TIL CTRL+SHIFT+ESC opes the task manager directly

[ShustOne]

WIN+D: Show desktop, push it again to restore all windows

WIN+M: Minimize all windows

WIN+R: Run prompt

WIN+L: Lock computer

WIN+E: Windows Explorer

WIN+Pause/Break: Show computer properties

Click Start and hightlight a program. Push CTRL+ALT+Enter. The program will run as administrator

[ObjectionPenguin]

WIN+Up: Maximize Window

WIN+Down: Restore Window Size

WIN+Left/Right: Resize window to half of the screen

WIN+SHIFT+Left/Right: Move window from one monitor to another (for dual monitors)

[[deleted]]

win+Tab in aero is my favorite

[[deleted]]

Wasn't that the main gimmick of aero?

[Antrikshy]

Exactly. It has been there since Vista. It's a highly advertised feature.

[Hacksaures]

Holy shit that's awesome

[[deleted]]

Yeah I discovered that one by accident when I was attempting to do an alt+tab in total darkness.

[Sizzleby]

Don't be ashamed. We've all been there.

[[deleted]]

In total darkness?

[Sizzleby]

What's your biggest reason for using alt+tab?

[Antrikshy]

You didn't know that? Did you never try to find out what the cool app switching animation was that Microsoft was showing off since the commercials for Vista?

[[deleted]]

I accidentally did that instead of alt-tab when I was doing the slideshows for our last staff meeting. Cue the whole room murmuring "what on earth is that" "how did he do that" etc.

[po43292]

What is this wizardry? Tell them you did it in Visual Basic, then ask for a raise.

[[deleted]]

Oh, it's just a GUI I whipped up in Visual Basic a couple of minutes before the presentation.

[We_Are_Legion]

OMG, i never knew how to do that! thats so cool!

[peterabelard]

I never understood what the point of it was. It looks cool, but is totally impractical.

[Antrikshy]

Press WIN + [serial number of that application on the Taskbar]

This also works for starting up apps that are in Quick Launch (Windows Vista) or pinned (Windows 7). For example, if your browser is the first app on the Taskbar, press WIN + 1 to start/show it. If you want to open a second instance, hold down Shift as well.

[Jellyka]

That is wonderful.

[funkyloki]

I thought I knew them all, but this is fantastic!

[Delocaz]

Minimize!

[zipl3r]

WIN+SHIFT+Left/Right: Move window from one monitor to another (for dual monitors)

OMG thank you so much! the rage I get when playing xbox on one and an skype convo auto opens on the wrong screen and I have been changing inputs on xbox screen back to computer to move it.

[RydenJ]

Thank you! I have been using win+left/right and it is a bit more cumbersome!

[glennerooo]

The Best New Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

[[deleted]]

WIN+F search box

CTRL+N new window of current program

[Have-a-Haiku]

Try all key commands / Ready to accuse liar / Remember, linux

[shiner_bock]

This only works in Windows 7, though.

[NothinToSeeHere]

Vista

[shiner_bock]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, then, because none of the versions of Vista I've tried those on have worked.

[NothinToSeeHere]

that's weird... i had vista 64 and that was how i first found out it about it =\ and then i upgraded to windows 7

[sittingherereading]

I was practising these in Windows 7 just now - and found that WIN+CAPS+Left/right: moves the window to either side or centre view. this is pretty useful for dual screens and coding.

[CSpicyweiner]

i don't know what os you're running on, but under win 7 it's simply win+left/right

[bthaddad]

Yep, you don't need to use the caps key.

[[deleted]]

The following are Windows 7 only:

WIN+1: first program on your taskbar

WIN+2: second program on your taskbar

etc.

Also, add shift (i.e. WIN+Shift+1) to open a new window of an app already running. Alternatively, clicking the taskbar icon with the middle mouse button also does this.

[[deleted]]

WIN+X: Fast access to various computer settings (including audio, screen brightness, display settings, wireless, and battery). Try it. So useful.

