Appendix B. Keyboard shortcuts and touchscreen tips
The standard method of working with content on a Windows computer is to click the relevant commands. You can perform some tasks faster by pressing specific key combinations or, on a touchscreen device, by using specific gestures.
Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts provide a quick way to perform actions on the computer without taking your hands off the keyboard. Many keyboard shortcuts have become commonplace over the years, to the extent that they perform the same function in apps from almost any publisher. For example, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, and Ctrl+V will copy, cut, and paste in many apps.
To differentiate keyboard shortcuts that control Windows from keyboard shortcuts that are specific to apps, many Windows keyboard shortcuts include the Windows logo key, which is located near the lower-left corner of the keyboard and labeled with the Windows icon. (Some keyboards have two Windows logo keys, one on each side of the spacebar.) The appearance of the icon varies based on the version of Windows that was active when the keyboard was manufactured.
The simplest Windows 10 keyboard shortcut is to simply press and release the Windows logo key to display or hide the Start screen.
Tip
Because we refer to the Windows logo key a lot in this appendix, we’ve abbreviated the key name in multi-key keyboard shortcuts to Win.
Most keyboard shortcuts require that you hold down one key and then press another key. These keyboard shortcuts are presented in the form Win+C. Some keyboard shortcuts combine three keys; these are presented in the form Win+Shift+M. When invoking a three-key shortcut, press and hold the first key, press and hold the second key, press the third key, and then release all three.
New in Windows 10
Most of the Windows 10 shortcuts are the same as those in previous versions of Windows, but there are a few new keyboard shortcuts that simplify interactions with features that are new or different in Windows 10. If you’re familiar with the older shortcuts and just want the new ones, they are:
Win+A Open the Action Center
Win+S Open search
Win+C Open Cortana in listening mode
Win+Tab Open Task view
Win+Ctrl+D Add a virtual desktop
Win+Ctrl+Right Arrow Switch between virtual desktops you’ve created on the right
Win+Ctrl+Left Arrow Switch between virtual desktops you’ve created on the left
Win+Ctrl+F4 Close the virtual desktop you’re using
Windows keyboard shortcuts
The following table includes all the keyboard shortcuts we could validate in Windows 10 at the time of this writing. Some of these keyboard shortcuts are valid only when the Windows user interface is active (not in individual apps).
General keyboard shortcuts
The following shortcuts are applicable in multiple interfaces that might include system windows, app windows, File Explorer, dialog boxes, and panes.
Touchscreen tips
Many computers, tablets, and phones have touchscreen interfaces, and some computer keyboards have touchpads that allow many of the same types of interactions as touchscreens.
The following table describes some specific terms that we use when describing interactions with a touchscreen.
On a touch device, you can set the permitted time and distance between taps for the double-tap action, and the minimum and maximum length of hold that performs a right-click equivalent. You configure these settings in the Pen And Touch dialog box.
You can use the gestures described in the following table to manage Windows 10 user interface elements on a screen that supports 10-point touch. Other touchscreen gestures might be available on your device, depending on the hardware and drivers.
You can use the gestures described in the following table to move around on the screen.
You can use the gestures described in the following table to work with text content.
