With all the less pleasant verdicts about Vista, Windows 7 is perhaps PC users’ next best news. Codenamed Blackcomb, this new Microsoft operating system is surely a successor over it’s predecessor Windows XP and definitely Vista. With Microsoft to end their support for Windows XP in 2014, we figured Windows 7 will be completely taking over things in the next year or so.
If you are a Windows users it’s probably time for a change, or at least tryout this new operating system. Here are some shortcut keys to help improve your productivity and user experience with Windows 7. Full list after jump.
General Windows 7 Shortcuts
Win + Up
Maximize the current Window
Win + Down
Restore down or minimize current Windows
Win + Left
Dock the current Window to the left half of the screen
Win + Right
Dock the current Window to the right half of the screen
Win + Number
Activate and run the program pinned on Windows 7 Taskbar, running program won’t be affected
Win + Home
Minimize all but the current Window
Win + Space
Makes all Windows transparent so you can see through to the desktop
Win + Pause or Break
Open System Properties
Win + Tab
Flip Aero 3D [press Tab to cycle between Windows]
Win + B
Move focus to notification tray (the right-most portion of the taskbar)
Win + D
Show/Hide desktop
Win + E
Windows Explorer is launched
Win + F
Search
Win + G
Bring all gadgets on top and foreground
Win + L
Lock Computer
Win + M
Minimize all Windows
Win + P
Open the projection menu (generally used for laptops connected to projectors)
Win + R
Run Command is launched.
Win + S
OneNote Screen Clipping Tool
Win + T
Show preview thumbnail of running applications in Windows Taskbar one by one without mouse over
Win + X
Mobility Center
Win + #
Quicklaunch
Win + =
Magnifier
Win + + or –
Enables the magnifier and zooms in/out
Win + Shift + Up
Maximize vertical size
Win + Shift + Down
Restore vertical size
Win + Shift + Left
Jump to left monitor
Win + Shift + Right
Jump to right monitor
Win + Shift + M
Undo all Window minimization
Win + Shift + T
Cycles backwards
Win + Ctrl + F
Opens the Active Directory Find Computers dialog
Ctrl + Right
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
Ctrl + Left
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
Ctrl + Up
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Ctrl + Down
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
Ctrl + Click
A pinned taskbar icon to cycle through the program’s open Windows (e.g. IE)
Ctrl + Win + Tab
Persistent flip 3D
Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key
Select a block of text
Ctrl + arrow + Spacebar
Select multiple individual items in a Window or on the desktop
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Open Task Manager directly
Ctrl + Shift + N
Create new folder
Shortcuts for Ease of Access
Right Shift for eight seconds
Turn Filter Keys on and off
Left Alt + Left Shift + PRINTSCREEN (or PRTSCRN)
Turn High Contrast on or off
Left Alt + Left Shift + NUMLOCK
Turn Mouse Keys on or off
Shift five times
Turn Sticky Keys on or off
NUMLOCK for five seconds
Open the Ease of Access Center
Win + U
Cycle through all open Windows
Windows Explorer
Alt + Left
Go back
Alt + Right
Go forward
Alt + Up
Go up a directory
Alt + Enter
Open the Properties Window of the current selection
Alt + Spacebar
Open the shortcut menu for the active Window
Alt + F4
Close the active Window
Alt + Tab
Switch to previous active Window
Alt + Esc
Cycle through all open Windows
Alt + D
Move focus to address bar
Alt + P
Show/hide the preview panel
Ctrl + N
Open a new Window
Ctrl + Mousewheel
Change the view type (extra large, small, list view, detail, etc.)
NUMLOCK + Asterisk (*) on numeric keypad
Display all subfolders under the selected folder
NUMLOCK + Plus Sign (+) on numeric keypad
Display the contents of the selected folder
NUMLOCK + Minus Sign (+) on numeric keypad
Collapse the selected folder
Taskbar Modifiers
Shift + Click on icon
Open a new instance
Middle click on icon
Open a new instance
Ctrl + Shift + Click on icon
Open a new instance with Admin privileges
Dialog Box
Ctrl + Tab
Move forward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Tab
Move back through tabs
Shift + Tab
Move back through options
Tab
Move forward through options
Alt + underlined letter
Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
Enter
Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
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
BackSpace
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box
