100 Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)

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Getting familiar with keyboard shortcuts not only help you get the work done faster, but also more efficient. If your daily job rely heavily on using Windows, here are some 100+ Windows Keyboard Shortcuts you might want to check out. If there’s any nifty shortcuts we have missed, appreciate a heads up.

The General Shortcuts

We’ll kickoff the list with some really general shortcuts that you often used.

  • CTRL+C (Copy)
  • CTRL+X (Cut)
  • CTRL+V (Paste)
  • CTRL+Z (Undo)
  • DELETE (Delete)
  • SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
  • CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
  • CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
  • F2 key (Rename the selected item)
  • CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
  • CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
  • CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
  • CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
  • CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
  • SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
  • CTRL+A (Select all)
  • F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
  • ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
  • ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
  • ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
  • ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
  • CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
  • ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
  • ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
  • F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
  • F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
  • SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
  • ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
  • CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
  • ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
  • Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
  • F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
  • RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
  • LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
  • F5 key (Update the active window)
  • BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
  • ESC (Cancel the current task)
  • SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts

  • CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)
  • CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)
  • TAB (Move forward through the options)
  • SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)
  • ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)
  • ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)
  • SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
  • Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
  • F1 key (Display Help)
  • F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
  • BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
  • Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
  • Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
  • Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
  • Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)
  • Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
  • Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
  • CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
  • Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
  • Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
  • Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
  • Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off)
  • Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)
  • Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)
  • SHIFT five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)
  • NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)
  • Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

  • END (Display the bottom of the active window)
  • HOME (Display the top of the active window)
  • NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
  • NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)
  • NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)
  • LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
  • RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Shortcut Keys for Character Map

  • After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:
  • RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
  • LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
  • UP ARROW (Move up one row)
  • DOWN ARROW (Move down one row)
  • PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time)
  • PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time)
  • HOME (Move to the beginning of the line)
  • END (Move to the end of the line)
  • CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character)
  • CTRL+END (Move to the last character)
  • SPACEBAR (Switch between Enlarged and Nor mal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts

  • CTRL+O (Open a saved console)
  • CTRL+N (Open a new console)
  • CTRL+S (Save the open console)
  • CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item)
  • CTRL+W (Open a new window)
  • F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
  • ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the MMC window menu)
  • ALT+F4 (Close the console)
  • ALT+A (Display the Action menu)
  • ALT+V (Display the View menu)
  • ALT+F (Display the File menu)
  • ALT+O (Display the Favorites menu)

MMC Console Window Keyboard Shortcuts

  • CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane)
  • ALT+Minus sign (-) (Display the window menu for the active console window)
  • SHIFT+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
  • F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
  • F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
  • CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
  • CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)
  • ALT+ENTER (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
  • F2 key (Rename the selected item)
  • CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

  • CTRL+ALT+END (Open the m*cro$oft Windows NT Security dialog box)
  • ALT+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
  • ALT+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
  • ALT+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
  • ALT+HOME (Display the Start menu)
  • CTRL+ALT+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
  • ALT+DELETE (Display the Windows menu)
  • CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
  • CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+) (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Internet Explorer navigation

  • CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
  • CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)
  • CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)
  • CTRL+H (Open the History bar)
  • CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)
  • CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)
  • CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
  • CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)
  • CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)
  • CTRL+R (Update the current Web page)
  • CTRL+W (Close the current window)

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  • Christopher (G1)
    Hello. do not know if this is in your list or readers add ons.. Press and hold Ctrl. button and rotate Scroll wheel for ward or back wards, (one click at a time) the text on screen will either get a size bigger or a size smaller, . ok have fun Christopher
  • All of them are very applicable to me, but the most important for me is giving the picture a strong focus. Although that was very basic, I think I can use that till the next years of blogging.
  • JAYAPRAKASH
    GOOD WORK..KEEP IT UP.THANK YOU.
  • oh... thanks i almost forget it all!... cheers
  • create custom homepage.
  • how to make a check like this √ ? I just copy paste it..but I want to know the short cut.. :)
  • Lagrange
    @Tina, if it is Windows XP, right click an empty spot on the task bar and click "Tile windows horizontally" (or vertically). For Vista and 7, I think the option is called "Stack windows side by side".

