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Thursday, April 17, 2025

15 essential keyboard shortcuts everyone should know

 

In 2025, work productivity will take precedence over anything else. At a time when we have many tools to enhance productivity, how good are your basics? On average, a working professional spends nearly eight hours a day in front of a computer or laptop. Perhaps this is why something as small as memorizing keyboard shortcuts plays a key role in improving efficiency at work.

Keyboard shortcuts significantly improve productivity because they allow for faster navigation and execution of tasks. Instead of relying on the mouse, shortcuts offer a direct and efficient way to perform simple actions, such as copying, pasting, undoing, and saving. Although it seems insignificant, they can save substantial time over the course of the day.

There is much more than copying and pasting when it comes to shortcuts. In this article, we will explore some more keyboard shortcuts that can improve efficiency and turn coworkers green with envy.

Win + tab - Win + tab shortcut lets you switch between multiple desktops. This will reveal a screen that will show all your desktops at the bottom and the programs running on the selected desktop at the top. Users can also create new desktops to organize open applications. This way, you can have one desktop for work, and another for games or leisure as per your convenience.

Anyone who is aware of this is the legend. This shortcut has been a saviour, as it instantly restores all closed pages. It is crucial that we have experienced times when we accidentally closed the browser and the system shut down.

Alt + Esc - This can be your lifesaver in tricky situations. This shortcut allows you to quickly minimize what you are looking at. It is ideal for office folks who do not want their lurking managers or pesky coworkers to sneak on them while browsing something.

Ctrl + F/H - This is a classic method to help locate information quickly in a long or dense Excel sheet. While CTRL + F stands for help you find, hitting CTRL + H will give you the option to find what you are looking for and replace it with something else.

Ctrl + A - Are you among those who spend a long time selecting text in a long document? If yes, this is for you. This shortcut allows you to select everything, everywhere, and all at once.

Windows + L - This shortcut can save the PC from unauthorized access when it is away from the keyboard. In a corporate environment, you would be advised by your superiors to hit Window + L before you left your desk. This is an effective way to safeguard the system.

Control + Shift + Arrow Keys: This shortcut is a step ahead of Windows + A, as it allows navigating through the document and selecting words or lines that are important to you.

Ctrl + Backspace: For people who write thousands of words each day, this can come in handy. This shortcut allows one to delete previous words or character blocks instantly.

Ctrl + Delete - For editors, this shortcut allows them to delete the next word or character block. This has the opposite effect of the CTRL + Backspace.

Win + M or Win + D - If you want to minimise all things on your desktop at once, then this is your go-to shortcut. This is a great shortcut to keeping your work private. 

Win + Shift +M - Once you have used the above shortcut and if you want to undo or return to the tab you were working on, this shortcut can be used.

Alt + D - If you have been using your mouse to select the URL from the address bar on the browser, this is for you. Hitting this shortcut instantly selects the URL, and you can later copy and paste it wherever you want.

Ctrl + W - We often open hundreds of tabs on the browser while working. This is an effective way to close tabs or browser windows.

Ctrl + N  - When using a browser, it allows you to open a fresh tab. While in Windows Explorer, this opens a new tab; in Chrome, this would open a new window.

Ctrl + Shift + N - While this shortcut will let you open a new folder on your computer, this shortcut will lead you to the incognito mode to browse privately away from browser history.

Shift + Delete - If you want to delete something permanently, bypassing the recycle bin, then use this shortcut.

Mastery of keyboard shortcuts can lead to improved focus and performance. We will continue to add additional shortcuts over time.

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