10 keyboard shortcuts you must know

TOI Tech / January 17,2014

Tired of dragging the mouse every time you want to perform even the most basic tasks
on the computer? Heres help. Did you know, for example, that you dont need the
mouse to select text, switch between programmes, or open and close browser
windows?<br/><br/>Microsoft Windows, Word, PowerPoint and Excel have a number of
hidden keyboard shortcuts that will make using the computer easier and faster. Here
are 10 such useful shortcuts that you must know

1. Opening & closing tabs

January 17,2014

Done watching a YouTube video or reading an article on browsers like Google Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox etc and want to close tabs, or the whole window? To close a single tab in
these web browsers, hit Ctrl + W; whereas Ctrl + Shift + W will close the whole
window.<br/><br/>Accidentally closed a tab you were viewing on web browsers? You
can reopen such tabs by Ctrl + Shift + T if the window is still open. To open new tabs,
just click Ctrl + T.

2. Increasing & decreasing the font in Word

January 17,2014
Preparing a project on Microsoft Word and need to change the font size many times?
Instead of using the mouse every time for increasing the font of any text, you can just
select it and click Ctrl + ]. Similarly, Ctrl + [ decreases the font size of the selected text.

3. Switching between windows

January 17,2014

We often find ourselves switching between windows while working and using the mouse
every time can be tedious. You can toggle between windows in all versions of Windows
using Alt + Tab keys, making the task easier when you work.<br/><br/>In Windows 7
and 8, you can use Windows key + Tab to switch between programmes. Though Alt +
Tab works here too, the Windows key + Tab combo gives a cascading effect which is
pleasing to the eye.

4. Opening windows side-by-side

January 17,2014
While working, you will often use the internet for research, but switching between the
web browser and document is not always convenient. Instead, you can put the two
windows side by side and work easily.<br/><br/>To do this, open the Word document,
hit Windows + Left arrow key to push it to the left half of the display. Now, open the
browser and click Windows + Right arrow key to slide the window to the right half.

5. Deleting files and capturing screenshots

January 17,2014

You can delete files just by selecting them and hitting the Del key. But such documents
are just deleted from the folder, not the computer; they are still in the Recycle Bin. If you
want to delete a document in one go, just hit the Shift + Del combo.<br/><br/>Capturing
screenshots depends only on the keyboard. Just hit the Print Screen button (pssssst
it is next to the Scroll Lock key) if you are using a desktop. Laptops have the Function
(Fn) key, so use the Fn + Print Screen combo to take screenshots.

6. Finding word count and changing all-caps to

upper/lower case
January 17,2014
While making any project using Word, you will find yourself checking the word count
every few minutes. Instead of going to the Tool menu and selecting Word Count option
each time, you can simply select the text and hit Alt + T + W.<br/><br/>Another frequent
MS Word task is changing text in all caps to upper/lower case. You dont have to write
the whole sentence again in such a case, just select the text and hit Alt + F4.

7. Going directly to desktop and locking the PC

January 17,2014

The Windows key on the keyboard is not just to open the Start menu; it can help
perform several tasks with ease. If you have opened several windows and want to go
directly to the desktop, just hit Windows key + D. Hit it again to go back to the window
you were using last. If you want to lock the computer, just hit Windows + L.

8. Selecting text in Word

January 17,2014
Selecting text in any Word document is quite common for all users and you probably
hate dragging the mouse every time. If you want alternatives, then Windows has a few
nifty tricks up its sleeve for you.<br/><br/>You can hit Shift + Home to select text from
the start of the line to where the cursor is, while Ctrl + Shift + Up arrow key will select
the text from the starting of the paragraph to where the cursor is. Similarly, Shift + End
selects the text from where the cursor is to the end of the line and Ctrl + Shift + Down
arrow key selects it from the point of the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

9. Key PowerPoint shortcuts

January 17,2014

PowerPoint is another frequently used programme on Windows. If you have too many
slides and dont want to scroll down to go to a particular slide, you can just hit the slide
number and Enter key together, for eg 9 + Enter. Adding a new slide just needs the Crtl
+ M command and repeat the last action with F4. <br/><br/>Want to show your work to
someone? Click F5 to start the presentation from the first slide or Shift + F5 to start it
from the current slide. Want to increase or decrease font size? Just select the text and
hit Ctrl + Shift + > or Ctrl + Shift + < combos, respectively.

10. Key Excel shortcuts

January 17,2014
Microsoft Excel has so too many tips and tricks to know in a go, so here are a few
shortcuts you will find yourself using frequently.<br/><br/>Want to switch between
Worksheets? Click Ctrl + Page Up to go left-to-right and Ctrl + Page Down to move
right-to-left. Want to insert a new worksheet? Just hit Alt + Shift + F1.<br/><br/>Need to
add filter heads to a table head? Hit Ctrl + Shift + L. For the time format for selected
cells, hit the combo of Ctrl + Shift + @, whereas Ctrl + Shift + # gives you the date
format.
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