    I don't know of an easy keyboard shortcut other than changing focus to the system tray and using the context key (on the keyboard next to the windows key). It would go something like:
    WIN KEY,
    ESCAPE,
    TAB,
    TAB,
    TAB,
    RIGHT ARROW (until the focus is over the clock),
    CONTEXT KEY,
    H
  • waila
    write "..." in RUN.My computer will open!!! :D
  • Tina
    My young grandson loves to play with the mouse and keyboard and several times he has been able to arrange four open windows on my desktop in a way that you can see all four at one time. Of course, the windows were already open and he did something that arranged them in the way and I have tried over and over to recreate what he did, but I have no idea what it was. Do you have any idea what keystrokes he made in order to achieve that type display? Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
  • joy
    my laptop wont turn turn on.. kept on pressing start button. but the tsandby ligt is there.. is there any shordt cut keys for turning on the pc after plugging it in? pls help
  • ashu
    thxx its gud
    all shortcuts on one page its gud ..keep it up dude..
  • U7T!(^)4T3
    CTRL +ALT+TAB.............CHECK OUT
    NOT IN XP.............
  • bebe
    dosen't work with VISTA. nothing works with VISTA
  • Thanks for the list! Each time I press CTRL+U it opens the task manager, so it might be a shortcut as well.
  • guru
    more shortcuts and detail explanation
  • rajaryans
    Hi. i just want to tht in windows xp wht is the coomand for minimize the active window & again maximize the active window by keybord command like in windows 7 the short cut is windows down to minimize & windows up arrow to maximize. so if u have any information plz let me no. i m waiting for ur reply
  • sam Abraham
    try CTRL + E
  • sam Abraham
    windows+R for Run
  • m65
    very nice article thanks for the share
  • its nice to display all the short cut keys
  • try CTRL+ENTER for a quick URL.
    Normally I'd leave out all the mess and be fine with google.com
    but if you want to be lazier (like me) just type google CTRL+ENTER.
    it'll add the "http://www." and the ".com" for you.

    It does screw up with you once you get in the habit and you need to add a country extention or a .net
  • Kenny
    Common keyboard shortcuts on the virtual keyboard:
    http://hot-virtual-keyboard.com/keyboard-shortc...
  • baraka
    i want keyboard shortcut for return back
  • suhas
    Excellent way to complete ur job and work Great!!!!!!
  • kAiRi
    CNTRL + ALT + DEL - its TASK MANAGER
  • Nikhilllllllllllllllll Darjiii
    Goooooooooooooooooooooood Informationnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
  • jilly123
    To get page setup in document double click in ruler on the left of screen.
  • What great content. I spend a lot of time at the computer blogging, writing my newsletter etc. and this will help to minimize my valuable time spent on these tasks.

    Thanks a mil
  • thanks for ur information .i ll feed in my RSS Feed Reader
  • Havish Madhvapaty
    - it was for making a new window -
  • Havish Madhvapaty
    Alt - F - W - F {use them one after the other - eg press alt - release alt - press F - release F and s on}
  • I just know Win+U+U can close the window. You can try!
  • ANUP SINGH
    Ctrl+Spacebar+C
    donesn't close the window
    but Ctrl+W close
  • That's a great information, even several shortcuts doesn't works, that's never mind at least people can try which one can work.
    Thanks.
  • Very good list, it's amazing how much we can speed things up with a few keyboard shortcuts. Always hungry for for great articles like this! Great food for though to think about how small shortcuts like this can help with our every day life!
  • mit
    i would like to tell you something if you have to find any file just open my com by pressing logo key + E. and just press tab one time after type drive after press tab than type the file name & enter it.
    easy for typist ok. "DO NOT TRY AT HOME IF YOUR TYPING SPEED IS NOT MORE THAN 30 WORDS PER MINUTE".
  • john albert
    hi! your website is very good I wish that you can have a more than 100 or maybe 500!!!!! if can?!:}!!!!!!!!
  • ot1
    whats the quikest way to create a new folder?
    Alt+F W N is to long and involves your mose. In mac its so simple. Apple+Shift+N.
  • saket
    lol its alt + d ok....
  • CTRL, ALT and DEL is the most important I think...
  • Is there a keyboard short cut that opens the Run comands box?
  • vrymel
    thanks for the shortcuts..

