In all honesty, I always thought the “Windows Key” on my keyboard was just a nuisance. It was just the thing I accidentally hit once in a while and the darn Start menu would pop up. Turns out I was wrong, it has a lot of uses.
When used in combination with other keys, here’s what you can do:
Windows Key + Tab: Cycle through the buttons in the Task Bar.
Windows Key + D: Minimize or restore all windows
Windows Key + E: Launch Windows Explorer
Windows Key + F: Launch Search for Files
Windows Key + Ctrl + F: Launch Search for Computers
Windows Key + F1: Launch the Help and Support Center
Windows Key + R: Launch the Run dialog box
Windows Key + Pause/Break: Launch System Properties dialog box
Windows Key + M: Minimizes all open windows.
Windows Key + Shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
Windows Key + L: Locks the workstation
Windows Key + U: Launch the Utility Manager
Windows Key + Ctrl + Tab: According to Microsoft: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray. What it does for me in XP: moves through the tabs in your current application (Firefox 2, IE 7, Homesite+ and Paint Shop Pro XI)
If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed you can use the following shortcuts as well. As it happens, I do have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, so I installed IntelliType and sure enough these now work:
Windows Key + L: Log off Windows
Windows Key + P: Starts Print Manager
Windows Key + C: Opens Control Panel
Windows Key + V: Starts Clipboard
Windows Key + K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
Windows Key + I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
Windows Key + A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
Windows Key + Spacebar: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
Windows Key + S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off
Of course, the windows key is pretty useless if you don’t use windows. Go figure.
Chris: Not entirely true — on other, more “enlightened” platforms you can just map the windows key to “Meta” (most US keyboards don’t have Meta … just Alt, Shift, and Control) and use it as another, well meta-key
Most window managers will permit using it as a modifier on shortcut keys. Can be handy.
Windows-Ctrl-Tab isn’t a key combo.
Ctrl-Tab will cycle your Firefox tabs without the windows button.
You can cycle through the items of the taskbar by opening the Start menu by pressing the Windows Key, hitting ESC to close it but keep it selected, and hop through the lot pressing TAB. The cycle goes left to right, ending with the desktop.
Windows Key + Ctrl + Tab does not have any more functionality than simply pressing Ctrl + Tab, like Dustin wrote.
I’ve been using these keys ever since Windows XP, especially for the explorer, desktop, run dialog and system properties.
actually dustin,
windows-ctrl-tab is different.
if you are in a firefox window with multiple tabs, windows-ctrl-tab will cycle thru the tabs. You can’t do that with just ctrl-tab.
hitting F3 when windows exlorer is open or when you’re looking at the desktop also initiates a search dialog!
actually mitch, ctrl-tab cycles through tabs in all my tabbed apps, without the windows key.
also, winkey-L logs off without a microsoft keyboard
interesting, i was wondering though, what is the “pause/break” key for.
Some erroneous comments have been left behind here. For clarification:
Pressing Ctrl+Tab will switch between tabs (such as tabs in Windows properties windows and those in Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer 7). The Windows key has NO influence on this key combination.
Pressing the Windows key + L is the equivalent of switching users, unless you have set your keyboard up as a Microsoft Natural Keybard, in which case it will log you out. Bear in mind that returning the the login screen does not necessarily mean you are logged out.
The Pause/Break key originates from the DOS-era, where you could pause or break an application, for example for debugging purposes. It still works during boot and in the DOS shell. This function no longer works in modern operating systems. Likewise, the scroll lock key only works for a handful of programs (such as Excel and Lotus Notes).
“windows + S” to toggle CAPS LOCK? That makes about as much sense as “ctrl + alt + shift + E” to hit “Enter”… I wonder why the key combo when there is already a key reserved for that specific purpose?
I personally just use it for several key combinations here in KDE.
still, fairly useless…
Anyone ever try Windows Key + Ctrl + V on Windows 98SE
It doesn’t do anything but pop up an on screen menu that looks like a volume control. But it’s not. It doesn’t work on all W98SE systems. I have no idea what use it has though.
Windows+Shift+Ctrl+Tab = Cycles through tabs in IE7
Hi man. Thanks to u, I’ll save time when i open up the Run dialog box.
Windows Key + R: Launch the Run dialog box
Thanks, now I’ll use windows + c to open up control panel.
I wud just like 2 add a clarification about the functionality of WINDOWS+CTRL+TAB key..
The WINDOWS+CTRL+TAB key works as Microsoft says when all the windows are minimized and you should be viewing the desktop when you try using it.
If you try it with any window open, the functionality differs as mentioned by many of our frnds above..
This is incredible. It will really save me time. I’ve forwarded this page’s URL to all my friends. Thanks!
this is soooo awesome
Ich hab keine Windows-Taste hillllfe
Note that Windows + Tab has a different use in Vista/7 with Aero enabled – it activates Flip 3D. Adding Ctrl keeps the windows there until you click one.
hey pual fyi on 7 winkey + tab makes it 3d cycle through the windows and desktop but let go and it goes away and ends on the one it was on add ctrl and it stays there use the arow keys to navi also press ctrl tab to get back or enter