How To Navigate Windows 10

How to navigate Windows using a keyboard

Updated: 11/06/2021 by Computer Hope

Navigating Microsoft Windows using the keyboard for many normally performed tasks can dramatically increase your productivity. Also, a situation may arise when the mouse stops functioning, or you need to piece of work on a reckoner without one. The post-obit sections contain many essential combinations used to navigate Windows using your keyboard. Yous tin can navigate this folio by clicking a link below or gyre through the entire folio and learn all the methods individually.

Note

Some of these key combinations accept different effects or do not work the same fashion for Windows 8 and 8.1.

Opening a programme from the Outset menu

To start, y'all tin can access the Microsoft Windows Start menu by pressing the Windows central on the keyboard or by pressing the Ctrl and Esc keys simultaneously.

Notation

Because Windows 8 does not accept a First menu, pressing the Windows key or Ctrl+Esc keys shows the Windows Outset screen or goes to the Windows desktop.

In the Start menu, you can use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move up, down, left, or right in the Get-go menu. One time you lot've located the program you want to run, printing the Enter fundamental.

Tip

You lot can quickly open a program by pressing the Windows cardinal, typing the programme's name, and then pressing Enter.

Opening a programme from File Explorer

To start, press Windows key+E on the keyboard to open Windows File Explorer.

In File Explorer, you lot may utilise a combination of the Tab key and the arrow keys to navigate. Tab moves you lot betwixt sections of File Explorer, and the arrow keys to motion upwardly, downwards, left, or right within them. Once you've located and selected the program you want to run, press the Enter key.

Tip

You can quickly open a program past pressing the Windows cardinal, typing the program'southward proper name, and then pressing Enter.

Opening a programme on the desktop

To run a program with an icon (shortcut) on the desktop, you can move to the desktop past pressing the Tab central on your keyboard. Pressing Tab while on the desktop switches between the desktop, Start, and each item on the taskbar. You can determine what expanse you're currently at past looking for an particular that is selected. A selected item is highlighted or has a border of dots.

In some cases, you may have to press Tab several times before getting to the desktop icons. In one case i of the desktop icons is selected, yous tin move to other icons using your arrow keys.

In one case the icon on the desktop you lot want to run is selected, press the Enter key to open that programme.

Endmost, minimizing, maximizing, or moving a window

Endmost a window

Printing the Ctrl and F4 keys on the keyboard simultaneously to shut the electric current open program or window.

You can as well printing the Alt and spacebar keys simultaneously, and so arrow downwards to the Close or Exit selection in the menu and press Enter.

Minimizing or shrinking a window

To minimize a window, press the Windows key and downward arrow simultaneously (sometimes twice).

Maximizing a window

To maximize a window, press the Windows cardinal and upward arrow at the aforementioned fourth dimension.

Moving a window

Before y'all tin motion whatsoever window, it must not exist maximized. To brand the window appear in windowed mode, press the Alt and spacebar keys simultaneously, move to the Restore option, and press Enter. In windowed mode, you tin can motion a window if you printing Alt+spacebar, select Move from the bill of fare, then use the arrow keys to movement information technology.

Closing or irresolute tabs

Endmost a tab

In most programs, pressing the Ctrl and F4 keys at the same time closes a tab.

Switching tabs

To move left to correct betwixt tabs in the currently selected window, press the Ctrl and Tab keys simultaneously.

To move right to left betwixt tabs in the currently selected window, printing the Ctrl, Shift, and Tab keys simultaneously.

Moving between open windows and applications

To motion between whatsoever open programs on your computer, press and concur the Alt key, then printing the Tab key. If this is done successfully, a window appears that displays each of the open programs on your reckoner. Repeatedly pressing Tab while continuing to concord Alt moves betwixt each of the open programs. When the program you want to switch to is selected, permit go of both keys to brand information technology your electric current window.

Navigating between fields and buttons on a window

To move your cursor between objects or fields in a window (such equally a dialog box), employ the Tab, spacebar, arrow, and Enter keys. Tab is usually the default, but if it does non piece of work, try using the arrow keys. If you need to press a push button, such as OK or Cancel, press the spacebar or Enter central.

Manipulating and moving through text

Below are the different methods of moving through text in a certificate without the aid of a mouse. Not merely does this help users without a mouse, but it can also save y'all a great deal of fourth dimension when working with text documents.

Computer keyboard overview

Arrow keys - Using the arrow keys on the keyboard, move the cursor upward, down, left, or correct in the document.

Ctrl and Arrow keys - Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or correct arrow keys moves the cursor ane word at a time. Using this shortcut is much faster than only using the arrow keys. Belongings Ctrl while pressing upward or downwards moves through each of the paragraphs in the document.

Stop and Domicile keys - Pressing the Cease key takes you to the end of a line or certificate while pressing the Home fundamental moves you to the beginning.

Shift key - The Shift key allows you to highlight text. For example, holding downward the Shift key while using the right or left pointer keys highlights the text to the left or correct. If you concord down Shift while pressing the down arrow keys, yous highlight one line at a time in that management.

You can also use the Shift fundamental in combination with the other recommendations in a higher place. For example, pressing and holding Shift and Ctrl and using the arrows highlights ane word at a time. Belongings downwards Shift and pressing the Finish key highlights from the current cursor position to the end of the line or certificate.

Scrolling up or down in a window is frequently accomplished with the up and down arrow keys, Page up and Folio down keys, or the spacebar.

Correct-clicking an icon or other element of Windows

In some situations, you may need to correct-click an icon, text, or other Windows elements. To do this without a mouse, select the icon or move the cursor to the text you need to correct-click. Then, press the Shift and F10 keys at the same time.

Checking and unchecking a checkbox

Some Windows settings pages require you to cheque or uncheck a checkbox to change settings. Press the Tab key to cycle through each entry on a settings page. And so, press the spacebar to cheque or uncheck a checkbox for the highlighted entry.