 Rename the selected item

F3 Search for a file or folder

F4 Display the address bar list in File Explorer

F5 Refresh the active window

F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

F10 Activate the Menu bar in the active app

Alt+F4 Close the active item, or exit the active app

Alt+Esc Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened

Alt+underlined letter Perform the command for that letter

Alt+Enter Display properties for the selected item

Alt+Spacebar Open the shortcut menu for the active window

Alt+Left arrow Back

Alt+Right arrow Forward

Alt+Page Up Move up one screen

Alt+Page Down Move down one screen

Alt+Tab Switch between open apps (except desktop apps)

Ctrl+F4 Close the active document (in apps that allow you to have multiple
documents open simultaneously)

Press this key To do this
Ctrl+A Select all items in a document or window

Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert) Copy the selected item

Ctrl+D (or Delete) Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin

Ctrl+R (or F5) Refresh the active window

Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert) Paste the selected item

Ctrl+X Cut the selected item

Ctrl+Y Redo an action

Ctrl+Z Undo an action

Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-) Zoom in or out of a large number of items, like apps pinned to the
Start screen

Ctrl+ mouse scroll wheel Change the size of desktop icons or zoom in or out of a large
number of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen

Ctrl+Right arrow Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word

Ctrl+Left arrow Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word

Ctrl+Down arrow Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph

Ctrl+Up arrow Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph

Ctrl+Alt+Tab Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps

Ctrl+arrow key (to move to an Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
item)+Spacebar

Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key Select a block of text

Ctrl+Esc Open the Start screen

Ctrl+Shift+Esc Open Task Manager

Ctrl+Shift Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are
available

Ctrl+Spacebar Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off

Shift+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item

Shift with any arrow key Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select
text within a document

Shift+Delete Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first

Right arrow Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu

Press this key To do this
Left arrow Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
Esc Stop or leave the current task

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows logo key .

Press this key To do this
Windows logo key +F1 pen Windows Help and Support
Windows logo key Display or hide the Start screen
Windows logo key +B Set focus in the notification area
Windows logo key +C Open the Charms
Windows logo key +D Display and hide the desktop
Windows logo key +E Open File Explorer
Windows logo key +F Open the Search charm and search for files
Windows logo key +H Open the Share charm
Windows logo key +I Open the Settings charm
Windows logo key +K Open the Devices charm
Windows logo key +L Lock your PC or switch people
Windows logo key +M Minimize all windows
Windows logo key +O Lock device orientation
Windows logo key +P Choose a presentation display mode
Windows logo key +Q Open the Search charm to search everywhere or within the open
app (if the app supports app search)
Windows logo key +R Open the Run dialog box
Windows logo key +S Open the Search charm to search Windows and the web
Windows logo key +T Cycle through apps on the taskbar
Windows logo key +U Open Ease of Access Center

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key +V Cycle through notifications

Windows logo key +Shift+V Cycle through notifications in reverse order

Windows logo key +W Open the Search charm and search for settings

Windows logo key +X Open the Quick Link menu

Windows logo key +Z Show the commands available in the app

Note

You can also see some settings and options by going to the Settings
charm when the app is open.

Windows logo key +, Temporarily peek at the desktop

Windows logo key +Pause Display the System Properties dialog box

Windows logo key +Ctrl+F Search for PCs (if you're on a network)

Windows logo key +Shift+M Restore minimized windows on the desktop

Windows logo key +number Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the
position indicated by the number. If the app is already running,

switch to that app.

Windows logo key Open the desktop and start a new instance of the app pinned to
+Shift+number the taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows logo key Open the desktop and switch to the last active window of the app
+Ctrl+number pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows logo key Open the desktop and open the Jump List for the app pinned to the
+Alt+number taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows logo key Open the desktop and open a new instance of the app located at
+Ctrl+Shift+number the given position on the taskbar as an administrator

Windows logo key +Tab Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)

Windows logo key +Ctrl+Tab Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps)

Windows logo key +Shift+Tab Cycle through recently used apps (except desktop apps) in reverse
order

Windows logo key +Ctrl+B Switch to the app that displayed a message in the notification area

