How to Use Your Computer Without a Mouse

If you don’t like using a mouse or feel like it’s slowing you down, there are hundreds of keyboard shortcuts you can use instead. Here are some keyboard workarounds to use on the web, in Windows.

1.If your operating system has Mouse Keys, Go to Start > Control Panel > Ease of Access to activate it. This will allow you to use the arrow keys to control your cursor in lieu of the mouse. 2. Use these Windows system key combinations. F1 — Help CTRL+ESC — Open Start menu ALT+TAB — Switch between open programs ALT+F4 — Quit program SHIFT+DELETE — Delete item permanently Windows Logo+L — Lock the computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE) 3. Use these key combinations while writing on Windows. CTRL+C — Copy CTRL+X — Cut CTRL+V — Paste CTRL+Z — Undo CTRL+B — Bold CTRL+U — Underline CTRL+I — Italic 4. Use these general keyboard-only commands. F1 — Starts Windows Help F10 — Activates menu bar options SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object CTRL+ESC — Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item) CTRL+ESC or ESC — Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu) CTRL+SHIFT+ESC — Opens Windows Task Manager ALT+DOWN ARROW — Opens a drop-down list box ALT+TAB — Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window) SHIFT — Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature ALT+SPACE — Displays the main window’s System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window) ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) — Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window’s System menu (from the MDI child window’s System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window) CTRL+TAB — Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program ALT+underlined letter in menu — Opens the menu ALT+F4 — Closes the current window CTRL+F4 — Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window ALT+F6 — Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window) 5. Use these shortcuts for shell objects and desktop shortcuts. For a selected object: F2 — Rename object F3 — Find all files CTRL+X — Cut CTRL+C — Copy CTRL+V — Paste SHIFT+DELETE — Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin ALT+ENTER — Open the properties for the selected object 6. Use these general folder/shortcut controls. F4 — Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer) F5 — Refreshes the current window. F6 — Moves among panes in Windows Explorer CTRL+G — Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only) CTRL+Z — Undo the last command CTRL+A — Select all the items in the current window BACKSPACE — Switch to the parent folder SHIFT+click+Close button — For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders 7. Use these key combinations to control properties. CTRL+TAB / CTRL+SHIFT+TAB — Move through the property tabs 8. Use these shortcuts for accessibility. Press SHIFT five times — Toggles StickyKeys on and off Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds — Toggles FilterKeys on and off Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds — Toggles ToggleKeys on and off Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK — Toggles MouseKeys on and off Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN — Toggles high contrast on and off 9. Use these dialog box keyboard commands. TAB — Move to the next control in the dialog box SHIFT+TAB — Move to the previous control in the dialog box SPACEBAR — If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option, this selects the option. ENTER — Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline) ESC — Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button ALT+underlined letter in dialog box item — Move to the corresponding item 10. Use these shortcuts if you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard. Windows Logo — Start menu Windows Logo+R — Run dialog box Windows Logo+M — Minimize all SHIFT+Windows Logo+M — Undo minimize all Windows Logo+F1 — Help Windows Logo+E — Windows Explorer Windows Logo+F — Find files or folders Windows Logo+D — Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop CTRL+Windows Logo+F — Find computer CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB — Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray) Windows Logo+TAB — Cycle through taskbar buttons Windows Logo+Break — System Properties dialog box Application key — Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item 11. Use these shortcuts if you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed. Windows Logo+L — Log off Windows Windows Logo+P — Starts Print Manager Windows Logo+C — Opens Control Panel Windows Logo+V — Starts Clipboard Windows Logo+K — Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box Windows Logo+I — Opens Mouse Properties dialog box Windows Logo+A — Starts Accessibility Options (if installed) Windows Logo+SPACEBAR — Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys Windows Logo+S — Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off