Personally I’d like to think I know a good bit about Windows 7, I have been an editor here for over a year at this stage, but I always seem to be finding new things in it that make me feel like I know nothing. You’re probably all going to slate me in the comments now and say you already knew about these keyboard shortcuts, but for those of you who don’t, I thought I’d share them with you.
Now i’ll admit, for some of these it would be quicker just to use the mouse but for those of you who are keyboard enthusiasts, ready to learn every little trick, here you go:
ALT + P
In windows explorer, this shortcut will activate a preview pain of your selected file, it can be an image, document or even a sound or video file. It’s quite handy and can replace the need for third party software.
Windows + Up and Windows + Down
If you want to quickly maximize a window, pressing the Windows + Up key will make it fill your entire window, and pressing Windows + Down will minimize the active Window.
Windows + Shift + Up and Windows + Shift + Down
When you use this 3 key combination, it will stretch the active window to the maximum desktop height, but the width will stay the same, pressing the Windows + Shift + Down combination will return it to it’s original dimensions.
Windows + Left and Windows + Right
This is basically the keyboard version of the aero snap feature. Normally you just drag a window to the left or right of your side and it resizes to that side of the screen. Well by pressing this key combination it will do the same thing depending on the direction of the arrow you choose.
Windows + Home
This will minimize every open windows except for the one you’re using, so it performs the same function as aero shake, just press it again to restore the other windows.
Windows + T
The aero flip ( Windows + Tab) and (Alt + Tab) is one of the shortcuts most used by users, Windows + T will cycle through your thumbnails giving you a sneakpeak of them.
Windows + Number
You can launch new programs that you have pinned to your taskbar by doing the following, simply press the Windows key and then the number corresponding to that program on your taskbar, ie. 1 will launch the first program there
Windows + Space
This performs the same function as aero peak, it will let you have a look at your desktop underneath if you press it
Anymore keyboard shortcuts I should know about? Or did you guys already know all these?
Let me know in the comments
I only knew the Windows + Number, so I guess I learned a lot today lol. I think I’m gonna be using these now, thanks! The only I have to share is win+e which opens up “My Computer” and win+d to go to your desktop and win+d to go back to the program. I would like more of these posts, very helpful!
hey i knew most of them but not all so thank you, i have one that im not entirely sure its a shortcut… maybe just a bug or something like that… if you press ctrl and win togeather and then press tab and release all of them you get stuck in the aero and can use the tab or shift+tab more easily, o even click the windows that are on the back of the row
Nope, that’s intentional – ctrl often acts as a modifier for other button combinations, and this combination is more useful in Windows 7 since Microsoft removed the icon that was previously on the Quick Launch bar on Windows Vista, which did the same thing.
A few helpful combinations I use (but are generally well known):
Ctrl+shift+esc to open task manager. People used to use ctrl+alt+del for this but in Vista and Windows 7 that was replaced (by default) by the Windows Security prompt.
Ctrl+shift+enter (or ctrl+shift+click) to run a program as administrator, very useful for running an admin command prompt from the start menu search bar.
Another key combo I use often (though its not really a key combo, more a modifier), is using the ctrl key to change the default file copy behavior when dragging and dropping files. For example, dragging a file from Documents to Desktop will, by default, move the files (sicne they are on the same drive). Holding ctrl during the drag will change it to a copy command instead, and likewise in reverse if you’re copying to another drive, this modifier will change it to a move command instead. Great little time saver.
Might post more if I think of em.
yes and when you press “alt” and drag it makes it a shortcut (also useful imo) and instead of pressing alt or ctrl you can just right-click drag. And when you release it gives you a menu “Copy here”, “move here”, and “make shortcut here” and the default thing is in bold
A couple of new ones there for me so thanks.
However, for Alt+P, the text should be ‘preview pane’, not ‘preview pain’.
thanks for post
Beside Windows key + T, I did not know about the other shortcuts. I especially find very useful the Windows + Shift + Up and Windows + Shift + Down shortcuts. When you are using Photoshop this can be a time saver.
what is the command to view all windows at one time on the desktop?
I like Win + D.
Show desktop…
ctl+alt+del to log off or switch user or change password or task manager