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to the Unleashing Windows Index Windows allows the user to do things a variety of different ways. Almost all major functions can be access by either using the mouse or the keyboard. Although Windows is strongly oriented towards the mouse as its primary input device, the keyboard can be very useful when using a laptop or notebook computer. Also, some actions can be done faster and more easily using the keyboard. We'll discuss some of the more useful keystrokes, as well as when you might find them useful.
Probably the most useful set of keystrokes is: <Ctrl><X> (Cut), <Ctrl><C> (Copy), and <Ctrl><V> (Paste). These keystrokes allow the user to input or remove data to or from the Windows Clipboard. These are very practical if the user is a touch-typist who is working in a word processor or a similar program where there is a lot of text. Using the keyboard instead of the mouse, the user isn't required to take their hands of the keyboard allowing them to keep the speed of typing high. Instead of selecting text with the mouse, the user can use the <Shift> key and one of the arrow keys to highlight the text to cut or copy.
The <Alt> key is a very useful key in Windows. If pressed and released, the <Alt> key selects the menu of the current window. The arrow keys can then be used to make selections from the menu. Also, you may have noticed that Windows menu items sometimes have an underline under a letter. If you hold down the <Alt> key and the underlined letter, it will select that item in the menu. This is very useful again if you do a lot of touch-typing or you work with a laptop and have a hard time using the mouse pointer on that machine.
The <F1> key is also a very useful key in Windows. <F1> is the standard key for Help in Windows. Whenever you get lost or confused in a Windows program, pressing <F1> will bring up help for that program. Some programs even offer what is known as context-sensitive help. Context-sensitive help brings up help for a particular subject depending on what function or action you are trying to perform in a program. For example: If you were working in the Speller function in Word, pressing <F1> would bring up help on the Speller in Word, not another type of function.
The <Tab> key plays an important role in Windows. This key lets you move from one area of a dialog box to the other. For example: Let's say you're in the File, Open dialog box. The <Tab> key moves you from the file list to the directory list, from the directory list to the drives list, etc. This is very useful when using a laptop computer where it may be hard to click on the correct area with the pointing device.
And finally, one of the most useful keystrokes is <Alt><F4> which allows you to close the currently running program. This is useful if the program seems to hang and the mouse isn't responding. Of course, if <Alt><F4> doesn't close the program, use the <Ctrl><Alt><Delete> combination. The <Ctrl><Alt><Delete> combination is different in Windows than it is in DOS. In DOS, it re-boots the computer. In Windows, if a program locks up, it allows you to close the program that is not responding.
Not everything can be done in Windows using the keyboard. For some things, like graphics work, the keyboard isn't as practical as the mouse. But the keyboard can be faster in selecting certain commands than the traditional mouse approach. Most people find that a mix of using the mouse and the keyboard is the most efficient way to use Windows. If you are a touch-typist or use a laptop in cramped areas, knowing how to use the keyboard in Windows can be very useful.