Using Keyboard Shortcuts on Windows

Using Keyboard Shortcuts on Windows

You use the keyboard to type in information. That works well enough. But you can use your keyboard issue commands to your computer! You use modifier keys to do this.

What is a Modifier Key?

You're used to using the keys on your keyboard that type letters to the screen. But your keyboard also has "Modifier Keys". The most commonly use modifier key is the Shift key. When you hold down the Shift key by itself nothing happens! Same with the Caps Locks key. But, if you type a key (like "h") while holding down the Shift key then you don't get a lower case "h", you get an upper case "H".

Holding down the Shift key modifies what happens when you type other keys. This is how modifier keys work.

Modifier Keys on Computer Keyboards

Computers offer some other modifier keys in addition to the Shift key. On Windows PCs you have two additional modifier keys: the Control and Alt (short for Alternate) key. Holding down one of these keys before typing a "regular" key changes what that keystroke does. Holding down one of these modifier keys while clicking the mouse button also changes what that mouse click does!

Here's what the Windows modifier keys on a standard keyboard look like:

Before we get to the Activity, here's an overview of what they do:

Control Key

The Control key is the most common modifier key you'll use on Windows.

With Keystrokes: The Control Key has a wide variety of uses, some of which are conventions for all programs (like Ctrl-Q for Exit) and some uses which change as you move between programs.

With Mouse Clicks: I don't know of any functionality by using the Control key with mouse clicks.

Alt Key

With Keystrokes: You use the Alt key with keystrokes to call down menus -- without using the mouse! (You'll see an example of this in the Activity, below.)

With Mouse clicks: I know of no use of the Alt key with mouse clicks.

Other Modifier Keys

Some of the newer keyboards for Windows PCs have some additional modifier keys. Since these are not established standards, we won't cover them here.

Activity 1: Using the Control Key

1) Open the Word Pad application. (Click here if you're not sure how to do this. This link will open another browser window. Do the activity to open the WordPad program and then close that browser window and you'll be back at this window!)

2) Pull down the File menu and see that the Open command says Ctrl-O over to the right.

3) DO NOT execute this menu command -- I just wanted you to look at it! To get out of a menu, move the mouse somewhere else within the WordPad window, anywhere out of the menu, and click. That will cancel the menu pull down.

3) Hold down the Control key. While continuing to hold it down, type the "O" key and then let up both keys. (This is how you execute a modifier key!) When you do this the Open Dialog Box will appear: (Just as if you had pulled down the file menu, highlighted the Open menu item and clicked the mouse.)

4) Click Cancel on the Open dialog box -- we don't want to open anything!

Activity 2: Using the Alt Key

1) Open the Word Pad application. (Click here if you're not sure how to do this. This link will open another browser window. Do the activity to open the WordPad program and then close that browser window and you'll be back at this window!)

2) Pull down the File menu and note that the File menu has a small underline F and the O of Open has an underline as well. In fact, all of the menu items have one letter underlined. DO NOT execute this menu command -- I just wanted you to look at it!

3) Now get out of this menu. (To get out of a menu, move the mouse somewhere else within the WordPad window (anywhere out of the menu) and click. That will cancel the menu pull down.)

4) Hold down the Alt key. While continuing to hold it down, type the "F" key and then let up both keys. (This is how you execute a modifier key!) The File menu will pop down. In the illustration below, note that the file menu is down without the mouse pointer!

5) With the File menu down, type the O key. Note that if you're in the "Alt mode" you don't have to hold down the Alt key again. To get out of the Alt Mode, type the Esc (short of Escape) key.

6) When you do this the Open Dialog Box will appear, just as if you had pulled down the file menu, highlighted the Open menu command and clicked. Click Cancel to get out of this dialog box.

Note:

If a menu item is grayed out (as cut and copy are in this image):

that means that there is no thing selected item that can take that menu item's action.

Think of a grayed-out menu as a way for the operating system to tell you that you can't execute that particular command because the selected thing (text, a window, etc.) can not have that command applied to it.

In the example above,

• You couldn't Undo, since there have been no edits in this document.
• You couldn't Cut since you have nothing selected that is cut-able.
• You couldn't Copy since you have nothing selected that is copy-able.
• You could Paste something you have cut or copied.
• You could Paste Special... something you have cut or copied.

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