    i need this for my assignment, thank you again !

    god bless..
  • Hayden Williams
    You may already have this by now but

    to create an new folder quickly in explorer

    Press
    Alt + F
    w
    n
    and name your new folder

    Enjoy
  • In windows 7 u can create a new folder by simply pressing Ctrl+Shift+N
  • bm
    hi dis z fine 4 everyone those who works in computer sectors.
    Thanx alot 4 sharing 100 keyboard shortcuts.keep it up....:-)
  • ellehcar
    restart shortcut key is
    CTRL+ALT+DELETE (press 2x)
  • Thanks for the Shotcut
  • easy way
    hello, thanks for these things. could there be a shortcut for viewing elements like thumbnails or list?
  • Jen
    CTRL-D doesn't minimize all windows for me.
  • This is so cool!
  • Love that google, very nice website.

    Will browse around and hopefully have something I can add.

    Have a nice day.
    TrikkeGalAllison
  • Sure love google, interesting read.

    Will read up and hopefully have something good to add.

    Keep up the good work.
    StiltsChickSylvia
  • AtoeMonro
    nice forum^)
  • sabrina
    I've just joined this site and it looks great.
  • Eileen Milsom
    No-one seems to have come up with a way to stop printing if you have accidentaly asked for too many copies? I would dearly like a solution to this. With thanks, Eileen
  • turn the printer power button off; if that doesn't work, unplug the printer :)
  • ayyappa
    hi ,
    it is veryusefull to us .especially for the learners it is most helpfull i think so
  • prontednerbut
    Hi, just joined the forum and I hope to get to know many of you.;)
  • Prasad
    OOOOOOHhhuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!

    That was great!!!!1

    It is very useful when mouse is not working !!!

    Great work
  • Dorothy B.
    Does anyone know the keyboard shortcut to have the Advanced Sound and Audio Devices display show up on the screen without using the Control Panel route or the volume icon on the task bar?
  • Dorothy B.
    My keyboard has a "Print Screen" key over the num. keys. I hold down the shift key + Print Screen key. This will COPY EVERYTHING that is currently displayed onto the clipboard and you need to open a program to PASTE it there. I paste mine into M/S WORD and then press FORMAT and select PICTURE (which it now is) to CROP out the things I do not want. It looks very good done this way.

    Hope this helps.
    -Dorothy
  • Is there also a list for Mac users?
  • Sadiasep...
    in case u didnt notice..
    100 Keyboard Shortcuts (WINDOWS!!!!!!!!)
  • Thanks for all these shortcuts, might be difficult to remember them but I've noted the most important ones , i will be using on a daily basis.

    Mon
  • Florian
    This is a good overview... but still not complete:
    WINDOWS+TAB --> switch between the entries in the taskbar
    WINDOWS+BREAK --> open system properties.
    PRINT SCREEN BUTTON --> makes a screenshot
    ALT+PRINT SCREEN BUTTON --> makes screenshot of current window

    I hope all the names (for keys and functions) are correct. I have just an German Windows and a German keyboard

    btw: if anybody knows a shortcut how to create a folder in explorer: let me know. This is one of the main reasons why I'm using Freecommander :-)
  • some guy
    Holy crap, are you trying to dell me the delete key deletes things? I think a-z should be on the list too.
  • ye
    oh ur cool
  • ye
    and good job mate. these are very useful
  • Jim
    ana

    just use the print screen button at the top of your keyboard....above F10....then go to a program where you can paste it and print it out
  • Ana
    Please, does anyone know that shortcut, which could save the hole current image of display like a image? You know... like take a picture of monitor display...

