Smartphones have overtaken casual computer use since the early 2010s, but the PC still rules the workplace. Statistics reveal that Windows 11 PCs dominate the market with 69.9% usage, both for office and casual use1. For any jobseeker looking to buff up their CV or an employee aiming for a better position, learning all PC keyboard shortcuts is a must. This article delivers exactly that, along with tips for troubleshooting and customising your keyboard's actions, right after this preview.
🤔 What Counts as a PC Keyboard Shortcut
The early 2000s digital revolution has transformed professions and the way we work. Simply put, using computers is all about working faster and more efficiently. Keyboard shortcuts play an essential role in that initiative.
Besides, you don't get to quit working if your mouse does. Getting things done depends on knowing your keyboard's full functionality, including its shortcuts.
A combination of keys the user engages to trigger an operating system (OS) or application action.
PC Screenshot keyboard shortcut
- Press the Print Screen (prt sc) button
- Press Windows + prt sc to save to Gallery
- Press Windows + Shift + S to open Snipping tool.
Keyboard shortcut to shut down
- PC Press Alt + F4; select shutdown from the menu
- Press Windows key + X; press U, then U again.
Typically, that key combination includes a modifier key and some other key to specify the action to take. Control (Ctrl), Alt, Function (Fn), Shift, and the Windows key are modifier keys. The Fn key is particularly useful on the PC, as it allows users to control volume and screen brightness, as well as media playback, from the keyboard.
⌨ PC Keyboard Shortcuts You'll Use Every Day
Full disclosure: this writer is a lifelong PC user. These keyboard shortcuts are ingrained in my workflow for editing documents, navigating webpages, and organising my files. With but a bit of practice, you'll likely find them hyper-efficient, too.
UK keyboards have all the modifier keys but they may bear different labels. For instance, the Print Screen button, typically at the top right of the keyboard, may have PrtSc, PrtScr, or Print Scrn on it. Be sure to verify how the Print Screen button is marked on your keyboard.
Editing Tools Keyboard Shortcuts
These keyboard shortcuts work at the OS level as well as the application level. Best of all, they don't create command conflicts, as they occasionally do when using similar shortcuts on a Mac. This clippable list presents the top 20 shortcuts you can use on web pages as well as on Office software.
| ⌨ Shortcut | 🔎 What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Highlights the entire page/text |
| Ctrl + C | Copies the highlighted section |
| Ctrl + X | Cuts the highlighted section |
| Ctrl + V | Pastes the highlighted section |
| Ctrl + P | Prints the document |
| Ctrl + F | Finds a word or phrase in a page or document. |
| Ctrl + Z | Undoes the last action |
| Ctrl + Y | Redoes the last action |
| Ctrl + B | Makes the highlighted text bold. |
| Ctrl + I | Makes the highlighted text italicised. |
| Ctrl + U | Underlines the highlighted text. |
| Ctrl + S | Saves the document |
Navigation Shortcuts
Since the dawn of personal computing in the 1980s, the mouse has been an integral input device2. At the time, mice were hailed as innovative pointing devices, far more efficient than arrow keys to navigate screens. Of course, in those days, screens didn't have very much to navigate; all that changed with the internet and office suite software.
But for people whose fingers exercise a computer keyboard for a living, having to leave the keyboard to work a mouse is inefficient. For them, these shortcuts save a lot of time and effort.
| ⌨ Shortcut | 🔎 What it does |
|---|---|
| Alt + Tab + arrow keys | Select between open windows. |
| Windows key + Tab | Task view; all open windows in one pane. |
| Windows key + D | shows desktop |
| Windows key + E | Opens File Explorer |
| Windows key + . | Opens emojis menu |
| Windows key + L | Locks the screen |
| Windows key + I | Opens the Settings menu |
| Windows key + X | Opens the Power User menu |
| Windows key + L | Reverts to welcome screen |
| Windows key + R | Opens the runtime menu |
Note that Windows 11 users have additional commands they might execute from their keyboards, notably to open and navigate the Copilot utility. In all cases, to keep up with all the latest changes, you should bookmark Microsoft's keyboard shortcut page. You might refer to it occasionally if you need a shortcut you don't already know.
Creating a Virtual Desktop
When your screen is small, maybe a 10- or 13-inch laptop, you can set up a virtual desktop. A blank virtual desktop is identical to the first one, allowing you to open another browser or document. The command is simple: Ctrl + Windows + D (D for Desktop).
To toggle between these desktops, use the Windows + Tab shortcut. This shortcut pair is particularly useful if you're juggling two or more work tasks or school projects and need to keep pages separate.
Shortcuts to Manage Files and Desktop
Let's say you have 20 tabs open on your current browser window and you need yet another. Rather than add a new tab, you might use Ctrl + N to open a new page; this is particularly efficient if you only need it for a second.
That shortcut works when you're using Office suite software, too. For instance, if you have a document open, you can press Ctrl + N to open a new document. You can also use Ctrl + S to save a document and Ctrl + O to open the File menu. In fact, many of the essential shortcuts in the table above also work for file management.
