Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Save You Time

Yesterday, we covered how the scroll wheel on the mouse can do more than just scroll up and down the page.  Today, we will look at four keyboard shortcuts that can save you time.

1) Switch Between Programs Easily - If you need to switch between two different programs or two windows of the same program, you can use the Alt+Tab (meaning you hold down the Alt key while you hit Tab) key combination to switch between them.  The first time you hit the Tab key, you will see a list of programs you have open, arranged in the order you last used them.  If you continue to hold down the Alt key, you can hit the tab key multiple times to cycle between the open windows.  When you reach the window you want, release the Alt key to switch to that window.

2) Close Programs without a Mouse - If your hands are already on your keyboard and you need to close the program you are working with, you can use the key command Alt+F4.

Bonus Tip:  If you are working in a browser with tabs, you can close only the current tab with the key command Ctrl+W.  This command also works in Microsoft Office and some other programs that allow for multiple files to be open within the same window.

3) Cut, Copy, and Paste - This tip is actually three-in-one.  The cut, copy, and paste commands are invaluable tools.  However, you can access them without needing to move your hands from the keyboard.  You can cut using the key combination Ctrl+X, and you can copy using the key combination Ctrl+C.  Pasting what you cut or copied earlier can be accomplished by using Ctrl+V.  These three combinations may seem hard to remember, but it is easier once you realize that the three keys are all next to each other on the keyboard.  Using these commands in combination with the fourth item will allow you to cut, copy, and paste without needing the mouse.

4) Select Text - If you are editing a Word document or any other file where you have a cursor, holding down the Shift key and navigating with the arrow keys will allow me to select text.  Unfortunately, this does not work in most web pages, where you do not have a cursor to designate the starting point.