The computer keyboard can be an intimidating piece of technology to learn, especially if you’re new to the whole concept of computers. However, once you know the best computer shortcuts, your productivity will soar and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’re able to navigate through your operating system and accomplish tasks that once took forever! Let’s look at 10 keyboard shortcuts every computer user should know so you can start getting more done, faster! 10 Keyboard Shortcuts Every Computer User Should Know
1) Copy & Paste
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Copy and paste is perhaps one of your most used keyboard shortcuts, and for good reason. Instead of clicking through menus or typing out lengthy commands, you can just select what you want to copy, press Ctrl + C (Windows) or ⌘ Command + C (Mac), and then click where you want to paste that item.
2) Cut, Copy, Paste
Although most computer users are familiar with CUT, COPY, and PASTE (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V), few know that there are a multitude of other keyboard shortcuts available for different functions. Have you ever found yourself highlighting something in a document or webpage and wanting to just send it without going through all of that copying business? There’s a shortcut for that!
3) Navigate Windows with Keyboard Only
Windows has a ton of keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate around your computer faster than ever before. Master these and you’ll be blazing through your work in no time. For example, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open Task Manager or search for a file by pressing Ctrl + F . Here are 10 more Windows keyboard shortcuts every computer user should know . [via Lifehacker]
4) Rename Multiple Files at Once
When renaming multiple files, there are two ways to do it. The first is to select all of them at once with Command-A (or Ctrl-A on Windows), then go to File > Rename and edit away. The second is simply to select one file, hit Return for filename (2) mode, then enter your new name and hit Return again for filename (3) mode; repeat for each file you want to rename.
5) Save Time When Sending Emails
Most people are familiar with Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V shortcuts. But did you know that there are keyboard shortcuts for opening emails, sending emails, saving attachments and more? Here are 10 keyboard shortcuts every computer user should know.
6) How to Rename Documents Quickly in Word or Excel
When working in Word or Excel, you may come across a situation where you want to quickly rename a document—for example, if you’re entering hundreds of survey responses into Excel, and each file includes a unique ID number. It can take hours to rename hundreds of files by hand. Luckily, there are keyboard shortcuts that will let you change documents’ names in just seconds. Here’s how they work.
7) Search For Files Quickly Using Spotlight
Spotlight is a handy tool included with Mac OS X that allows you to quickly find just about anything on your computer. You can use it to search for files, start applications, and even get quick answers from Wikipedia. To activate Spotlight, press ⌘ + Spacebar on your keyboard or click the magnifying glass icon in your Menu Bar.
8) Access The Entire Web On A Mac With ⌘ Command + Tab
If you’re running your Mac through OS X, then you know about ⌘ Command + Tab. ⌘ Command + Tab allows for quick and easy app switching. But, did you know that it also makes it easy to access all of your web browser tabs?
9) The Spotlight Search Keyboard Combination On A Mac
Command-Option-Space: This one is great for all Mac users, but it’s fantastic if you’re using an external keyboard and find yourself in a situation where you need to use Spotlight Search. All you have to do is hold down Command (the Apple Key), Option (the Alt key) and then hit Space Bar to bring up your Spotlight Search.
10) Easy Keyboard Shortcut To Add An Exclamation Mark In Gmail
If you’re using a Chrome browser, use CTRL + SHIFT + ~ to quickly add an exclamation mark after whatever you type. In Gmail, it will be automatically converted into a correctly-formatted question mark when you hit Send. And if your service uses another character for question marks (such as Yahoo), enter that one instead of a tilde. It works in other email services as well—including Comcast and any others that allow text shortcuts on your keyboard.