Get your very own Microsoft Windows 8 free downloadable cheat sheet of 100 keyboard shortcuts.
Although nothing is written in gold quite yet, the Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview feels about as complete, at least from a feature standpoint, as a beta operating system can get. There is little doubt that the retail version of the company’s flagship operating system is coming very soon.
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The TechRepublic membership, which is made up of inquisitive information technology professionals, will undoubtedly spend some time researching Windows 8 during this beta period and also after its retail release. To help with these endeavors, Greg Shultz has compiled a set of 100 Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts that will help you more quickly and efficiently navigate Windows 8 and its new Metro User Interface.
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Some of the keyboard shortcuts found in the free to download PDF are familiar to users of Windows 7, but there are also many shortcuts that are particular to Windows 8, which makes the cheat sheet a handy tool to have around when Windows 8 is powering your test computer or virtual machine installation.
The 100 Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts download is in PDF format and is free to download. Print it out and keep it handy when it comes time for you to find out what Windows 8 is all about.
All shortcuts are based on the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and are subject to change with the retail release.
100 Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 8
Windows 8 Specific Keyboard Shortcuts
Keystroke Function
+ C Access the charms bar
+ Tab Access the Metro Taskbar
+ I Access the Settings charm
+ H Access the Share charm
+ K Access the Devices charm
+ Q Access the Apps Search screen
+ F Access the Files Search screen
+ W Access the Settings Search screen
+ P Access the Second Screen bar
+ Z Brings up the App Bar when you have a Metro App running
+ X Access the Windows Tools Menu
+ O Lock screen orientation
+ . Move the screen split to the right
+ Shift + . Move the screen split to the left
+ V View all active Toasts/Notifications
+ Shift + V View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order
+ PrtScn
Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot (#)—incrementing the # with each successive screenshot
+ Enter Launch Narrator
PageUp Scroll forward on the Metro Start screen
PageDown Scroll backward on the Metro Start screen
Esc Close a charm
Ctrl + Esc Switch between Metro Start screen and the last accessed application
Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Metro screen with the retail release.
+ E Open Computer
+ R Open the Run dialog box
+ U Open Ease of Access Center
+ Ctrl + F Open Find Computers dialog box
+ Pause/Break Open the System page
+ 1..10 Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Or, access a running program on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
+ Shift + 1..10 Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
+ Ctrl + 1..10 Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
+ Alt + 1..10 Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
+ B Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item
+ Ctrl + B Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area
+ T Cycle through the items on the Taskbar
+ M Minimize all windows
+ Shift + M Restore all minimized windows
+ D Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows)
+ L Lock computer
+ Up Arrow Maximize current window
+ Down Arrow Minimize/restore current window
+ Home Minimize all but the current window
+ Left Arrow Tile window on the left side of the screen
+ Right Arrow Tile window on the right side of the screen
+ Shift + Up Arrow Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen
+ Shift + Left/Right Arrow Move the current window from one monitor to the next
+ F1 Launch Windows Help and Support
Alt Display a hidden Menu Bar
Alt + D Select the Address Bar
Alt + P Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer
Alt + Tab Cycle forward through open windows
Alt + Shift + Tab Cycle backward through open windows
Alt + F4 Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop
Alt + Spacebar Access the Shortcut menu for current window
Alt + Esc Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened
Alt + Enter Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item
Alt + PrtScn Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard
Alt + Up Arrow Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP)
Alt + Left Arrow Display the previous folder
Alt + Right Arrow Display the next folder
Shift + Insert CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
Shift + Delete Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)
Shift + F6 Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
Shift + F10 Access the context menu for the selected item
Shift + Tab Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
Shift + Click Select a consecutive group of items
Shift + Click on a Taskbar button Launch a new instance of a program
Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button Access the context menu for the selected item
Ctrl + A Select all items
Ctrl + C Copy the selected item
Ctrl + X Cut the selected item
Ctrl + V Paste the selected item
Ctrl + D Delete selected item
Ctrl + Z Undo an action
Ctrl + Y Redo an action
Ctrl + N Open a new window in Windows Explorer
Ctrl + W Close current window in Windows Explorer
Ctrl + E Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window
Ctrl + Shift + N Create new folder
Ctrl + Shift + Esc Open the Windows Task Manager
Ctrl + Alt + Tab Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows
Ctrl + Alt + Delete Access the Windows Security screen Keystroke Function
Ctrl + Click Select multiple individual items
Ctrl + Click and drag an item Copies that item in the same folder
Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder
Ctrl + Tab Move forward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Tab Move backward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator
Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button Cycle through the instances of a program in the group
F1 Display Help
F2 Rename a file
F3 Open Search
F4 Display the Address Bar list
F5 Refresh display
F6 Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
F7 Display command history in a Command Prompt
F10 Display hidden Menu Bar
F11 Toggle full screen display
Tab Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
PrtScn Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard
(Application Key) Access the context menu for the selected item
Home Move to the top of the active window
End Move to the bottom of the active window
Delete Delete the selected item
Backspace
Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer
Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box
Esc Close a dialog box
Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+) Display the contents of the selected folder
Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-) Collapse the selected folder
Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*) Expand all subfolders under the selected folder
Press Shift 5 times Turn StickyKeys on or off
Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds Turn FilterKeys on or off
Hold down Num Lock for 5 seconds Turn ToggleKeys on or off
