Tips & Tricks

Varied tips and tricks for use of your computer. Enjoy!

Gestures and Shortcuts for Windows 11

Touchpad gestures

Let's start with a list with touchad gestures, which is the touch panel that replaces the mouse by default on laptops. It is not always the most comfortable to use due to its size, but with these gesture commands you can make everything a little easier.

One finger press: Normal click.
Two-finger pressing: Right click.
Three-finger tap: Open Cortana searches. It can be changed to open notifications.
Four-finger tap: Open the notification center.
Double tap with one finger: Double click.
Double tap with one finger and drag: Select texts or applications. It is also used to drag icons.
Slide up or down with two fingers: Scroll the screen.
Slide up with three fingers: Open the task view, and within them we can slide down with three fingers to select which one to view.
Three-finger swipe down: Shows the desktop. If we slide up again with three fingers, the windows are shown again.
Swipe left or right with three fingers: Navigate between open windows.
Swipe left or right with four fingers: Switch virtual desktops.
Four-finger swipe up: Go to the multitasking screen.
Pinch in or out: Zoom in or out.

Shortcuts for controlling active windows

Let's start with the specific keyboard shortcuts with which you can perform actions in the window you have active. These actions can range from moving it to adjusting different areas of it. It is a good way to control this window in which you work without having to bring your hand closer to the mouse to perform the actions.

Windows Key + Left: Places the active window on the left half of the screen.
Windows Key + Right: Places the active window on the right half of the screen.
Windows Key + Up: Depending on which half the active window is in, moves it to the top. If you have the window in window mode and not full screen, you put it in full screen.
Windows Key + Down: If you have the window in full screen, you take it to window mode. And if it is in window mode, you minimize it.
Windows key + ,: Hide all windows until you release the Windows key.
Windows Key + M: Minimize all your windows.
Windows Key + D: Minimize all windows.
Ctrl + Shift + M: Restores all minimized windows to full screen.
Windows Key + Home: Minimizes all windows except the active one.
Windows Key + E: Launch File Explorer.
Windows Key + W: Open the widget panel.
Windows Key + T: Navigate between taskbar windows. Press enter to open them when they are selected.
Windows key + A number: Opens the window located in the position corresponding to the number on the taskbar.
Alt + Tab: You alternate between the different open windows.
Alt + F4: Close the active window
Windows Key + Shift + Left or Right: Move the active window to another monitor, whenever there is one, located to the left or right of the main one.
Windows Key + L: Lock your session and stay on the unlock screen.
Windows key + .: Opens the emoji window to include them in a text.
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Shortcuts for controlling virtual desktops

Virtual desktops allow you to have different desktops with different sets of applications open on each of them. This way, you can have different contexts available when using Windows, something that can help you organize yourself better.

Windows Key + Tab: Opens the view of your current virtual desktops.
Windows Key + Ctrl + D: Create a new virtual desktop
Windows Key + Ctrl + Left: Move to the virtual desktop on the left.
Windows Key + Ctrl + Right: Move to the virtual desktop on the right.
Windows Key + Ctrl + F4: Close the active virtual desktop.

File Explorer Shortcuts

Windows key + E: Open file explorer
Alt + D: Go to the address bar.
Ctrl + E: Select all files and folders in your folder.
Ctrl + F: Go to the search bar.
Ctrl + N: Open a new file explorer window.
Ctrl + W: Close the active window.
Ctrl + mouse wheel: Change the size of the displayed elements.
Alt + P: Open and close the preview panel.
Alt + Enter: Enter the properties.
Alt + Right Arrow: Go to the next file.
Alt + Up Arrow: Return to the folder where the file you are in belongs to.
Alt + Left Arrow: Go to the previous file.
End: Go to the end of the content window.
Home: Go to the beginning of the content window.
F11: Maximizes or minimizes the active window.

Shortcuts for text control

Shortcuts related to text control are possibly the most used in Windows, if only for copying and pasting texts. But there are many more to choose from, and here are a few that will help you with your tasks.

Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste a text where we have the cursor.
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy the selected text to the clipboard.
Ctrl + X: Cuts the selected text to the clipboard.
Ctrl + A: Select all the text on the page.
Ctrl + F: Type text to search for it on the page.
Shift + Left, Right, Up or Down: Move the cursor through the text, selecting the one you are passing along the way. Continue pressing the keys to select more text.
Ctrl + Shift + Left or Right: Move the cursor one word left or right by selecting the text you move over.
Shift + Home or End: Move the cursor to the beginning or end of the line by selecting the text you move over.
Shift + Page Up or Page Down: Move the cursor to the top or bottom of the visible screen by selecting the text you scroll through.
Ctrl + Shift + Home or End: Move the cursor to the top or bottom of the text, selecting the one you move over.

General Windows shortcuts

Now let's go with some general Windows shortcuts, with which to control things directly from the desktop to other elements of the operating system, such as its search engine or the widget panel.

Windows Key + W: Open the widget panel.
Windows key + Q or Windows + S: Open the search engine within the start menu.
Windows Key + C Opens Teams, the default Windows 11 messaging app.
Windows Key + I: Open the Windows 11 Settings panel.
Windows Key + A: Open the Windows 11 shortcuts panel.
Windows Key + N: Open the Windows 11 notification panel.
Windows Key + X: Open the Start button context menu.
Windows Key + Z: Open the Windows 11 Snap selector, which are the split screen formations that have been added.
Shift + app shortcut in taskbar: Open the app immediately or open a new instance of the app
Control + Shift + application shortcut in taskbar: Open the application as administrator
Shift + right click on application shortcut in taskbar: Open the application window menu
Shift + grouped buttons: Opens the different grouped windows.

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Administrator

And we end with a small collection of shortcuts for other functions that are a little more hidden or that do not correspond to the categories we have covered so far.

Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows 11 task manager.
Windows Key + R: Open the Run dialog box.
Shift + Del: Delete a file permanently without sending it to the trash.
Windows Key + U: Access the Ease of Access Center.
Windows Key + Print Petsis Screen: Take a screenshot that is automatically saved in the screenshots folder, within the Images folder.
Windows Key + Shift + S: Open the screenshot menu to decide which area to capture.
Windows Key + G: Open the Game Bar.
Windows Key + H: Start dictation mode.
Windows key + K: Open the connect panel to send content to another device.
Windows Key + Alt + G: If enabled, starts screen recording in the background.
Windows Key + Alt + R: Stop screen recording.
Windows key + P: With a second display connected, navigate between display modes.
Windows key + "+": Zoom with the Magnifier application.
Windows key + "-": Zoom out with the Magnifier application.

And with this repertoire of gestures and keyboard shortcuts any of you should be able to use Microsoft's new operating system at full speed. We have tried to include as many as we could on the list, but surely some have escaped us, so don't be afraid to advise us on others so that we can add them.

Want more tips and tricks? Come back soon.

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