Keyboard shortcuts have been a part of Windows for ages, but not before Windows 7 has there been a shortcut for just about anything and everything you want to do on the computer. We’ve gathered up what we feel the Top 40 Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts are for you in the hopes of easing your life just a little bit, and virtually never having to touch your mouse ever again.
Of course, all of this depends on your ability to remember all of these.
General Keyboard Shortcuts
Alt + Enter: Display properties for the selected item.
Alt + Esc: Cycle through items in the order of which they were opened.
Alt + F4: Close the active item or exit the active program.
Alt + spacebar: Open the shortcut menu for the active window.
Alt + Tab: Shift between open programs.
Ctrl + A: Select all the items in a document or window.
Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item.
Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item.
Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item.
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action.
Ctrl + Z: Undo last action.
Ctrl + Shift + arrow key: Select a block of text.
Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder anywhere on your computer where folders can be created.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager.
F1: Display help.
F2: Rename the selected item.
F5: Refresh the active window.
F6: Cycle through elements in a window or on the Desktop.
F10: Activate the menu bar in the current program.
Shift + Del: Delete an item without sending it to the Recycle Bin.
Shift + F10: Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
Windows Key Keyboard Shortcuts
All of the following shortcuts involve using the Windows logo key which looks like this .
: Open or close the Start menu.
+ B: Change from the Desktop to the System Tray, and then you can use the arrow keys to cycle through the items there.
+ E: Launch Windows Explorer/Computer.
+ F: Launch file and folder finder.
+ G: Cycle through gadgets.
+ M: Minimize all Windows for quick access to the desktop.
+ P: Quickly connect your computer to a projector or some other form of display.
+ R: Open the Run dialog box.
+ T: Cycle through programs on the Taskbar.
+ U: Open Ease of Access Center.
+ X: Open Windows Mobility Center.
+ down cursor arrow: Minimize the current program.
+ up cursor arrow: Maximize the current program window.
+ Home button: Minimize all windows except the current one.
+ Pause button: Display System Properties dialog box.
+ Shift + M: Restore minimized windows to the Desktop.
+ space bar: Shows you the desktop immediately.
+ Tab: Flip through the programs on the Taskbar using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl + + B: Switch to the program that had a message appear in the status area.