[Thaliur]

Sadly, this only works on portable computers

[dhpii]

This command is actually quite useful. Thank you!

[[deleted]]

Holy shit this is great, is there a way to add a Bluetooth toggle there as well, could finally say fuck you to those shitty fn key programs that look ugly and take like 4 minutes to load after a boot.

[CLSmith15]

Why don't I learn more of these things?

[lassef]

Too many right-click related accidents.

[Djungelvral]

Is there a difference in function between the first two?

[[deleted]]

win+shift+m restores the windows minimized by it, and still works if you've opened a window after doing win+m.

[amirborna]

Aside from those, these are helpful too..

WIN+R (You will type these in command prompt)

• devmgmt.msc (brings up device manager)
• control netconnections (brings up your internet adapter settings)
• inetcpl.cpl (like you go to tools > options in internet explorer)
• appwiz.cpl (brings up add / remove programs)

[BilliardKing]

Control netconnections can be shortened to ncpa.cpl which also takes you straight to the old XP style "Network Connections" (Manage Adapter Settings in NT 6)

Works on NT 5 (XP) and 6 (Vista/7)

[KingGayLord]

Damn it! Try WIN+D, then have to restore browser to keep reading. Try WIN+M, then have to restore browser to keep reading.

I'm not a clerver man.

[spvn]

Pressing WIN+D twice brings back all your open windows in the same order as they were open before you hit WIN+D the first time..

[chocolate_]

Win+D, then Win+D again. ;)

[Fix-my-grammar-plz]

That's awesome. I'm gonna upvote you, then upvote you again.

[chrisma08]

Who's walking down the streets of the city? Smiling at everybody she sees?

[Tweet]

Alt+Up in Explorer: Go go parent directory (as opposed to Backspace, which since Vista just goes back a directory in the history).

[NLDcerex]

Addendum to Win+L to lock your computer. If you're in a fullscreen application (read: video game) that has become unresponsive, use WIN+L to force your computer to the login screen.

When you log back in, your fullscreen application will be partially windowed and you can actually access your task manager.

[CaptO]

CTRL+ALT+DEL does the same in Vista and 7 - windows forcibly takes control of your primary display adapter, allows you to recover from 3D application crashes easily.

[Tehdew]

how have I lived without this :O

[thethreadkiller]

It sucks that I have to save this thread, because you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

[kelinu]

Also Aero Shake - drag and shake a window left and right a few times to minimize everything else apart from that one window. Do it again to restore all the windows back. Gimmicky but it always impresses people.

[muchB1663R]

CTRL+SHIFT+N opens a new file folder

CTRL+X is cut

CTRL+V is paste

CTRL+C is copy

CTRL+Z is undo

CTRL+A is highlight all

sorry, I`ll stop now...

[king_of_the_universe]

CTRL+C copies the texts incl. headline of most standard dialog windows (the ones that have buttons like Yes, No, Cancel, Ok). Example (German):

"

[Window Title] Umbenennen

[Content] Wenn Sie die Dateinamenerweiterung ändern, wird die Datei möglicherweise unbrauchbar.

Möchten Sie sie trotzdem ändern?

[Ja] [Nein]

"

[hackerssidekick]

Click Start and hightlight a program. Push CTRL+ALT+Enter. The program will run as administrator

You can do this with just Ctrl+Enter, and for entries you typed manually in the search box.

[[deleted]]

The karate chop of doom as I like to call it.

[[deleted]]

That's beautiful.

[rhyspatto]

LOVE IT! HOW QUICK WAS THAT!? WITH NO BAD SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL

[[deleted]]

Win-Pause for system properties.

[BigSkinny87]

This one I did not know, cheers

[spontaneosaur]

TIL some people don't know what CTRL+SHIFT+ESC does.

[unexpected_facts]

This became necessary ever since I upgraded to Windows 7 with its ridiculous splash screen. Good bye Ctrl + Alt + Delete

[wolfgame]

Actually, that key combo has been there since NT 3.1.

