United States Change | All Microsoft Sites

Help and Support

LCID=1033

Search Site
powered by Live Search

Help and Support Home

Select a Product

Advanced Search

List of the keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows XP

View products that this article applies to. Article ID : 301583

Article Translation s
Arabic

Last Review : January 15, 2006 Revision : 4.3 Related Support Centers

This article was previously published under Q301583

On This Page
SUMMARY MORE INFORMATION General keyboard shortcuts Dialog box keyboard shortcuts Microsoft natural keyboard shortcuts Accessibility keyboard shortcuts Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts Shortcut keys for Character Map Microsoft Management Console (MMC) main window keyboard shortcuts MMC console window keyboard shortcuts Remote desktop connection navigation Microsoft Internet Explorer navigation Other information

Windows XP Other Support Options

SUMMARY
This article describes the keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows XP. Back to the top

Need More Help? Contact a Support professional by Email, Online or Phone. Customer Service For non-technical assistance with product purchases, subscriptions, online services, events, training courses, corporate sales, piracy issues, and more. Newsgroups Pose a question to other users. Discussion groups and Forums about specific Microsoft products, technologies, and services. Page Tools

MORE INFORMATION
General keyboard shortcuts
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)

Print this page E-mail this page

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)

CTRL+SHIFT+ESC (Open Task Manager)

Back to the top

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

If you press SHIFT+F8 in extended selection list boxes, you enable

extended selection mode. In this mode, you can use an arrow key to move a cursor without changing the selection. You can press CTRL+SPACEBAR or SHIFT+SPACEBAR to adjust the selection. To cancel extended selection mode, press SHIFT+F8 again. Extended selection mode cancels itself when you move the focus to another control.

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) Back to the top

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)
Back to the top

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)

Back to the top

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) Back to the top

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 Normal mode when a
character is selected) Back to the top

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)
Back to the top

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) Back to the top

Remote desktop connection navigation

CTRL+ALT+END (Open the Microsoft 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 entire client
window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

CTRL+ALT+Plus 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.)

Back to the top

Microsoft 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)
Back to the top

Other information
Some keyboard shortcuts may not work if StickyKeys is turned on
in Accessibility Options.

Some of the Terminal Services client shortcuts that are similar to

the shortcuts in Remote Desktop Sharing are not available when you use Remote Assistance in Windows XP Home Edition.

 Some of the other Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that have

similar information as this article are: 126449 Keyboard shortcuts for Windows 255090 Keystroke navigation in Windows 2000 Help

Refer to Help for the most current information regarding keyboard

navigation and visit the following Microsoft Accessibility Web site for additional information that relates to keyboard shortcuts and keyboard navigation in Windows and other Microsoft products: http://www.microsoft.com/enable Back to the top

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Back to the top

Keywords: kbpubtypekc kbenv kbinfo kbui KB301583

Back to the top

1 1 7811 LABEL 0

Provide feedback on this article

7814 CHOICE 0

Did this article help you solve your problem?

Yes No Partially I do not know yet

7708

CHOICE-SEQ 9
Strongly Agree 9 8

The article is easy to understand

Strongly Disagree 2 1

The article is accurate

7812

TEXT-BLOCK

Additional Comments:

7813

LABEL

To protect your privacy, do not include contact information in your feedback.

Help and Support

Services Agreement Contact Us | Terms of Use | Trademarks | Privacy Statement 2008 Microsoft