    I knew it... but forget it... and now i need it so much...

    Thanks!
  • srikanth
    how wonderfull stuff for new users those who r intreted 2 learn shortcuts
  • Nadeemdg
    Hi...very useful to work in shorttime...
  • dgs
    No over rapidshare crawlers can be compared with Megauploadfiles.com. megauploadfiles.comis a best megaupload search engine.
  • WoW!

    Great short cuts! very very useful.
    I must confess that I didn't know 90% of them :)
  • hasshhh
    Excellent............
  • ASHISH KATARIA
    NICE. THANKS FOR THE SHORCUTS. KEEP IT UP
  • senthil
    excellent shortcuts
    thanks a lot
  • saleem ahmed
    thanks,
    its very useful shortcuts.
    keep it up...
  • Amazing..it is useful...thx
  • cool, there are quite a few of these that I didn't know about that I should be using. Thanks!
  • Biswas: Thanks, that's a good one.
  • ivy
    it is so good to know all of the shortcut keys in one!!!
    thank you... i learn a lot!!
  • Julia Donovan
    Grateful for the 100 shortcuts but why is there no facility to stop printing? I really did not need twenty pages of comments!
  • Julia Donovan
    Grateful for the 100 shortcuts, but I really did not need twenty pages of comments! Why isn't there a facility to stop printing?
  • sas
    CTRL + "move mouse scroll/wheel" = zoom in or out.

    Can also be used to increase/decrease the font when using the net
  • We need a printer friendly version of this. :)
  • Vidyasagar
    nice collection... i really liked it, a lot of them i already knew but a few of them are really useful... n those are the ones that i reallt did'nt knew.... by the way....
    "Windows logo+E" opens Windows Explorer and not My Computer... plz do currect that.....
  • ye
    erm.... no it doesn't
  • madscientist
    holding down the alt key and typing in a 3 number sequence will create the alphabet or symbols. for example holding down the alt key type the numbers of 099 will creat the letter c .. but you can only use these in a word document or notepad
  • xanax online with delivery online xanax
  • Thanks very much for publishing this type of article on the net. It serves as an enlightenment and encouragement to proceed to a higher level in learning. Thanks
  • Thanks for lots of shortcuts.
    I’ll refer here sometime.
  • Rav
    In Microsoft Excel, when editing graphs, as you cycle through parts of the graph using arrow keys, you can change formatting.
    Press alt+return to copy the same formating to the next part.
    E.g change x axis minor grid lines to grey, and fine width (by selecting x axis minor grid lines then changing properties)
    then give y axis minors same format by pressing alt+return
  • Masny
    Eu já era viciado em atalhos. Com esses, então, vou ficar paranóico!!! Valeu pelas dicas!!!
  • This one makes sence "One's first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."
  • nathan
    Copied entirely frm Microsoft support Webpage!!!
    Sorry nothing was upto Expectation..
    :(
  • Here's my $0.02 for the most useful shortcuts for IE7.
    http://www.essistme.com/2007/04/21/5-most-commo...
  • Wow, what a nice list of shortcuts - thanks! Ya, some of these seem to not work with Firefox. But when I tried now the Ctrl+V it actually works with my Front Page every time, while the regular right click and paste does not.
  • very usefull shortcuts.
  • Ruby
    Great idea! Also: If you have an alternate keyboard char mapping installed (like U.S.-English keyboard and Spanish keyboard) then you can LeftALT LeftSHIFT to toggle between the keyboard layouts.
  • Marty
    Sorry
    Ctrl-Shift (and the plus sign on the Num pad)
  • Marty
    My favorite is Ctrl-Shift (on num pad)
    Resizes all columns to fit (removes elipsis)
  • i use CTRL+SPACEBAR+C or CTRL+W to close active window/programs.
  • Phil
    Nice to have it all on one page once and for all.