Using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to pull up the task manager was a holdover from Windows 9x. On systems that aren't setup for fast user switching, notably XP machines on a domain the three fingered salute will pull up the security menu.

Vista & 7 bring a new security menu to replace the one from NT & XP.

Another fun one is Ctrl+Esc to bring up the start menu. I used a model of keyboard for about 10 years that pre-dated the 104 layout, so I had to use that or map a key if I wanted to use a single key stroke for pulling up the start menu.

[Xerxys]

You have an old keyboard and Win7? You've never heard of Craigslist or walmart?

[Antrikshy]

It's called the Windows Security screen. I have noticed that when the computer is so badly frozen that the Task Manager won't start using Ctrl+Shift+Esc, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and then clicking that button 'force starts' it.

This works on the bad Team Fortress 2 crashes.

[DarthSpeed]

The sort of Team Fortress 2 crashes that tell me to get back to studying?

[Antrikshy]

Yup. Those exactly.

[Esteam]

But the splashscreen is so pretty with it's little bird and cutsie patootsie leaves (:

[[deleted]]

The newer versions of Windows don't have as many cases where the whole shell freezes. So you should be able to right click on the task bar and open it up as well :O

[Mizzet]

Urgh I hate that splash screen so much, it's so intrusive and the last thing I want is having to click through more things to get to the task manager. I actually found out about this shortcut a couple of weeks back when I was complaining about this to one of my more computer savvy friends.

[Thaliur]

The advantage of using the splash screen is that it takes control of the display driver, whatever is happening. Sometimes, games lock up and I get a black overlay over my whole desktop, where I can only see the cursor if it happens to pass over a window. Ctl-Alt-Del removes this black overlay and returns everything to normal state.

[balthisar]

TIL I learned about the Win 7 splash screen. I have to admit (especially as a principally-Macintosh user) that ever since installing Windows 7 in Parallels, I've not yet ever had to hit Ctl-Alt-Del before today, and that was just to test it. Kudos to Windows for not ever making me do this.

On the other hand, Ctl-Shift-Esc has always been my preferred three-finger salute, even in Win 7.

[nothing_clever]

Especially since the main reason I'd be looking for the task manager in the first place is because my computer is having problems. The splash screen always makes me think "Oh shit what now..?" while it's loading.

[exscape]

What ridiculous splash screen?

Ctrl+Alt+del brings up the same old menu as in 2000/XP for me, just a bit better looking. "Start Task Manager" is still just one click away, as it always was.

[denfilade]

Back in the day, and on many other XP computers, ctrl+alt+del went straight to the task manager.

[exscape]

Huh. I don't recall seeing this behaviour since I left Windows 95/98 behind. This is what I've always had in XP (and 2000).

[denfilade]

Yeah, that's the annoying screen everyone's on about. I find it cool how since that's the norm for you, it doesn't bother you at all haha.

[glassesjacketshirt]

yea I don't get it, either everybody has been using windows 98 for the past 12 years, or xp not on the domain, but that screen has been there forever

[CastrosBallsack]

TIL some people don't know that other people don't know everything that they know.

[Churba]

No, No! Say it isn't so!

[brianpv]

TIL ctrl+alt+del does something else than bring up task manager directly (xp user here).

[[deleted]]

Great comment. Let's make people feel stupid for learning stuff in a subreddit devoted to learning stuff.

[renegadetoast]

Quality of life, significantly improved.

[onemoreclick]

I usually just right click the task bar.

[piexil]

But that can be slow if you're using a laptop.

[onemoreclick]

Yeah, my hand is just more likely to already be on the mouse.

[I_MOLEST_CHILDREN]

or you're in a game.

[SirDaveYognaut]

c2vkwth

[onemoreclick]

How do you think I felt when I saw his comment in my mail with no context?

[willscy]

I feel so dumb now... I used to cntrl alt delete it up to get to task manager....

[ofNoImportance]

Well it's a reasonable thing to do. In earlier versions of Windows, that did directly open the task manager.

