Computer Tricks with Keyboard: Mastering Keyboard Shortcuts

In today’s digital age, mastering the keyboard is one of the easiest ways to become more efficient while using a computer. Whether you are a professional, student, or casual computer user, knowing a few essential keyboard tricks can save you valuable time. This article will cover 1,000 words on some handy computer tricks that you can execute with your keyboard to work smarter, not harder.

Why Use Keyboard Shortcuts?

Before diving into specific tricks, let’s first understand why you should even bother with keyboard shortcuts. Here are a few compelling reasons:

Speed and Efficiency: Keyboard shortcuts can execute commands in a fraction of the time it takes to navigate through menus with a mouse.
Reduced Repetitive Strain: Using the mouse for extended periods can strain your wrist and arm. Keyboard shortcuts reduce this repetitive motion.
Increased Productivity: Knowing key commands for tasks like copy-pasting, undoing actions, or switching between windows can significantly boost your workflow.

Now that we’ve established the importance of keyboard shortcuts, let’s dive into specific tricks.

The Classic Copy, Cut, and Paste

One of the most basic and universally used keyboard shortcuts is for copy, cut, and paste functions. These shortcuts save you from right-clicking with the mouse every time you need to move text, files, or images.

Copy: Select the item you want to copy and press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac).
Cut: To remove the item from its current location, press Ctrl + X (Windows) or Command + X (Mac).
Paste: Once copied or cut, place the cursor where you want to paste the content and press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac).

Undo and Redo

We’ve all made mistakes while working, and having a quick way to undo an action can save a lot of headaches. Similarly, you may want to redo an action after accidentally undoing it.

Undo: Press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Command + Z (Mac) to undo your last action.
Redo: To redo an action, press Ctrl + Y (Windows) or Command + Shift + Z (Mac).

Select All

If you’re working with a large amount of text or files and need to select everything quickly, use this shortcut to highlight all content.

Select All: Press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Command + A (Mac).

This is particularly useful when you want to copy or delete everything in a document or folder.

Find Specific Text

When working on a large document or browsing a webpage, finding a specific word or phrase can be a hassle. With the “Find” function, you can search for specific terms easily.

Find: Press Ctrl + F (Windows) or Command + F (Mac) and type the word or phrase you’re looking for.

Save Your Work Instantly

To save your work without needing to click the “Save” button:

Save: Press Ctrl + S (Windows) or Command + S (Mac).

It’s always a good habit to frequently save your work to prevent data loss.

Open a New Window or Tab

When working with multiple documents or browsing the web, you often need to open new windows or tabs.

New Tab (Browser): Press Ctrl + T (Windows) or Command + T (Mac).
New Window (Application or Browser): Press Ctrl + N (Windows) or Command + N (Mac).

Switch Between Open Applications or Tabs

Instead of using the mouse to click on a window, use this handy trick to switch between open programs or browser tabs:

Switch Between Applications: Press Alt + Tab (Windows) or Command + Tab (Mac).
Switch Between Browser Tabs: Press Ctrl + Tab (Windows) or Command + Option + → (Mac).

This is extremely helpful when multitasking.

Take a Screenshot

There are keyboard shortcuts to take a screenshot, either of the entire screen or a specific window.

Full Screenshot (Windows): Press Windows Key + Print Screen. The screenshot will be saved in your “Pictures” folder.
Full Screenshot (Mac): Press Command + Shift + 3. The screenshot will appear on your desktop.
Screenshot of a Specific Area: On Windows, press Windows Key + Shift + S and select the area. On Mac, press Command + Shift + 4 and select the area.

Open Task Manager

When an application freezes or becomes unresponsive, you can quickly access the Task Manager to force it to close.

Open Task Manager (Windows): Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Open Activity Monitor (Mac): Press Command + Space, then type “Activity Monitor.”

Lock Your Computer

For security reasons, it’s a good idea to lock your computer when you step away from it, especially in public or shared environments.

Lock Screen (Windows): Press Windows Key + L.
Lock Screen (Mac): Press Command + Control + Q.

Minimize All Windows

If you have many open windows and want to minimize everything quickly to access your desktop:

Minimize All (Windows): Press Windows Key + D.
Minimize All (Mac): Press Command + Option + M.

This shortcut will instantly clear the screen, allowing you to open a new application or quickly access files on your desktop.

Close a Window or Tab

You don’t need to click the “X” button every time to close a window or tab. You can use a shortcut to quickly close the current window or tab:

Close Window: Press Alt + F4 (Windows) or Command + W (Mac).
Close Browser Tab: Press Ctrl + W (Windows) or Command + W (Mac).

Adjust Volume and Brightness

You can easily adjust your computer’s volume or screen brightness using the keyboard.

Volume Up/Down: Most laptops have dedicated volume keys. If not, press Fn + Volume Key.
Brightness Up/Down: Use Fn + Brightness Key (on both Windows and Mac).

Open File Explorer or Finder

Access your files and folders quickly without clicking through menus.

Open File Explorer (Windows): Press Windows Key + E.
Open Finder (Mac): Press Command + Option + Space.

Refresh a Webpage or Document

Sometimes, you need to refresh a webpage or reload a document to see the latest changes.

Refresh Page: Press Ctrl + R (Windows) or Command + R (Mac).

Final Thoughts

Mastering these keyboard tricks will help you operate your computer much faster and more efficiently. While it may take time to get used to using shortcuts, they become second nature with practice, drastically improving your productivity. By incorporating these simple but powerful shortcuts into your daily routine, you’ll save time and effort, making your overall computer usage more enjoyable.