Sunday, March 25, 2012

'Old School' Keyboard Tips

I was recently in my math class, working on a spreadsheet in Excel, when I was asked to help a couple of younger students trying to format their spreadsheet. I was rather stunned that the students, ages 20 and 28, did not know how to use keyboard shortcuts in any Windows applications.

It’s funny to me how the younger generation is considered to be so much more tech-savvy than my generation, and yet when you show a younger person (or any person really) how to do a few quick, time-saving keystrokes, they think you’re a genius. J 
Keyboard Image

People have become so addicted to the mouse that they often do not realize how much it disrupts their work as they keep reaching for it.

What people need to realize is that even though the world may quickly be changing to iPad and other tablet-type technology (with onscreen keyboards), the business world, at least for the foreseeable future, will mostly remain in the desktop and laptop world. For this reason, it is good to stay up on ‘old’ technology and how to best utilize your time when performing tasks at work.
Say NO to the mouseAs a former software trainer, my partner and I used to stress to our clients to keep their hands on the keyboard. Few realized the efficiency one can have when utilizing certain keyboard functions and keystrokes until we showed them.

In the ‘old days’, it used to be that you just needed to hold down the Alt key and press whatever letter was underlined in the menu (Alt+F+S = File, Save). Some of those old keystrokes still exist, however, so few software programs are menu driven in the way they used to be, that you can no longer know what to choose and need to memorize the keystrokes.

Here are a few keyboard tricks, old and new, that can help you save time and make you more productive at your job.

Windows Applications
Keystroke(s)
Result
Windows Key + E
Opens Windows Explorer.
Windows Key + M
Minimizes all open windows (the desktops displays.)
Windows Key + Shift + M
Restores open application from Windows Key + M function.
Windows Key + D

Displays desktop. To restore, repeat the same keystroke (Windows Key + D).
Alt + Tab
Enables you to easily toggle through all open applications.
Alt + F4
Closes an open window in most any program or closes an open application.
Ctrl + Arrow Keys

In Word: left and right arrow keys allow you to move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word or the next word; up and down arrows will do the same with paragraphs.
Shift + Arrow Keys
Highlights text in the direction of the arrow keys. (Selects cells in Excel.)
Hold Shift while inserting a CD
This will bypass Autorun when inserting a CD so that you can open it when you want.
Windows Key + Pause
Opens the Systems Properties (System) menu.
Ctrl + Z
Undo an action.
Ctrl + Y
Redo the undo (from above).
Select text, Ctrl + U
Underlines selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + B
Bolds selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + I
Italicizes selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + C
Copies selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + X
Cuts selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + V
Pastes copied or cut text.
Alt + 1, Alt + 2, Alt + 3, etc.
Launches whatever command is in that numerical position on your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).
Windows + L

Locks the system. When you log back in, all programs will still be running and windows will appear just the way you left them.
SHIFT + Tab
Takes you back a field. Handy when filling out forms.)

If you have applications or folders you use frequently, you can create a keyboard shortcut to access them quickly.

NOTE: This will only work for shortcuts located on your desktop!
  1. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties. (The application or file Properties dialog box displays.)
  2. In the Shortcut Key field type any letter. (The Ctrl + Alt function is automatically added to the letter typed, making your shortcut key: Ctrl + Alt + <letter typed>.)
Properties dialog box for adding a shortcut key
Here are some quick keyboard tips specifically for the Internet. 
Basic Internet Shortcuts
Keystroke(s)
Result
Ctrl + E
Search/Address bar
Ctrl + F
Find
Ctrl + R
Refresh
Ctrl + D
Adds current page to the Favorites list with no further prompts.
Alt + D
Selects the URL in the Address bar.
Ctrl + Left Arrow or Ctrl + Right Arrow
In the Address bar, moves the cursor to the nearest dot, forward slash, or paired forward slash.
Ctrl + Enter
In the Address bar, adds www. to the front and .com to the end of text you've typed and loads the URL.
Escape
Stops downloading a page.
Alt + Home
Jumps to your Home Page.
Ctrl + F5
Refreshes the current page unconditionally (even if the time stamp for your locally stored version and the Web version are the same).
Ctrl + W
Closes the current Internet Explorer window (useful when a site opens a new window).
Ctrl + A
Selects all content on the current page or frame.
Backspace or Alt + Left Arrow
Jumps to the previous page you viewed.
Alt + Right Arrow
Jumps to the next page (after having viewed a previous page).
Ctrl + Home
Jumps to the top of the current page.
Ctrl + End
Jumps to the bottom of the current page.
Ctrl + F4
Closes a tab.
Ctrl + SHIFT + T
Re-open a tab that you accidentally closed.
F7
Caret browsing allows you to select and copy text from web pages using the keyboard.
F11
Changes display to full screen mode.

Check out these sites for application specific shortcuts:
Firefox
Internet Explorer

A word to the wise is sufficient.



3 comments:

  1. I'm not ashamed to say, I learned a few things.

    Dr C

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I am writing a document in word, I use my keyboard almost exclusively and try not to use the mouse. Part of the reason I do this is so I don't lose track of where I am or where my hands are on the keyboard. Good write up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. All right, so apparently I'm not keyboard savy. I basically use the keyboard for the average of select all, copy, and paste. There is so much more to the basic keyboard than I thought.

    ReplyDelete