Microsoft engineer asked: what is the best Windows shortcut? See user responses

Jen Gentleman, engineer at Microsoft and a figure known for his work in the development of Windows, asked the following on your Bluesky account: “What keyboard shortcut should everyone know?” The answer? A flood of useful suggestions, which quickly went viral among users.

Gentleman himself began the list by mentioning the CTRL + Shift + T. This command, used in browsers, reopens a tab that was closed by mistake. Since then, the community has contributed a multitude of shortcuts, ranging from browsers to Windows tools like PowerToys. Below, we have selected some useful shortcuts shared in this post:

General Windows Shortcuts

• Windows + L: Locks the active session and allows user switching.
• Windows + E: Instantly opens File Explorer.
• Windows + D: Displays the desktop. Press again to return to the windows that were open.
• Windows + I: Directly accesses the Windows Settings menu.
• Windows + H: Activates voice typing mode.
• Windows + V: Shows the clipboard with the history of copies made.
• Windows + Shift + S: Launches the snipping tool for custom screenshots.
• Windows + . (point): Opens the emojis and special characters panel.

Advanced commands for productivity

• Windows + CTRL + Shift + B: Reset graphics drivers, useful for fixing display issues or crashes in games.
• Windows + Shift + arrow keys: Allows you to move windows between monitors, essential in multi-monitor setups.
• Windows + CTRL + T (with PowerToys): Makes the active window always highlighted over the others.

Browsers and text editing

• CTRL + K: In browsers, opens the search engine. In Word, formats selected text in italics.
• CTRL + Shift + A: Shows all open tabs in Chromium-based browsers.
• CTRL + Shift + N: Creates a new folder on Windows or opens an incognito window on Chromium browsers.
• CTRL + Z: Undo the last action in virtually any application.
• Shift + F3: In text editors, switches between uppercase and lowercase letters in words or sentences
• Alt + Enter: In Excel, inserts a line or paragraph break within a cell.

System management and performance

• CTRL + Shift + ESC: Opens the Task Manager directly, without having to go through the menu.
• CTRL + Alt + Del: Shows the menu to switch users, access the Task Manager or shut down the system.
• Windows + Direction Arrows: Resizes or arranges windows on the screen, making multitasking easier.

Now I want to hear from you. Which shortcut do you consider essential in Windows? Comment below.