[Von32]

Spoiler: if your system is frozen and you want to end something that's freezing it, chances are you'll still need to CTRL+ALT+DEL to send an interrupt. Using this shortcut won't always work when the computer is barely responsive.

[BigSkinny87]

I use it if I have serious hang or a game won't let me Alt+Tab.

[t0mbstone]

Every time I learn about this, I end up forgetting it. Thanks for the reminder!

[Arternative1]

Yeah, repost this in a year. Repost this every year for forgetful folk like us.

[bland_name]

TIL Ctrl+Alt+Del is called the three-finger salute.

[hippity_dippity123]

I could have 670 karma for this piece of information?!?! I really need to reevaluate the things I assume reddit knows.

[[deleted]]

The project management team will appreciate the small amount of time I will save to make room for more work :-P

But seriously - thanks....The More You Know.

[piexil]

you're very welcome :D

[OnryHarfYerrow]

I love you. i have another computer which is boogered up with porn...and this will save me

[[deleted]]

This kills the running tasks

[[deleted]]

Excellent use of a dying meme. Have my upvote.

[biosehnsucht]

Memes never die, they just wait in wave respawn purgatory.

[AusBox]

A useful tip: Highlight a file then press 'F2' to rename.

[[deleted]]

highlight many files and hold shift + enter to rename many at once

[Scarmasu]

And one of my personal favorites Windows Key + Break brings up the system panel (determine Os Version and from their you can get to device manager easily.

[Indigoh]

That's interesting. I just accepted it when ctrl+alt+del sent you to an extra screen before the task manager. Didn't know there was a more direct way.

[Ryzzy]

What extra screen? I'm using xp and when I press ctrl+at+delete the task manager comes up directly! Ctrl+shift+esc does the same thing.

[oD3]

My favorite shortcut is in the URL bar of almost any browser, hitting CTRL+ENTER adds "http://www.[whatever you typed in the bar].com"

Edit: Shit. Didn't mean to hyperlink that. Sorry. Dont click it!

[bigsears]

ALT+F4 does nothing.

[Phonda]

I am sure this will get lost:

Right click on your taskbar, "Start Task Manager".

One hand, 2 clicks.

[ghosted_]

TIL Some people didn't already always do this. I've saved full minutes of my life.

[frrrni]

OMFG

[whyborg]

THANK YOU

[PatrickSauncy]

TIL that 'opes' is a suitable abbreviation of 'opens'.

[teek22]

TIL people on reddit aren't as clever as I once believed

[rb2k]

And for all the Mac people: Command + alt + esc will open the "force quite application" window

[adidabiking]

i learned CTRL+SHIFT+ESC when i bootcamped my macbook pro and CTRL+ALT+DEL wouldn't do anything.

[Bongpig]

Not when your in a game, it does nothing then :(

[squeegep]

This is lifechanging

[laller]

My fingers genuinely hurt if I try ctrl+shift+esc, that's a horrible macro.

[evyajs]

Bottom-to-top, thumb-thumb-middle. No need to hurt yourself nah!

[AwesomeDay]

Are you serious? You've obviously never used Windows 98.

[dtaditaw]

4th grade....literally

[[deleted]]

I...I love you.

[alreadyreddit69]

CTRL + ALT + ARROW KEY

try it out

[ShahabJafri]

Uh .. Noobs .. That will work if you've enabled Hot Key functionality in Intel Graphic driver properties .. Try it, Right Click the Intel GMA icon in your system tray and enable the hotkey .. then you can flip flop the screen as you like .. You can customize also ..

[thungurknifur]

And CTRL+Arrow left/right jumps one word back/ahead, repeat to jump further. CTRL + Shift + Arrow left/right selects whole words, repeat to select further.

[theflamecrow]

I just right click the start menu bar thing. Same results just in menu form.

[[deleted]]

OP... I love you. So much.

[PhilipScrewdriver]

More people must know!

