50 Windows 8.1 Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Know

Windows 8.1 is the latest offering from Microsoft and has reinvented itself as an operating system for both tablet and PC users. Read on for 50 keyboard shortcuts that you’d probably find yourself using on Windows 8.1, when out of swipe mode.

While touchscreen users can take advantage of the many navigational rewrites e.g. the Charms Menu, Metro UI with tiles, and swipes, Microsoft has also done their part to ensure that users who prefer getting around with the keyboard would not be left out.

To cater to this group, Microsoft has integrated new keyboard shortcuts to let them navigate through the reconstructed OS faster and easier. And as much fun as touchscreens can be, sometimes you can do more with keyboard shortcuts than you can with swipes. Besides, if you are part of the keyboard generation, shortcuts just come more naturally anyways.

Here you go!

1. Windows Key + D Show Desktop
2. Windows Key + C Open Charms Menu
3. Windows Key + F Charms Menu – Search
4. Windows Key + H Charms Menu – Share
5. Windows Key + K Charms Menu – Devices
6. Windows Key + I Charms Menu – Settings
7. Windows Key + Q Search For Installed Apps
8. Windows Key + W Search Settings
9. Windows Key + Tab Cycle through open Modern UI Apps
10. Windows Key + Shift + Tab Cycle through open Modern UI Apps in reverse order
11. Windows Key + . Snaps app to the right (split screen multitasking)
12. Windows Key + Shift + . Snaps app to the left (split screen multitasking)
13. Windows Key + , Temporarily view desktop
14. Alt + F4 Quit Modern UI Apps
15. Windows Key + E Launch Windows Explorer Window
16. Windows Key + L Lock PC and go to lock screen
17. Windows Key + T Cycle through icons on taskbar (press Enter to launch app)
18. Windows Key + X Show Advanced Windows Settings Menu
19. Windows Key + E Launch Windows Explorer Window
20. Windows Key + Page Down Moves Start screen and apps to secondary monitor on the right
21. Windows Key + M Minimize all Windows
22. Windows Key + Shift + M Restore all minimized Windows
23. Windows Key + R Open Run dialog box
24. Windows Key + Up Arrow Maximize current window
25. Windows Key + Down Arrow Minimize current window
26. Windows Key + Left Arrow Maximize current window to left side of the screen
27. Windows Key + Right Arrow Maximize current window to right side of the screen
28. Ctrl + Shift + Escape Open Task Manager
29. Windows Key + Print Screen Takes a Print Screen and saves it to your Pictures folder
30. Windows Key + Page Up Moves Start screen and apps to secondary monitor on the left
31. Windows Key + Pause Break Display System Properties
32. Shift + Delete Permanently delete files without sending it to Recycle Bin
33. Windows Key + F1 Open Windows Help and Support
34. Windows Key + V Cycle through notifications
35. Windows Key + Shift + V Cycle through notifications in reverse order
36. Windows Key + 0 to 9 Launch/show app pinned to taskbar at indicated number
37. Windows Key + Shift + 0 to 9 Launch new instance of app pinned to taskbar at indicated number
38. Alt + Enter Display Properties of selected item in File Explorer
39. Alt + Up Arrow View upper level folder of current folder in File Explorer
40. Alt + Right Arrow View next folder in File Explorer
41. Alt + Left Arrow View previous folder in File Explorer
42. Windows Key + P Choose secondary display modes
43. Windows Key + U Open Ease of Access Center
44. Alt + Print Screen Print Screen focused Window only
45. Windows Key + Spacebar Switch input language and keyboard layout
46. Windows Key + Shift + Spacebar Switch to previous input language and keyboard layout
47. Windows Key + Enter Open Narrator
48. Windows Key + + Zoom in using Magnifier
49. Windows Key + - Zoom out using Magnifier
50. Windows Key + Escape Exit Magnifier