Windows XP Pocket Reference

Keyboard Accelerators Listed by Function

The following keys operate in most contexts—i.e., on the Desktop, in Explorer, and within most applications and dialogs.

Action	Key(s)
AutoPlay, disable temporarily	Shift (while inserting CD)
Checkbox, toggle on or off	Spacebar
Clipboard, copy	Ctrl-C
Clipboard, copy current window as a bitmap	Alt-PrintScreen
Clipboard, copy entire screen as a bitmap	PrintScreen
Clipboard, cut	Ctrl-X
Clipboard, paste	Ctrl-V
Close current document	Ctrl-F4
Close current window	Alt-F4
Close dialog box, message window, or menu	Esc
Command button, click	Spacebar
Context menu, open	Shift-F10, or context menu key on some keyboards
Controls, cycle focus on a dialog box	Tab (hold Shift to go in reverse)
Copy selected item or selected text to the clipboard	Ctrl-C
Cut selected item or selected text to the clipboard	Ctrl-X
Date and Time Properties, open	-B, Spacebar
Delete a file without putting it in the Recycle Bin	Shift-Del or Shift-drag item to Recycle Bin
Delete selected item	Del
Desktop, activate	Ctrl-Esc (or ), then Esc, Tab, Tab, Tab
Desktop, activate by minimizing all windows	-D, or click empty portion of Taskbar and press ...