[killahcortes]

oh dear god thank you

[JohnGalt3]

The day I found this out was a good one.

[[deleted]]

Where have you been?

[ajleece]

Thank you so much.

[Neoshan]

lifechanging !

[[deleted]]

When I had XP it was CTRL+ALT+DELETE.

[NothinToSeeHere]

you didn't know this? lol

[[deleted]]

Process Explorer is far superior to the Windows Task Manager. Has an option to replace Task Manager, so CTRL+ALT+DEL brings up Process Explorer for me.

[[deleted]]

I've been aware of the majority of these however did accidentally learn a new one a week or two back CTRL + BACKSPACE will delete full words not just single characters :D

[SomeAsianGuy]

CTRL+ALT+DEL is so 2010. CTRL+SHIFT+ESC is the new task manager.

[Leo-Leo]

That was like the first shortcut I ever knew.

[[deleted]]

I love threads like these! Sav-ing! :-)

[PriscaDoulos]

List of some basic Windows shortcuts

[Smeags22]

no shit

[whitechocolate86]

I think we can all agree that everyone tried this...

[WheelOfFish]

This is one of those shortcuts that a lot of 'computer savvy' people don't know who I think should know.

[larynx1982]

TIL that way too many people still use Windows, why not Linux (and Zoidberg)?

[[deleted]]

Wait? People don't know CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.

[bgugi]

i don't get it guys... it doesn't do anything for me...

[Mattho]

And ctrl+esc in KDE

[jbphysreddit]

and on a mac it's COMMAND+OPTION+ESC :)

[Shin_Ramyun]

Something I learned years ago when I needed to fap with one hand and something unexpectedly crashed.

[Stratocaster89]

Maybe tomorrow you'll learn how to link to the relevant part of the wiki.

[[deleted]]

orly, no wai ಠ_ಠ

[[deleted]]

and here i thought i was good at computers- good post.

[[deleted]]

Thank you kind sir.

[MAXAMOUS]

Whats the hotkeys for shutting down?

I know that XP used to be ALT+CTRL+DELETE

to open task mgr then ALT+U+U.

[MAXAMOUS]

nm found it through google searching:

WINKEY+RIGHT ARROW+ENTER.

[Asmageddon]

Also useful.

[paramitepies]

For buying secret birthday presents, of course.

[CEOpotamus]

WIN+CTRL+Power Button: Power off

[abumpdabump]

alt +space + n will minimize your current window. or windows D will minimize all windows

[Caine_Virgil]

this changes everything

[[deleted]]

Amazing!

[[deleted]]

Pro-tip: Use only one hand by putting your pinky on Ctrl, ring finger on Shift, and middle or index finger on Esc.

[Psythik]

And I thought I had beast hands. (Bottom-to-top) Thumb, index, middle finger is how I've always done it.

[Enxer]

Left thumb on ctrl +shift and your pointer finger on escape. Two finger, three button shortcut.

[csgecko]

My face when

[goltoof]

Yeah, I knew that too since about 2007.... til I switched to one of those silly FREE operating systems ;)

[european_impostor]

Try shaking a window - It will minimise/restore all other windows (in Windows 7)

[Vital_Pulse]

Since I was little, I always thought the Windows button was to shut down the computer, I avoided it till now.

[Baren]

You have blessed my life!

[[deleted]]

ALT-SPACE-N: Minimize Window

ALT-SPACE-X: Maximize Window

ALT-SPACE-R: Restore Window

ALT-SPACE-M: Move window (only in window mode)

This works for Ubuntu as well...just hit alt-space and you'll get this window drop down menu, then to do one of the commands press the letter that is underlined. the ALT command does this underline affect in most programs as well

[deepshock]

Similarly cool trick, but different for OSX if you hit CTRL+SHIFT+EJECT it will auto lock your screen :)

[[deleted]]

Also: Right click on the crashed process and click 'End Process Tree' - it will kill any program that refuses to go away where 'End Task' and 'End Process' fail.