Keyboard shortcuts are inherently useful, from the classic cut (ctrl+X), copy (ctrl+C), and paste (ctrl-V) to the ones that fewer people know about. For this week’s tip, we’re shining the spotlight on some of these other (perhaps lesser known) keyboard shortcuts.

New Browser or File Explorer Window

Ctrl + N

Let’s start with an easy one: opening a browser or File Explorer window in a new process. It seems only fitting that to open a new window, you combine Ctrl + N.

New Tab

Ctrl + T

Opening a new tab in your browser or file explorer is just as easy, and just as easy to remember. To do so, you only need to press Ctrl + T (or alternatively, click on a link with your center mouse button).

Find in Document or Web Page

Ctrl + F

When there’s a specific piece of content on a page or in a document that you need to find, Windows offers a helpful shortcut to accomplish this simply typing: Ctrl + F. Most applications (even browsers) will give you a special search field to type in the word you want to find.

Snipping Tool

Windows Key + Shift + S

If you ever need to take a quick screenshot, Windows offers that capability in a built-in utility. To access the snipping tool, as it is called, press Windows Key + Shift + S.

Force Quit

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

If an application crashes, force quitting is generally one of the better ways to close it down. While this comes at the sacrifice of any unsaved work, it is as simple as pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

Case Shift

Shift + F3

Case shift is a neat trick for Word. Depending on what you are doing, you may need to type things out in different cases, like title case, caps lock, or all lowercase. If it is already written out, the shortcut Shift + F3 can accomplish this if pressed the correct number of times.

  • ONE PRESS FOR CAPS LOCK
  • two presses for all lowercase
  • Three Presses Sets Your Sentence To Title Case

So, are there any shortcuts you use all the time that we didn’t mention? Let us know about them in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to our blog!