You may have noticed that Windows 10 has a lot of shortcuts, including the F1 to F12 keys, which were common on older computers but are less common now. Luckily, these keys still work on Windows 10, so let’s take a look at what they do and how you can use them. [INSERT RECOMMENDED KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS] Shortcut Keys for Windows 10
Function keys
The function keys are a group of 12 keyboard keys in rows above their corresponding number keys. You can use these to perform specific functions and access programs and commands. Pressing F1 displays Help, while F2 opens Windows Explorer. F3 opens Search, F4 displays your desktop (or activates it if it’s minimized), and so on. Hold down Shift as you press any of these to access different menus or options within an application.
1) Open Start Menu with Brackets key (F2)
When your PC boots, you see a black screen with white text, and then a sign-in box. If you want to go straight to that Start menu, use F2 to open it as soon as possible. You’ll save yourself some valuable seconds! This doesn’t work with all keyboards—only those that have brackets in their F1–F12 keys.
4) Create New Folder with Y key (F4)
To add a new folder, first find where you want to place it. Next, hold down Y on your keyboard and release. A window will appear with a New Folder option—follow through to create a new folder in that directory or wherever you’re currently located. You can also click an empty area of your screen to create a new folder at that location.
6) Copy selected text with X key (F6)
You can use keyboard shortcuts to copy text without having to right-click and choose Copy or press Ctrl+C. One handy shortcut is pressing X while you select text with your mouse. This will copy everything you’ve selected in one go. If it’s not visible, check out our guide on turning on Show Text Selection Circles in Windows 10 to see what you’re missing!
8) Paste selected text with V key (F8)
You can save time while typing by selecting text and pressing Ctrl + V. But if you want to paste selected text faster, press Ctrl + Shift + V to use your computer’s advanced settings to paste instantly. This saves time and works on most popular applications like word processors, browsers, and spreadsheets.
10) Cut selected text with C key (F10
Display context menu) Press C key + X to cut selected text and place it on clipboard. Make sure you press Ctrl+V (paste) to paste it in another application.
12) Undo last action with Z key (F12
Toggle Zoom) If you hit Command+Z (undo), you’ll be able to undo up to your last four actions. Just keep hitting it until you’re back to where you want to be. To make these features work, make sure Command+Z is set as an action under Keyboard Shortcuts. How?