14 DAY TRIAL // Just like any other Windows contraption, Windows 8 comes with lots of keyboard shortcuts that can be used to quickly access specific tools or features.
Since Windows 8 integrates several improvements as compared to its predecessors, the overall number of keyboard shortcuts is also bigger, so beginners may have to search for guides like this to find out the quickest way to launch a specific app.
Of course, using a multimedia keyboard with pre-defined hotkeys is the easiest way to make the most of Windows 8, but aside from the factory configured buttons, there still are a bunch of features you can only access by pressing multiple keys at the same time.
Here’s what can be very well considered the longest list with the most helpful keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8. All of them are provided by Yash Tolia, a Microsoft employee, so you can be pretty sure that all of them work.
Windows key: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application Windows key + C: Access the charms bar Windows key + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar Windows key + I: Access the Settings charm Windows key + H: Access the Share charm Windows key + K: Access the Devices charm Windows key + Q: Access the Apps Search screen Windows key + F: Access the Files Search screen Windows key + W: Access the Settings Search screen Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar Windows key + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation Windows key + . : Move the screen split to the right Windows key + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left Windows key + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications Windows key + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order Windows key + PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot Windows key + Enter: Launch Narrator Windows key + E: Open Computer Windows key + R: Open the Run dialog box Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access Center Windows key + Ctrl + F: Open Find Computers dialog box Windows key + Pause/Break: Open the System page Windows key + 1..10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + Shift + 1..10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + Ctrl + 1..10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + Alt + 1..10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + B: Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item Windows key + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area Windows key + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar Windows key + M: Minimize all windows Windows key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows Windows key + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows) Windows key + L: Lock computer Windows key + Up Arrow: Maximize current window Windows key + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window Windows key + Home: Minimize all but the current window Windows key + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen Windows key + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen Windows key + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen Windows key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next Windows key + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen Esc: Close a charm Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen Alt: Display a hidden Menu Bar Alt + D: Select the Address Bar Alt + P: Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows Alt + F: Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP) Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin) Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item Ctrl + A: Select all items Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item Ctrl + D: Delete selected item Ctrl + Z: Undo an action Ctrl + Y: Redo an action Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer Ctrl + E: Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder Ctrl + Tab: Move forward through tabs Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group F1: Display Help F2: Rename a file F3: Open Search F4: Display the Address Bar list F5: Refresh display F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt F10: Display hidden Menu Bar F11: Toggle full screen display Tab: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard Home: Move to the top of the active window End: Move to the bottom of the active window Delete: Delete the selected item Backspace: Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box Esc: Close a dialog box Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-): Collapse the selected folder Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*): Expand all subfolders under the selected folder Press Shift 5 times: Turn StickyKeys on or off Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds: Turn FilterKeys on or off Hold down Num Lock for 5 seconds: Turn ToggleKeys on or off