Windows eight has a lot of cool features, but they’re hard to notice - unless you lot know the hole-and-corner keyboard shortcuts, mouse clicks, as well as comport on gestures. In this article, writer Michael Miller provides an invaluable reference to everything you lot postulate to know to travel Windows eight to the fullest.
That’s because a lot of what used to endure out inwards the opened upward inwards Windows seven as well as Windows Vista (and fifty-fifty Windows XP) is straightaway accessible alone past times a comport on gesture or keyboard shortcut or mouse movement. There are fewer “visual cues” to what you lot postulate to do, as well as to a greater extent than materials you lot postulate to memorize. You can’t rely on whatever you lot desire to produce beingness located somewhere on the Start menu, because the Start carte du jour doesn’t be anymore.
So to acquire the most out of Windows eight —heck, merely to travel it on the most basic level—you bring to larn a serial of shortcuts, clicks, as well as gestures. These aren’t e'er intuitive, as well as are frequently hard if non impossible to remember.
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
Let’s start amongst how to operate Windows eight amongst your reckoner keyboard. Yeah, you lot powerfulness bring a fancy novel touchscreen PC (although you lot likely don’t), as well as I’m certain you’re a wiz amongst the mouse or touchpad, but to a greater extent than frequently than not, the fastest means to produce whatsoever specific functioning is to tap a commutation or 2 on your keyboard.I tell a commutation or two, because much of what you lot postulate to inwards Windows eight is accomplished past times pressing 2 keys together—what nosotros telephone weep upward keyboard shortcuts. When you lot run across a commutation combination, such equally Windows+C, you lot tin press both keys simultaneously, or press ane as well as therefore press the other (while silent keeping the showtime commutation pressed, of course).
The next tabular array tells you lot all you lot postulate to know.
Operation | Shortcut Keys |
| Close currently running app or window | Alt+Q |
| Display Charms bar | Windows+C |
| Display context-sensitive options menu | Application (menu) key |
| Display Options bar | Windows+Z |
| Lock computer | Windows+L |
| Open a programme or document | Move to item amongst arrow keys, as well as therefore press Enter |
| Open All Apps Window | From Start screen, press Ctrl+Tab |
| Open Windows Help | Windows+F1 |
| Return to Start screen | Windows key |
| Scroll down | PageDown or downwards arrow |
| Scroll left | PageUp or left arrow |
| Scroll right | PageDown or correct arrow |
| Scroll upward | PageUp or upward arrow |
| Search | Windows+Q |
| Shut downwards Windows | Alt+F4 |
| View or switch to other opened upward apps | Alt+Tab |
Most of these keyboard shortcuts are self-evident; you lot know what the Alt commutation is, as well as the Tab key, as well as fifty-fifty the diverse component division keys (F1, F2, F3, as well as therefore forth). Two keys, however, are unique to Windows PCs.
The Windows commutation is the key, typically on the bottom row of the keyboard, to the left of the spacebar, that has a motion painting of the Windows logo on it. This commutation is specially of import inwards Windows 8, equally you lot press this commutation to display the Start screen, which inwards the lieu of the one-time Start menu, you lot travel to launch all your apps.
