Shortcuts in an operating system are one of the most convenient features of a system that make working, playing, and even simple tasks like switching between windows much easier. Windows 7 is one of the best examples of an operating system that has extensive support of shortcuts and hot keys, and even allows users to customize hot keys, making for faster, smoother tasks, and giving a new lease of life to your computing experience. Not only does knowing shortcuts make your work faster, it also saves you the trouble of having to switch focus from your keyboard to your mouse and back repeatedly, which can be quite a pain. We list a few shortcuts and hot keys in Windows 7 which can be used to one’s convenience in everyday computing.
Also Read : Windows 8.1 expected to be launched in October
- Ctrl + C : One of the most commonly used HotKey combinations, this is to copy the selected text, image, or any other item. Due to the simple key combination, this is a widely used hotkey combination, and the average person working on a computer will use it anywhere between a few to numerous times a day.
- Ctrl + X : Another extremely convenient hotkey combination that makes work faster and smoother. This combination is for the ‘Cut’ operation most commonly seen in cut-pasting. The main convenience of this combination lies in the proximity of the keys to each other, since the Left Ctrl and the X keys are extremely close to each other. This is another combination that is used extremely often.
- Ctrl + V : This key combination complements both the Copy and the Cut combinations, since this is the action that logically follows the two previously mentioned. Notice how the C, V and X keys are beside each other, making for extremely fast switching from one key to another, allowing copy-pasting or cut-pasting to be done almost instantly using these combinations.
- Ctrl + Z : Another immensely useful hotkey combination for those who do not like to waste time searching for the ‘Undo’ button in applications. A extremely useful combination, this is the ‘eraser’ for mistakes in photo-editing and video-editing and even in3D designing where the Delete key may not always function too well without adverse side effects.
- Alt + F4 : This is a less commonly used, and a less well-known combination although it is as useful as most other combinations. It serves to close the current window. Although it takes almost the same time as moving your mouse to the top right corner and pressing on the cross icon, it makes for faster operation in applications which require heavy typing, or in applications which auto-save your work, relieving you of the trouble of doing it yourself.
- Alt + Tab : Another useful shortcut key combination that is used to switch between windows when numerous applications are on. Usually, the Tab key is tapped while holding the ALT key, which switches to the most recent application in the background, but ALT-tabbing also refers to switching between multiple applications using the Alt + Tab hotkey combination.
Also Read : 5 Tips for choosing the right Tablet
Hotkeys and shortcut combinations help people to streamline their work, allowing them to rapidly switch between applications, or to rapidly move data from one window to another without switching between the keyboard and the mouse.
