Your guide to Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts

Posted on Monday July 11, 2022

It’s been almost a year since Microsoft released its latest operating system, Windows 11. And while some features and keyboard shortcuts were carried over from Windows 10, several new ones have been added. Here’s a list of handy keyboard shortcuts to help you get the most out of Windows 11

General Windows 11 shortcuts

These shortcuts are for general functions, such as copy, cut, paste, and more.

Command	Function
Ctrl + A	Highlights all items in the active window
Ctrl + C	Copies the highlighted items
Ctrl + X	Cuts the highlighted items
Ctrl + V	Pastes the cut or copied items
Ctrl + Z	Undoes recent changes
Ctrl + Y	Redoes recent changes
Ctrl + Shift + Drag an icon	Creates a shortcut
Shift + Left mouse click	Selects multiple items
Ctrl + O	Opens a file
Ctrl + S	Saves a file or folder
Ctrl + Shift + S	Opens the Save As dialog box
Ctrl + N	Opens a new window
Alt + Tab	Switches between active tabs or windows
Alt + F4	Closes an active window
Shift + Delete	Deletes a file or folder without going through the recycle bin
F5	Refreshes the active window

Windows 11 Command Prompt shortcuts

These shortcuts will help you navigate the Command Prompt terminal faster.

Command	Function
Ctrl + A	Selects all items
Ctrl + M	Activates Mark mode
Ctrl + F	Opens the Find dialog box
Esc	Deletes everything you typed
Up and Down arrow keys	Cycles through the command history
Page Up/Down	Moves the cursor up or down a whole page
Shift + Home	Repositions the cursor at the start of the current line

Windows 11 File Explorer shortcuts

Use these File Explorer shortcuts to manage your files and folders more efficiently.

Command	Function
Win + E	Opens File Explorer
Ctrl + N	Opens another File Explorer window while you’re in File Explorer
Ctrl + E	Goes to the Quick access search bar
Ctrl + W	Closes File Explorer
Ctrl + Mouse scroll	Changes how files and folders can be viewed
F4	Goes to the File Explorer address bar
F5	Refreshes the current File Explorer window
F6	Toggles between the left and right pane
Ctrl + Shift + N	Creates a new folder
Alt + P	Shows/Hides the preview panel
Alt + Enter	Shows the Properties window of the selected item
Alt + Left or Right arrow keys	Toggles between the next and previous folders
Alt + Up arrow key	Goes to the parent folder or directory
Num Lock + Plus (+) key	Expands the selected folder
Num Lock + Minus (-) key	Collapses the selected folder

New Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts

Here are keyboard shortcuts you’ll find only in Windows 11.

Command	Function
Win + C	Opens the Microsoft Teams chat app
Win + H	Opens Voice Typing
Win + A	Launches the Quick Settings flyout
Win + N	Opens the Notification Center
Win + W	Brings up the Widgets pane
Win + Z	Launches the Snap Layouts flyout

Remembering all these keyboard shortcuts can be difficult, but learning them can save you significant time and effort while working on tasks on a Windows 11 computer.

Having a printed copy of these shortcuts next to your computer will help you remember them or serve as a quick reference.

If you want to find more ways to increase your productivity using Windows 11, call our experts today.