The Amazing 16 Keyboard Shortcuts You'll Love to Use to Save Time
We all have that one friend or co-worker, whose computer skills make us feel like a neanderthal. They barely touch the mouse, their screen lights up with all kinds of tasks and boxes and their fingers go lightning fast on that keyboard. They even have time to casually chat with siri or cortana and stream games afterwards, but this is no sorcery your friend is simply a whiz when it comes to hotkeys and you can be too.
Let's start with a skill every computer maestro needs to know.
1. Create a virtual desktop
Imagine you're in the middle of some work project or research you've been doing all day when you need to deal with another task immediately, opening new tabs in windows will just slow you down and mess up your workflow.
So you need a new clean desktop, well just press the Windows key + Control + D or Control + up, if you use a mac. It'll switch to a new fresh desktop and you're ready to go.
2. Switch Between Virtual Desktops
Where is all that precious work you were doing before creating a virtual desktop? is it gone forever? Ahh don't panic, it's just hiding to get it back push the Windows key + Control or the Control key on a mac now you can switch between all the virtual desktops you've made by using the left and right arrow keys while holding the Windows key + Control.
When you're done with the second task ensure you no longer need that desktop, then you can close it by pressing the Windows key + Control + F4. If you are on a mac hold down the option key and click on the X signs that appear over any open desktop spaces to close them.
3. Return to the Desktop from Apps
If you have too many apps open and you need to use another one, hidden behind all those windows on your desktop, you don't need to minimize them, all one by one you can minimize all of them at once by pushing the Windows key + M.
You can also take a peek at your desktop with the Windows key + Comma or Command + F3 for OS. This is a handy little trick, if you work with information from desktop widgets or if you really need to take a break for a second and look at the fluffy kittens or fields of calming green grass, you use as your desktop wallpaper.
4. Open an App from the Task Bar
If you want much faster access to your most used apps consider keeping them on your taskbar it'll speed up your workflow even more if you use the following combination the Windows key + a number key from 1-9, each number represents an app in your taskbar from the left to right and this combo will bring up the necessary one, unfortunately there's no similar hotkey for os but i'm pretty sure mac users are quite content with the mac's awesome app navigation.
5. Split Screen Between Two Apps
Want to see a magic trick try this, open one app that you need for your work and press the Windows key + Left arrow then open another app and click the Windows key + right arrow, now two windows are sharing your screen checking facts in your academic work while looking directly at your sources.
6. Switch Between Apps
There are several ways to effectively shift from one app to another and to manage them on your desktop using hotkeys. Pressing Control + Alt + Tab will show you all the apps currently running on your pc again, mac is known for rocking the app navigation game so it's a bit easier on os it's just Control + Tab.
Another way to open the task view is by pressing the Windows key + Tab, this is the pc equivalent to the mac mission control it provides a broader view of open windows and available desktops and is much more convenient to use and finally there's the hotkey Alt + Tab or Command + Tab on a mac that will allow you to swap programs without previously displaying them like a deck of cards if you work with just a couple of windows at once this one's for you.
7. Program Management and Troubleshooting
If there is program that is stuck and won't process anything even if you cry, beg or try to bribe it to do. So to avoid restarting your device and losing all your progress, try using the following combo.
Control + Shift + Escape or Command + Option + Escape if you're working on a mac it'll open the task manager which will help you force quit any malfunctioning app or stop the ones that aren't responding, losing some data from one faulty program is not the same as losing all your data from all of them.
8. Open File Explorer
It is not all your apps need to be on hand all the time, for you to work faster some of them are standard programs, built into your computer and there's a quick and convenient way to access them. Pressing the Windows key + E, opens the file manager window on your pc for mac users this is your finder app.
9. Use the Magnifier
have you ever dreamed of becoming one of those tv detectives that can find anything on any picture no matter how tiny the image is, to enhance the image, it need 10x zoom, yes you can totally do that on your computer.
The Windows key combined with the + or - key will open the magnifier app which allows you to zoom in and out wherever you point your cursor is pointing at.
The same goes for mac os but you need to use the combination of all Command and + to zoom just don't expect to be catching any criminals from the tiny inverted reflection bouncing off an earring or something.
10. Take Screenshots
Oh you found that tiny evidence well you better collect it. Use the Windows key + Print Screen to take a screenshot and immediately save it in the image folder on your hard drive, mac also lets you take screenshots by pressing Command + Shift + 3, but for you it gets even cooler if you push four instead of three, you'll be able to choose what part of your desktop you want to snap a picture of or even take a screenshot of only one exact window.
11. Use Action Center
Set up bluetooth connection with devices in your network, use your pc as a wi-fi hotspot or turn notifications on and off, those and many other functions and newer versions of windows are available in one place called action center to open it simultaneously press the Window key + A, for mac users your notification center is always a click away in the top right hand corner.
12. Access the Settings
If you need more tweaking or access to more advanced parameters of your pc you can have it all, you can use the Windows key + I to do just that, you can also access settings all in one folder, with the help of God mode, this will only be active after enabling it, see how to enable God mode in Number 16 below.
13. Talk to cortana or siri
Task managers, thorough researchers and life organizers, Interesting conversation partners. Nowadays computers come with a personal assistant literally built in siri and cortana can do it all and you can call them up with just one touch. To open cortana on windows in listening mode, press the Windows key + C and to summon Siri on mac os hold Command + Space together.
14. Use the Windows Game Bar
So you've been working hard all day bringing up these desktops and Whatnot you come home and it's time to relax to a nice gaming sesh and here it comes that exciting moment when you finally beat that insane boss fight, or you and your friends had a hilarious exchange or epic battle in the online game you're playing together.
If only you could capture that moment forever well actually you have everything you need right in the game bar feature on your pc you can bring it up at any time by pressing the Windows key + G, to set up recording manually but that's not all, game bar itself has a hotkey for starting and stopping recording just press Windows + Alt + R, you can even start streaming by pushing the Windows key + Alt + B. Mac Os also has its own feature for capturing videos and it's really simple to use. Press Shift + Command + 5 to record the screen using quick time player.
15. Lock Down your PC
Let's say you share a computer with your family or co-workers and you've spent all day looking for the perfect gift for your mom or slacking off at work and you don't want anyone to know about it. If you suddenly need to step away from the computer but you don't want anyone meddling in your stuff you can quickly lock your user profile.
Simply push the Windows key + L or Shift + command + Q on a mac, just make sure you set up your password first and don't forget it.
16. Activate God mode in windows 10 or 11
Have you ever imagine having all the system tools and settings in one folder, easy for accessing right on the windows desktop. The tools found in God Mode cover a number of everyday tasks, like adding and removing apps or user accounts, tinkering with disk partitions, creating System Restore points, or adjusting your power settings. You can enable God mode by following these few steps below:
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
Hey which hotkeys make your time on the computer smoother and faster, let everybody know down in the comments below, be sure to share this with your friends and subscribe to this blog by email down in the footer section below, always stay visit Utilitarian Blog. Thank you for reading.
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