💻 PC Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts
People take screenshots for a variety of reasons; it's a practice that exploded in popularity when smartphones added that functionality in the early 2000s. However, PC users have long been taking screenshots for a number of professional and personal reasons:
- technical support
- collaboration
- security
- educational purposes
- documentation
- efficient communication
Once you capture a screen image, you may modify it, share it, attach it to an email, or keep it as proof of work done. Here's how you can build this valuable skill.
Capturing the Full Screen, a Section of the Screen, or a Specific Window
Of these commands, the snipping tool (Windows + Shift + S) deserves more attention3. When you engage that sequence, your PC prompts you to select the area you wish to capture. A small menu at the top of your screen appears, offering a choice between a rectangular frame, a freehand-drawn one, and a restricted one.
You will need a mouse to select your preference, and then to draw the frame you wish to snip. So, we might say that this shortcut offers more functionality, but it isn't a shortcut that performs a function.
Saving Your Screenshots
The Windows + prt sc shortcut saves the image to your Pictures folder, specifically, the Screenshots folder. If you don't already have such a folder set up, your PC will create one for you.
If you will paste your screenshot into another document as soon as you capture it, you only need to press Windows + prt sc. The image goes straight to the clipboard; you may then paste it (Ctrl + V) into a document or web page.
Philipp Katzenberger
😴 Keyboard Shortcut to Shut Down PC
This shortcut sequence is particularly fun to execute when you use the PowerShell menu. It involves tapping several keys in quick succession.
This method is also more satisfying, as clicking through the PC's shutdown menus has gotten more elaborate with each Windows iteration. But you have yet more shortcuts to consider.
The Windows + X combination also gives you access to your computer's power settings menu (Windows + X -----> O). For instance, you might set a custom power plan to prolong your battery's life and choose how long your computer stays awake when you're not using it. This two-key combination is one of the most time-saving shortcuts a beginner typist can master.
Alt + F4
This shortcut has many functions. For instance, if you use it on an active page, it will shut down that page. Should you engage it while your web browser is active, it will shut down the entire browser, not just the active tab.
If you have no pages open — you're down to your desktop, engaging Alt + F4 will call up the Windows shutdown dialogue box. You may then use your arrow keys to choose 'sign out', or to shut down, restart, or 'sleep' your computer.
Ctrl + Alt + Del
This keyboard shortcut is the old standby; the key sequence users pressed when their machines locked up. Fortunately, that doesn't happen so much today, but that 'three-finger salute' still serves a vital function.
Ctrl + Alt + Del calls up the shutdown menu
Ctrl + Alt + Del -----> Power
The Power button is on the lower right-hand side of the screen. You may use its menu to shut down, restart, sleep, or sign out of your machine.
👨🎨 Customising and Creating Shortcuts
Let's say that your desktop display is full of icons, one for each application you use. And you have a lot of files and random documents saved to your desktop, too! Can you afford the time to search for the app icon you need right now? That won't be your worry if you create a shortcut for each one.
Note that this customisation only works with application icons. You cannot assign shortcuts to file folders or loose documents you store on your desktop. You can, however, organise your desktop by file type, which will sort documents, files, and images sequentially.
You can also assign custom shortcuts in Word or OpenOffice. This capability is particularly handy if you routinely type special characters like £ or accents on vowels. On a UK keyboard that lacks accents, you can add keyboard shortcuts to type cedilla, ligatures, or an accent to a capital letter.
Choosing an App From the Taskbar
Granted, you can always pin your most-used apps to the taskbar. However, you only have so much room there, so your selection will be limited. Besides, opening an app from the taskbar involves a mouse click — or does it?
You can open any pinned app by pressing the Windows key and a number key, 1 - 9. Let's say you want to open the fourth app on your taskbar: the shortcut is Windows + 4. Windows + (number) will open the corresponding app in the order they appear on the taskbar (from left to right).
You may arrange your taskbar apps so that your most-used apps are arranged towards the left, making their number easier to remember.
Remapping Keys
PC users can remap their keyboards to make it more convenient to use, or to bypass a key that doesn't work anymore4. Doing so involves downloading Microsoft PowerToys to assign each key a new function. It can be a time-consuming process, as you must do one key at a time.
Once you remap your keyboard, you must consider how the keys will interact with the modifiers. Once the F key is no longer F, activating (the visible) Ctrl + F will yield a different result, for example.
Finally, getting to grips with keyboard shortcuts is essential if you want to learn Photoshop for photo editing or photo montage work. Sharpening an image, cropping or cutting out a photo, adding a new layer, and so on is much quicker with keyboard shortcuts.
To that end, you might consider learning sessions with a Superprof tutor. You might choose an IT specialist Superprof to help you master PC fundamentals or a productivity coach for more targeted learning.
📃 References
- Cloud, Medha. “Windows Market Share 2026: Windows 11 Vs Windows 10 Adoption.” Medhacloud.Com, Medha Cloud, 4 July 2026, medhacloud.com/blog/windows-market-share. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.
- Britannica. “Personal Computer | Technology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/personal-computer. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.
- Sen Sab. “Mastering the Art of Screenshots on Your PC: A Comprehensive Guide.” Education, 2024, vocal.media/education/mastering-the-art-of-screenshots-on-your-pc-a-comprehensive-guide. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.
- GrantMeStrength. “Remap Keys and Shortcuts With PowerToys Keyboard Manager.” MicrosoftLearn, 8 June 2026, learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.
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