Most
expert computer users know the basic keyboard shortcuts, like pressing
Control (Ctrl) + P on a PC to print a document. But did you know there
are plenty of other useful — not to mention pretty darn cool — key
combinations out there? From instantly zooming in to a larger view to
quickly closing your browser window, these shortcuts will put the World
Wide Web and more at your fingertips — because every second counts.
1. Add a Bookmark
Tab your new favorite website for easy access by bookmarking the page with the following quick trick.
PC: Ctrl + D
Mac: Cmd + D
2. Delete Forever
When you know you want to nix a file forever — instead of sending it to clog up the recycling bin first — tap the keys below.
PC: Shift + Delete
3. Close Browser
Whether
your boss walks up while you’re reading gossip blogs or your husband
comes in the room while you’re buying him a gift, close your browser,
stat, with this shortcut.
PC: Alt + F4
Mac: Cmd + Q
4. Show Desktop
If
you have lots of windows open on your computer and you want quick
access to your desktop — or a super-quick way to hide your work — hit
the following keys.
PC: Window key + D
Mac: F11
5. Find Files or Folders
Forget painstakingly searching all of your folders to find one file. The shortcut below will do the searching for you.
PC: Window key + F
Mac: Cmd + F (when you’re in Finder)
6. Change Zoom Level
Whether you’re working on the Web or in a word processing program, zoom in or out with this command.
PC: Ctrl + scroll mouse wheel; Ctrl + plus sign; Ctrl + minus sign
Mac: Cmd + plus sign; Cmd + minus sign
7. Reopen Previous Tab in Browser
Have
you ever accidentally closed the browser tab you were looking at and
had to spend time backtracking to find it again? The shortcut below will
restore that page to you almost instantly.
PC: Ctrl + Shift + T
Mac: Cmd + Shift + T (Chrome/Firefox); or Cmd + Z (Safari)
8. Switch Between Open Programs
Navigating between open screens can get confusing. Make it easy to move among all your programs with this quick trick.
PC: Alt + Tab
Mac: Cmd + Tab
9. Take a Screen Shot
Capture
an image of what you’re working on instantly with a screen grab — it’s
particularly useful for Web pages you can’t copy and paste.
PC: Print Screen (then paste [Ctrl + V] into a Word document)
Mac: Cmd + Shift + 3
10. Refresh a Webpage
Whether
you’re waiting for a new email to arrive or the latest news story to
pop up, easily refresh your screen using the keys below.
PC: F5, or Ctrl + R
Mac: Cmd + R
11. Go to a Previous Location in Browser
Time
travel with the neat shortcut below, which lets you quickly go back to
the webpage you were looking at before your current one.
PC: Alt + ←
Mac: Cmd + [
12. Spelling/Grammar Check
No more excuses: Perfect spelling and grammar is just one keystroke away.
PC: F7
13. Add “http://www” to Your Browser’s Address Bar
The
quickest route to your online destination? If you’re using Firefox or
Internet Explorer, just type in the name of the webpage you’d like to go
to (for example, type “Google”), then press the following keys to add
the “http://www.” to the beginning and “.com” to the end.
PC: Ctrl + Enter
Mac: Cmd + Enter
14. Select the Address Bar
When
you want to quickly type a new URL into your browser, the shortcut
below will easily select the address bar for you, so you can start
typing without moving your mouse.
PC: Ctrl + L, or F6
Mac: Cmd + L
15. Launch the Windows Start Menu
Just tap the keys below for an easy way to view your Start Menu options.
PC: Window key, or Ctrl + Esc
