Have you ever wished there was a faster way to execute a specific command on your computer? Usually there is! You just have to remember a few simple keyboard shortcuts.
Most users know the keyboard strokes for everyday functions like copy, cut, and paste – but there’s a shortcut for just about every commonly used task in most software programs. You can greatly increase your productivity at the office if you memorize just a few additional keyboard combinations.
Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y
The first of the two will undo the change you just made to the document. This can be used several times in a row. Some programs will let you back up to the beginning of that session; others have a limit. Ctrl+Y will redo the undo. (Apple = Cmd+Z and Cmd+Y)
Alt+Tab or Ctrl+Tab
The first shortcut will cycle between open programs. So if you have Firefox, Word, and Photoshop all open, Alt+Tab will switch among those programs. Similarly, Ctrl+Tab will cycle between tabs within the program currently open, such as multiple tabs in a web browser. (Apple = Cmd+Tab)
Ctrl+F
This shortcut will open the “find” function in nearly every computer program. In a browser, this will search for specific text on the page. (Apple = Cmd+F)
Ctrl+Home or Ctrl+End
The first of these will switch the cursor to the very beginning of the document, while the second will send it to the end. (Apple = Cmd+up arrow and Cmd+down arrow)
Ctrl+Backspace and Ctrl+left/right arrow
If you need to delete an entire word, rather than doing it character by character, try the Ctrl+Backspace combination. Using left and right arrows with the Ctrl key will move the cursor a word at a time as opposed to a single character at a time. (Apple = Option+Backspace and Option+left/right arrow)
Ctrl+S
You can use this shortcut to save whatever file or document you’re working on. This is universal for virtually all programs, so use it often to avoid the headache of an unexpected interruption causing you to lose all that work. (Apple = Cmd+S)
Page Up, Page Down, Spacebar
Page up and page down do just what they say – they move the open page one page at a time in either direction. In Internet browsers, the spacebar will move the page down while Shift+Spacebar will move the page up. (Apple = Fn+up/down arrow and Spacebar/Shift+Spacebar)
If you’re in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area and require IT support, feel free to contact us at 4 Corner IT.
