Introduction
Windows 8.1 is the latest offering from Microsoft and has reinvented itself as an operating system for both tablet and PC users. While touch screen users can take advantage of the many navigational rewrites, Microsoft has also done their part to ensure that users who prefer getting around with the keyboard would not be left out.
To cater to this group, Microsoft has integrated new keyboard shortcuts to let them navigate through the reconstructed OS faster and easier. And as much fun as touch screens can be, sometimes you can do more with keyboard shortcuts than you can with swipes. Besides, if you are part of the keyboard generation, shortcuts just come more naturally anyways.
Just in case you aren’t aware, the Windows key is sometimes referred to as the WinKey, the flag key or even start key. Windows key was placed between the left Ctrl and the left Alt. In laptops and other compact keyboards it is common to have just one Windows key (usually on the left).
| Shortcut | Description |
| Windows Key + D | Show Desktop |
| Windows Key + C | Open Charms Menu |
| Windows Key + F | Charms Menu – Search |
| Windows Key + H | Charms Menu – Share |
| Windows Key + K | Charms Menu – Devices |
| Windows Key + I | Charms Menu – Settings |
| Windows Key + Q | Search For Installed Apps |
| Windows Key + Tab | Cycle through open Modern UI Apps |
| Windows Key + Shift + Tab | Cycle through open Modern UI Apps in reverse order |
| Windows Key + . | Snaps app to the right (split screen multitasking) |
| Windows Key + Shift + . | Snaps app to the left (split screen multitasking) |
| Windows Key + , | Temporarily view desktop |
| Alt + F4 | Quit Modern UI Apps |
| Windows Key + E | Launch Windows Explorer Window |
| Windows Key + L | Lock PC and go to lock screen |
| Windows Key + T | Cycle through icons on taskbar (press Enter to launch app) |
| Windows Key + X | Show Advanced Windows Settings Menu |
| Windows Key + Page Down | Moves Start screen and apps to secondary monitor on the right |
| Windows Key + M | Minimize all Windows |
| Windows Key + Shift + M | Restore all minimized Windows |
| Windows Key + R | Open Run dialog box |
| Windows Key + Up Arrow | Maximize current window |
| Windows Key + Down Arrow | Minimize current window |
| Windows Key + Left Arrow | Maximize current window to left side of the screen |
| Windows Key + Right Arrow | Maximize current window to right side of the screen |
| Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Open Task Manager |
| Windows Key + Print Screen | Takes a Print Screen and saves it to your Pictures folder |
| Windows Key + Page Up | Moves Start screen and apps to secondary monitor on the left |
| Windows Key + Pause Break | Display System Properties |
| Shift + Delete | Permanently delete files without sending it to Recycle Bin |
| Windows Key + F1 | Open Windows Help and Support |
| Windows Key + V | Cycle through notifications |
| Windows Key + Shift + V | Cycle through notifications in reverse order |
| Windows Key + 0 to 9 | Launch/show app pinned to taskbar at indicated number |
| Windows Key + Shift + 0 to 9 | Launch new instance of app pinned to taskbar at indicated number |
| Alt + Enter | Display Properties of selected item in File Explorer |
| Alt + Up Arrow | View upper level folder of current folder in File Explorer |
| Alt + Right Arrow | View next folder in File Explorer |
| Alt + Left Arrow | View previous folder in File Explorer |
| Windows Key + P | Choose secondary display modes |
| Windows Key + U | Open Ease of Access Center |
| Alt + Print Screen | Print Screen focused Window only |
| Windows Key + Spacebar | Switch input language and keyboard layout |
| Windows Key + Shift + Spacebar | Switch to previous input language and keyboard layout |
| Windows Key + Enter | Open Narrator |
| Windows Key + + | Zoom in using Magnifier |
| Windows Key + – | Zoom out using Magnifier |
| Windows Key + Escape | Exit Magnifier |
