Save Time with Ctrl Key Shortcuts
These shortcuts work on Windows 10 and 11.
Shortcuts only save you time if you use them. Here are some of the Ctrl-key shortcuts we use almost every day. Remember: The more you use these shortcuts, the more you’ll remember them.
OK. Ready? Let’s save some time and use the Ctrl key to help you save time and take control of your computer.
Let’s say you’re reading a page on the Web and you’re looking for a particular word on that page. What would you do?
a.) Scan the page manually for the word.
b.) Use the browser’s search feature in the browser toolbar.
c.) Press Ctrl+F to open the page search dialog.
d.) None of the above.
The answer is C.
If you’re looking for a word on a page in your web browser, word processor, text editor, PDF viewer, and many others, just press Ctrl+F to open the “Find” dialog. Just remember, F stands for Find. Sure, you can use the program’s search feature too, but why? CTRL + F is faster.
If you’re on a page you want to print, do you search for “print” on the toolbar, look for printer icons, or just press Ctrl+P? Right! You press Ctrl+P to print the page. It’s the fastest way to print.
Let’s say you’re using your browser and you want to open a new window. Do you just click the browser’s shortcut to open a new browser window? Nah, just press Ctrl+N. Same thing if you’re using an email program and you want to open a new window to compose an email.
If you’re working on a document and you want to save it, you can press CTRL+S instead of clicking ‘File’ and ‘Save’. If you want “File” “Save as” – Ctrl+S/ works in many applications.
If you want to view your browser’s history, use Ctrl+H. If you want to view a list of downloads while your browser is open, press Ctrl+J.
Let’s review.
Remember this: Ctrl key shortcuts are not case sensitive – for this post, we are using capital letters, but lowercase letters work just as well.)
Ctrl+F = Find something on a page – in a browser, text editor, PDF editor, eBook, etc. To remember this easily, think F = FIND.
Ctrl+P = Print the document you have open. Whether it’s a web page, a Word doc, a PDF file, a text file, etc, think P = PRINT.
Ctrl+N = Opens a new window in the program that’s running. Think N = NEW.
Ctrl+S = Saves the document you’re working on. Think S = SAVE.
Ctrl+H = Shows your browser’s history. Think H = History
Ctrl+J = Shows a list of downloads in your browser. Think J=? I give up! J=Downloads! Junk?
And let me not fail to mention:
Ctrl+A = Select All
Ctrl+X = Cuts the selected item or text
Ctrl+C = Copies the selected text or item
Ctrl+V = Paste
Ctrl+Y = Reverses your last “Undo”
Ctrl+Z = Restores a deleted file instantly when used immediately after deleting a file.
I’ve been around IBM ‘clones’ (!) since the year dot and I thought that in that time I’d picked up on and used every keyboard shortcut known to Man and Bill Gates. Having read this I now know I did not.
I didn’t know several of these so I’ll be using Ctrl+S/ especially (I have an issue with One Drive trying to be at the front of the queue all the time!) and Ctrl+H (how much time could I have saved down the years with that?) from now on.
The only problem I have is – what am I going to do with all this extra free time? 🙂
Thanks again – it really is all very much appreciated.
The Ctrl that I got from you years ago and use everyday is to make the reading print LARGER.
It is Hold down the CTRL and use your left wheel thing to make the print larger or smaller. So handy and thank you so much for that one.