    Thanks!
  • Hi! Nice site!
  • wow.
    I think I just divorced my mouse.
    Rockin...
  • Howdy Folks. I was wondering if anyone had any details on the Eastern re-union that is being held in Moncton in 2007. Cheers, Dan
  • Gerda Rabenort
    Would it be nice if you showed also the Alt ...keys? For instance Alt 132 gives ä, Alt 132 gives å. Alt 145 gives æ . If I write on my American keyboard in Swedish, Danish a.s.o. I need this keys.
  • A.Castro
    CTRL SHIFT ESC (Displays the task manager in windows)
  • As I copy and paste a few reply short cuts for my own use, I mouse over the text; clicking twice selects the word and clicking three times selects the current line of text. That's always helpful in editing.
  • Ankit P
    windows + L actually logs you off,it doesn't lock the keyboard.
  • Sassy D
    THANK YOU!!!
  • Noo.. The widely known shortcut is the power key (on some useless keyboards..). it turns off the computer :P
  • Messcalin
    CTRL+Shift+ESC opens the Taskmanager :)
  • Nice list. Have searched high and low for this.
    Thanks for sharing

    Regards
  • Ronnie McCulley
    Windows media center,with black black backround on your site can hardly see anything,am i crazy or just stupid and doing something wrong,how many people turn away from this site because they can hardly see or read it.
  • 公顷薄荷
    谢谢
  • alt + spacebar + m = Move current windows with arrow keys

    Is indeed very usefull, there is a modification that makes it even easier (and imo better).

    alt + spacebar, m, any arrow key once, then move the mouse to position the window where you like.

    Its especially usefull if a window is off the screen someplace and you can not see it.
  • Sara
    CTRL+D
    Minimizes all windows and displays desktop. If you repeat it, all windows maximize again the way they were.
    I always get surprised at how few people know that.
  • Cool stuff, I knew a few but theres some great time savers here.
  • Thanks for sharing this kind of info...
    regards...

    iYiZ.
  • billy
    -alt + spacebar + m = Move current windows with arrow keys

    The only shortcut that I had not known of already and that I really wish I had known a long time ago was buried in the comments =D BTW, how could you leave out Ctrl+Alt+Del... that is really messed up.
  • Wow, you did a great job!
    Thanks for lots of shortcuts.
    I'll refer here sometime.
  • LOL!

    You forgot the most known shortcut...
    CTRL-ALT-DELETE!
    ;-)

    I didn't know that I known 100 shortcuts...
    This will be the site I will give to everyone who wants to use a keyboard! Good one!

    I may propose an another one... but it's with the mouse only. Drag and drop... but with the right button. It will show you a popup asking you if you want to move/copy/create shortcut.

    ciao
  • Thanks for putting these together all in one place. All of these would be nice in a one-page cheat sheet.
  • jackson
    this has to be one of the main reasons switching to osx is so difficult. xp definitely wins in the keyboard shortcut department. they make things so much easier and quicker.
  • Warner
    Also, don't forget for internet browsing, in IE, typing in hongkiat, and then pressing CTRL-Enter fills in the www, and the .com, and if you use Firefox, Ctrl=Shift-Enter adds .org, and shift-enter fills in .net, saves me a lot of time every day right there. Hope it helps
  • jake
    ALT+SPACEBAR is a good one.
    Try these alt-spacebar combos:
    -alt + spacebar + n = Shrink (minimize) current window
    -alt + spacebar + x = Maximize current window
    -this one has saved my ass before quite a few times
    -alt + spacebar + m = Move current windows with arrow keys
  • Nk
    ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)

    ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
  • toto
    In IE... you can press ALT+D > Address Bar... with Alt you have all the stuff..
  • nasty
    "Some does not work with firefox." where does it say anything about firefox?
  • Some does not work with firefox.
  • siao liao.
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