Here are 23 lesser known Windows Shortcuts categorized into their area of use that are incredibly helpful in increasing productivity as they make common daily tasks a lot easier.
Windows Explorer
1. F2: Rename object – Forget right clicking a file or folder to find Rename option, Just select any file or folder with a single click and press F2 to rename selected object.

2. F6 – Pressing F6 will let you move across various panes of Windows Explorer.

3. Alt + Enter/ Alt+Double Click: Select any object in Windows Explorer and then use Alt+Enter or Alt+Double Click to open properties of the selected object.

4. SHIFT+right click: Displays right context menu containing alternative commands, e.g. you can get an option to Open Command Window here if you use Shift+right click on any explorer object.


5. SHIFT+double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the right context menu). e.g. You can open Explorer View directly by clicking on any folder with Shift key pressed.

6. BACKSPACE: Move to the parent folder. Similar to Up button in Windows Explorer.

7. Ctrl + double click: Using double click on any folder with Ctrl key pressed will open that folder in a new explorer window.

8. SHIFT+click+Close button: this one’s useful if you have used Ctrl+double click to open folders in new windows. Click on the close button of a open folder window with Shift key pressed. This will close all parent folders of that folder.

9 SHIFT:To prevent a CD/DVD from running automatically press and hold Shift while inserting CD/DVD into your optical drive.

10. F3: Pressing F3 while you are in windows explorer will open Windows Search to search for files or folders. This shortcut also works in Firefox which lets you search the opened web page.

11. To copy a file from one folder to another, drag it to another folder with Ctrl key pressed.

12. To create a shortcut to a file or folder, hold down Ctrl+Shift and drag it to desktop or another folder.

13. ALT+SPACE: It’ll display the currently opened window’s System menu (System menu contains options to move, re-size, minimize, maximize, or close the window).
Windows Management

14. CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu, useful if your keyboard does not have a Windows key.

15. Windows Key+M: Minimize all open windows

16. SHIFT+Windows Key+M: This will Undo the action of above shortcut i.e. it’ll undo minimize all open windows.

17. Windows Key+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop. This one is also similar to Windows Key+M.

18. ALT+F6: Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window).

19. F5: This ‘ll refresh the currently open window. If you are on Desktop, you can refresh simply by pressing F5. This one also works in browsers to refresh the opened page.

20. CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Using these you can switch between various tabs of properties window.

Miscellaneous

21. SHIFT+F10 :It is similar to right clicking any object, it opens up the context menu obtained by right clicking.

22. Windows Key+Pause/Break: To open System Properties dialog box, no need to right click My Computer or look in Control Panel, just use Windows Key+Pause/Break.

23. Windows Key+L: This one is quite useful and big time saver. Use Windows Key+L to lock your screen in case you need to be away from your system for a short while.

Use shortcut keys as an alternative to the mouse when working in Windows. You can open, close, and
navigate the Start menu, desktop, menus, dialog boxes, and Web pages using keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts may also make it easier for you to interact with your computer.
Click a heading, or press TAB to highlight a heading, and then press ENTER.

General keyboard shortcuts

Press To
CTRL+C Copy.
CTRL+X Cut.
CTRL+V Paste.
CTRL+Z Undo.
DELETE Delete.
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.

CTRL while dragging an item Copy selected item.

CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item Create shortcut to selected item.

F2 Rename selected item.

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.

CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.

CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.

CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.

CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Highlight a block of text.

SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document.

CTRL+A Select all.

F3 Search for a file or folder.

ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item.

ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program.

ALT+Enter Displays the properties of the selected object.

ALT+SPACEBAR Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.

CTRL+F4 Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple
documents open simultaneously.

ALT+TAB Switch between open items.

ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened.

F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.

F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.

SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.

ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window.

CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu.

ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name Display the corresponding menu.

Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu Carry out the corresponding command.

F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program.

RIGHT ARROW Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.

LEFT ARROW Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.

F5 Refresh the active window.

BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.

ESC Cancel the current task.

SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically
playing.