Windows logo key +Up arrow Maximize the window

Windows logo key +Down Remove current app from screen or minimize the desktop window
arrow

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key +Left Maximize the app or desktop window to the left side of the screen
arrow

Windows logo key +Right Maximize the app or desktop window to the right side of the
arrow screen

Windows logo key +Home Minimize all but the active desktop window (restores all windows
on second stroke)

Windows logo key +Shift+Up Stretch the desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen
arrow

Windows logo key Restore/minimize active desktop windows vertically, maintaining
+Shift+Down arrow width

Windows logo key +Shift+Left Move an app or window in the desktop from one monitor to

arrow or Right arrow another

Windows logo key +Spacebar Switch input language and keyboard layout

Windows logo key Change to a previously selected input
+Ctrl+Spacebar

Windows logo key +Enter Open Narrator

Windows logo key Cycle through open apps
+Shift+period (.)

Windows logo key +period (.) Cycle through open apps

Windows logo key +/ Initiate IME reconversion

Windows logo key +Alt+Enter Open WindowsMedia Center

Windows logo key +plus (+) orZoom in or out using Magnifier
minus (-)

Windows logo key +Esc Exit Magnifier

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that you can use in dialog boxes.

Press this key To do this

F1 Display Help

F4 Display the items in the active list

Ctrl+Tab Move forward through tabs

Ctrl+Shift+Tab Move back through tabs

Ctrl+number (number 1- Move to nth tab
9)

Tab Move forward through options

Shift+Tab Move back through options

Alt+underlined letter Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter

Spacebar Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box

Backspace Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open
dialog box

Arrow keys Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons

File Explorer keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with File Explorer windows or folders.

Press this key To do this

Alt+D Select the address bar

Ctrl+E Select the search box

Ctrl+F Select the search box

Ctrl+N Open a new window

Ctrl+W Close the current window

Ctrl+mouse scroll Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
wheel

Ctrl+Shift+E Display all folders above the selected folder

Ctrl+Shift+N Create a new folder

Num Lock+asterisk (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder

Press this key To do this

Num Lock+plus (+) Display the contents of the selected folder

Num Lock+minus (-) Collapse the selected folder

Alt+P Display the preview pane

Alt+Enter Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item

Alt+Right arrow View the next folder

Alt+Up arrow View the folder that the folder was in

Alt+Left arrow View the previous folder

Backspace View the previous folder

Right arrow Display the current selection (if it's collapsed), or select the first subfolder

Left arrow Collapse the current selection (if it's expanded), or select the folder that the
folder was in

End Display the bottom of the active window

Home Display the top of the active window

F11 Maximize or minimize the active window

Taskbar keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with items on the desktop taskbar.

Press this key To do this

Shift+click a taskbar button Open an app or quickly open another instance of an app

Ctrl+Shift+click a taskbar button Open an app as an administrator

Shift+right-click a taskbar button Show the window menu for the app

Shift+right-click a grouped taskbar button Show the window menu for the group

Ctrl+click a grouped taskbar button Cycle through the windows of the group

Ease of Access keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that can help make your PC easier to use.

Press this key To do this

Right Shift for eight seconds Turn Filter Keys on and off

Press this key To do this
Left Alt+left Shift+Print Screen Turn High Contrast on or off
Left Alt+left Shift+Num Lock Turn Mouse Keys on or off
Shift five times Turn Sticky Keys on or off
Num Lock for five seconds Turn Toggle Keys on or off
Windows logo key +U Open the Ease of Access Center

Magnifier keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Magnifier.

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key +plus (+) or minus (-) Zoom in or out

Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar Preview the desktop in full-screen mode

Ctrl+Alt+D Switch to docked mode

Ctrl+Alt+F Switch to full-screen mode

Ctrl+Alt+I Invert colors

Ctrl+Alt+L Switch to lens mode

Ctrl+Alt+R Resize the lens

Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys Pan in the direction of the arrow keys

Windows logo key +Esc Exit Magnifier

Narrator keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Narrator.

