Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Logo Key Shortcuts

Shortcut Key Combination	What It Does
Windows Key	Displays or hides the Start menu.
Windows Key+Break (the key with the word "Break" printed on it)	Displays the System Properties dialog box.
Windows Key+D	Shows the desktop.
Windows Key+M	Minimizes all windows.
Windows Key+Shift+M	Restores minimized windows.
Windows Key+E	Opens Windows Explorer.
Windows Key+F	Searches for a file or folder.
Windows Key+F1	Displays Windows Help.
Windows Key+R	Opens the Run dialog box.

Common Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Key Combination	What It Does
Shift+F10	Displays the shortcut menu for the selected item (equivalent to right-clicking with the mouse).
Shift+Delete	Deletes the selected item permanently without placing it in the Recycle Bin.
Shift with any of the arrow keys	Selects more than one contiguous item in a window or on the desktop, or selects text within a document.
Right Arrow	Opens the next menu to the right, or opens a submenu.
Left Arrow	Opens the next menu to the left, or closes a submenu.
Home	Goes to the top of the active window.
F6	Cycles through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F5	Refreshes the active window.
F3	Searches for a file or folder.
F2	Renames the selected item.
F10	Activates the menu bar in the active program.
Esc	Cancels the current task.
Ctrl+A	Selects all.
Ctrl+Z	Undoes the previous action.
Ctrl+X	Cuts.
Ctrl+C	Copies.
Ctrl+V	Pastes.
Ctrl+Up Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
Ctrl+Shift with any of the arrow keys	Highlights a block of text.
Ctrl+Right Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
Ctrl+Left Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
Ctrl+F4	Closes the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
Ctrl+Esc	Displays the Start menu.
Ctrl+Down Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
Ctrl while dragging an item	Makes a copy of the item you're dragging.
Backspace	In My Computer or Windows Explorer, opens the folder one level up.
Alt+Tab	Switches between open items.
Alt+F4	Closes the active item, or quits the active program.
Alt+Esc	Cycles through items in the order they were opened.
Alt+Enter	Displays the properties of the selected object.

Windows XP Dialog Box Shortcuts

Shortcut Key Combination	What It Does
Ctrl+Tab	Moves forward through tabs in a dialog box.
Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Moves backward through tabs in a dialog box.
Tab	Moves forward through options in a dialog box.
Shift+Tab	Moves backward through options in a dialog box.
Space Bar	Selects or clears the checkbox if the active option is a checkable.
Arrow keys	Selects a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F1	Displays Help in the current program.
F4	Displays the items in the active list.
Backspace	Opens a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
Alt+underlined letter	Carries out the underlined letter's corresponding command or selects the corresponding option in a dialog box.