Windows 7 basic keys and what each does


Windows 7 keys

These old friends have been around since the beginnings of the IBM computer, whichever came first. Anyway, these keys still come in quite handy in the Windows world.

Enter

Computer keyboards have two of these keys: one above the Shift key on the right side of the alphabetic keys and the other in the lower-right corner of the numeric keypad. Within your word processor, of course, pressing Enter creates a new paragraph. But elsewhere within Windows, pressing Enter almost always starts a command or selects an item.

Arrow keys

This tightly-knit group of four keys performs a number of different functions, depending on what you're doing at the moment, but it's always something to do with movement. For example, you can scroll through a document in a word processor or spreadsheet, or move through the items in a list. Many games you play will even use the arrow keys to select a direction or move your character forward or backward.

Escape

Press Esc to back out of things. Pressing Esc can cancel many commands, close some windows, and close dialog boxes.

Num Lock

Press this key to toggle those keys between the numbers - useful for spreadsheets and data entry - and navigational keys.

Ctrl

These two keys are used in conjunction with other keys for editing and keyboard commands within many applications. For example, pressing the combination Ctrl+B within Microsoft Word makes selected text bold.

Alt

Like the Ctrl keys, your Alt keys are used in league with other keys, typically for invoking menus and special features within your applications.

F keys

These 12 buttons across the top of your keyboard are used for different purposes throughout Windows - and in many cases, even within specific applications. They're usually abbreviated as F1 through F12.

Other keys on your keyboard - for example, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down - also have specific uses within every application. To become a power user of a certain application, consult that program's Help system for the special keystrokes it uses.

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This article was sent to us by: Matthew Northam at 09232010

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