Press this key To do this

Spacebar or Enter Activate current item

Tab and arrow keys Move around on the screen

Ctrl Stop reading

Caps Lock+D Read item

Caps Lock+M Start reading

Press this key To do this
Caps Lock+H Read document
Caps Lock+V Repeat phrase
Caps Lock+W Read window
Caps Lock+Page Up or Page Down Increase or decrease the volume of the voice
Caps Lock+plus (+) or minus (-) Increase or decrease the speed of the voice
Caps Lock+Spacebar Do default action
Caps Lock+Left or Right arrows Move to previous/next item
Caps Lock+F2 Show commands for current item
Press Caps Lock twice in quick succession Turn Caps Lock on or off
Caps+Esc Exit Narrator

Remote Desktop Connection on the desktop keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Remote Desktop Connection on the
desktop.

Press this key To do this

Alt+Page Up Move between apps from left to right

Alt+Page Down Move between apps from right to left

Alt+Insert Cycle through apps in the order that they were started

Alt+Home Display the Start screen

Ctrl+Alt+Break Switch between a window and full screen

Ctrl+Alt+End Display the Windows Securitydialog box

Ctrl+Alt+Home In full-screen mode, activate the connection bar

Alt+Delete Display the system menu

Ctrl+Alt+minus (-) on Place a copy of the active window, within the client, on the Terminal server
the numeric keypad clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Alt+Print Screen on a
local PC)

Ctrl+Alt+plus (+) on the Place a copy of the entire client window area on the Terminal server

numeric keypad clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Print Screen on a

local PC)

Press this key To do this
Ctrl+Alt+Right arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host app (for
Ctrl+Alt+Left arrow example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls
are embedded in another (host) app.

“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host app (for
example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls
are embedded in another (host) app.

App rearranging shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for rearranging modern apps.

Note

Keep the Windows logo key pressed down continuously while you're rearranging apps, from the
moment you enter rearrange mode and through all the various rearrange commands. When you're
done rearranging, release your finger from the Windows logo key to select the current
arrangement.

Press this key To do this

Windows logo key +. (period) Enter rearrange mode and select apps or dividers across monitors

Windows logo key +left arrow Move app divider left

Windows logo key +right arrow Move app divider right

Windows logo key +up arrow Maximize app

Windows logo key +down arrowClose app

Windows logo key +Esc Exit rearrange mode

Calculator keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Calculator.

Press this key To do this

F1 Open Calculator Help

F2 Edit the calculation history

Alt+1 Switch to Standard mode

Alt+2 Switch to Scientific mode

Alt+3 Switch to Programmer mode

Alt+4 Switch to Statistics mode

Alt+C Calculate or solve date calculations and worksheets

Ctrl+E Open date calculations

Ctrl+H Turn calculation history on or off

Ctrl+L Press the MC button

Ctrl+M Press the MS button

Ctrl+P Press the M+ button

Ctrl+Q Press the M- button

Ctrl+R Press the MR button

Ctrl+U Open unit conversion

Ctrl+Shift+D Clear the calculation history

F9 Press the +/– button

R Press the 1/× button

@ Press the square root button

Del Press the CE button

Up arrow Move up in the calculation history

Down arrow Move down in the calculation history

Esc Press the C button or stop editing the calculation history

Enter Recalculate the calculation history after editing

F3 Select Degrees in Scientific mode

F4 Select Radians in Scientific mode

Press this key To do this
F5 Select Grads in Scientific mode
Ctrl+B Press the 3√x button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+G Press the 10x button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+O Press the cosh button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+S Press the sinh button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+T Press the tanh button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+Y Press the y√x button in Scientific mode
D Press the Mod button in Scientific mode
I Press the Inv button in Scientific mode
L Press the log button in Scientific mode
M Press the dms button in Scientific mode
N Press the ln button in Scientific mode
O Press the cos button in Scientific mode
P Press the pi button in Scientific mode
Q Press the x^2 button in Scientific mode
S Press the sin button in Scientific mode
T Press the tan button in Scientific mode
V Press the F-E button in Scientific mode
X Press the Exp button in Scientific mode
Y Press the x^y button in Scientific mode
# Press the x^3 button in Scientific mode
; Press the Int button in Scientific mode
! Press the n! button in Scientific mode
F2 Select Dword in Programmer mode
F3 Select Word in Programmer mode
F4 Select Byte in Programmer mode
F5 Select Hex in Programmer mode
F6 Select Dec in Programmer mode
F7 Select Oct in Programmer mode

Press this key To do this
F8 Select Bin in Programmer mode
F12 Select Qword in Programmer mode
A-F Press the A-F buttons in Programmer mode
J Press the RoL button in Programmer mode
K Press the RoR button in Programmer mode
< Press the Lsh button in Programmer mode
> Press the Rsh button in Programmer mode
% Press the Mod button in Programmer mode
| Press the Or button in Programmer mode
^ Press the Xor button in Programmer mode
~ Press the Not button in Programmer mode
& Press the And button in Programmer mode
Spacebar Toggles the bit value in Programmer mode
A Press the Average button in Statistics mode
Ctrl+A Press the Average Sq button in Statistics mode
S Press the Sum button in Statistics mode
Ctrl+S Press the Sum Sq button in Statistics mode
T Press the S.D. button in Statistics mode
Ctrl+T Press the Inv S.D. button in Statistics mode
D Press the CAD button in Statistics mode

Calendar keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with the Calendar app.

Press this key To do this

Ctrl+1 or Ctrl+D

Show the day view

Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+O Show the work week view

Ctrl+3 or Ctrl+W Show the week view

Press this key To do this
Ctrl+4 or Ctrl+M Show the month view
Ctrl+T or Home Go to today
Ctrl+N Create a new event
Page up In month view, go to the previous month
In week view, go to the previous week
Ctrl+H In day view, go to the previous two days
In month view, go to the previous month
Page down In week view, go to the previous week
In day view, go to the previous two days
Ctrl+J In month view, go to the next month
In week view, go to the next week
Right arrow In day view, go to the next two days
Left arrow In month view, go to the next month
Down arrow In week view, go to the next week
Up arrow In day view, go to the next two days
Esc In a view, go to the next day
Ctrl+S In a view, go to the previous day
Ctrl+P, use up and down arrows to select In a view, go to the next hour
Ctrl+D In a view, go to the previous hour
Go back
Save or send the event
Respond to an event
Delete an event

Mail keyboard shortcuts

The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with the Mail app.

Press this key To do this

Ctrl+R Reply

Ctrl+Shift+R Reply all

Ctrl+F Forward

Ctrl+M Move item to a different folder

Ctrl+J Toggle between marking a message as junk or not junk

Ctrl+Shift+U Show only unread messages

Ctrl+Shift+A Show all messages

Ctrl+Shift+E Show Folder options

Ctrl+U Mark as unread

Ctrl+Q Mark as read

Ctrl+A Select all messages

Insert Toggle between Flag and Remove flag for messages

Ctrl+N New message

F5 Sync

Alt+B Put focus on the bcc button

Alt+C Put focus on the cc button

Accept

Alt+D Decline

Alt+T Put focus on the To button

Tentative

Alt+V Open the invitation in Calendar

Alt+S Send mail

Alt+i Insert attachment

Ctrl+Shift+F Select a font

Ctrl+Spacebar Clear formatting

Ctrl+Y Redo

Press this key To do this
F4 Redo
Ctrl+[ Increase font size one point
Ctrl+] Decrease font size one point
Ctrl+Shift+, Decrease font size
Ctrl+Shift+. Increase font size
Ctrl+K Add a link
Ctrl+E Center
Ctrl+L Left
Ctrl+R Right
Ctrl+Shift+L Bullets
Ctrl+M Indent when text is selected
Ctrl+Shift+M Outdent
Tab or Shift+Tab Indent/outdent when text is selected or when focus is in a list
Ctrl+' Acute accent
Ctrl+, Cedilla accent
Ctrl+Shift+6 Circumflex accent
Ctrl+Shift+; Diaeresis accent
Ctrl+` Grave accent
Ctrl+Shift+7 Ligature accent
Ctrl+Shift+2 Ring accent
Ctrl+/ Forward slash accent
Ctrl+Shift+` Tilde accent
Alt+Ctrl+Shift+1 Inverted exclamation mark
Alt+Ctrl+Shift+/ Inverted question mark