Windows is the most popular operating system in the world. The number of its users amounts to tens and even hundreds of millions of people. The Microsoft developers responsible for creating new versions of the OS have always understood the level of responsibility that lies with them. Therefore, we tried every time to produce a product that would be comfortable to use. Windows XP is no exception. To improve the usability of the operating system, Windows XP hot keys were introduced . This article will examine in detail why they are needed, what actions they perform.
Definition of the term
Windows XP hotkeys are buttons on the keyboard that, when pressed simultaneously, perform some programmed action. They are predefined in the system memory. The user will only have to learn them in order to save time when committing any actions.
It is worth noting that hot keys are not only in Windows XP. Other operating systems, including mobile platforms, support certain combinations that facilitate navigation around the device.
Another thing is that everywhere they are different. For example, some keyboard shortcuts that work on Windows (switching the language to Shift and Alt) will not work on Mac OS. In the Apple operating system, a different set of buttons that are not found on Windows keyboards is responsible for this action.
Why do we need
These keys greatly simplify the use of the system. It is certainly possible to control with one mouse, but it will not be superfluous if the second free hand helps in managing using the keyboard.
For example, you can press the “Windows and M” key combination to minimize the window with hot keys on Windows XP. If you do not use them, you need to put the mouse cursor in the upper right corner and click. If several applications are open, it’s not very convenient to perform this action.
We give one more example. Each user will agree that it is much more convenient to press once the key combination of the language switch (for someone it is Alt and Shift, for someone it is Alt and Ctrl), than to search for the necessary icon in the status bar below, click on it and select the desired tongue.
And there are many such examples. All of them confirm the importance of using hot keys, which really save time and make users more comfortable.
Combinations with Ctrl
The Windows XP hotkey set, which includes the Ctrl button, is known to every user. But to remind him would be worthwhile. If you hold down the C button simultaneously with Ctrl, the text selected on the screen will be copied, X - cut, V - pasted; A - the entire text of the active page or active working field will be highlighted, S - the current document is saved; O - a dialog is opened allowing you to select a file to open, P - a document is printed, N - a new document is created. If at the same time you press the Z key, then the current action will be canceled, again - the previous action will also be canceled. However, in some programs such as Adobe Photoshop, this combination cancels only the last action and returns it by pressing it again.
If you simultaneously press Ctrl and F4, the current window of the running program will close.
The combination of Ctrl with Alt and Del is one of the most famous hotkey sets. It opens the Windows Security window, where the user himself can choose what to do with the system: change the password, block access or turn off the computer completely.
The combination with the End key on the right panel, activated by the Num Lock key , allows you to quickly go to the end of the file, instead of long flipping the mouse wheel, for example, and with the Home key - allows you to go to the beginning of the document.
Combinations with Alt
Another popular button in the Windows XP hotkey set is Alt.
For example, pressing this button together with Enter or double-clicking the left mouse button on an object brings up the properties of this object. It is worth mentioning that this combination is applicable only for files. They possess properties.
By pressing Alt and Tab, you can switch between different applications of the system, and if you hold Tab with F4, you can exit the application completely or just close the window.
If you simultaneously press Tab and the spacebar, the system menu of that window, which is now in the active state, will appear on the computer screen.
Produce keyboard shortcuts and screen rotation Windows XP. This is done using Ctrl, Alt and arrows.
Combinations with Win
Not all users are aware of this button. Win is the standard Windows XP hotkey in all programs based on this operating system. Usually it is located to the left of the space near the Alt key and has the appearance of four branded windows that meet users when the system boots.
If you simply press this key, the Start menu will open, and if you use it in combination with Tab, you will be able to switch between program windows, with F1, a set of Windows XP hot keys will be activated, giving advice or help on working with the operating system ; with R - a window opens that executes the "Run" command, where you can enter various system commands (for example, open a console, open the root folder, and many others), F - a window for finding this or that information on a page or window opens, E - a My Computer application, D - the desktop will open, and if you click on Win + D again, then all the windows opened earlier will return to their original position, M - as described above, will minimize all windows, L - will lock the computer.
The latter combination is very useful for office workers or for those who need to quickly hide the information contained in the system from prying eyes.
Selection
It is often convenient to use the hot keys and keyboard shortcuts of Windows XP to highlight several objects, such as photos in an album or documents in a folder.
The following combinations can serve for this: Shift and arrows (left mouse button), Ctrl and arrows (left mouse button).
Using Shift is convenient to highlight large amounts of data. For example, by clicking on the first object of the conditional list and on the tenth everything that is between the first and tenth inclusive is highlighted.
Using Ctrl, you can selectively select objects. For example, if you press Ctrl while holding down the first object and the tenth, only they will be selected.
It all depends on the situation.
Top row F keys
At the top of the keyboard are the F buttons - the basic shortcut keys for Windows applications.
By pressing F1, the help of the currently active application is called up. We can say that in this way give Windows XP hotkeys tips to users. F2 - the selected object is renamed (this is much more convenient than left-clicking on it and looking for the “Rename” column). F3 - a search window opens on the desktop or in the Explorer application. F4 - a drop-down list appears on the screen that can be viewed, or the address bar is navigated to in Explorer or Internet Explorer. F5 - in most system and non-system applications activates the "Update" action. F6 - focus moves between panels in the Explorer application. F10 - focus shifts to the menu of this active application.
Common hotkeys
On the keyboard itself (it doesn’t matter, a laptop or a full-fledged personal computer) there is a large number of hot keys that, without combinations, perform some important actions that facilitate the work with the system.
For example, the Print screen key takes a screenshot of the screen at the moment. It can be opened and started to process or save in any graphics editor (in particular, in Paint). By the way, if you press this key at the same time as Alt, then a snapshot of the active one at the time the screenshot was taken will be placed on the clipboard.
The Esc key closes or collapses this dialog box or any other active window, and the Del key deletes the selected objects. If we are talking about a text document, then it deletes all the text, characters that follow the cursor. A long press of the Tab key will ensure that the focus moves in the dialog box, and the spacebar acts as an activation button or sets the so-called flag.
Numeric keypad (activation using Num Lock)
As you can see, this type-setting field contains not only numbers, but also various other objects, including algebraic signs, forward slashes, and arrows. If you use this field within the framework of, for example, Explorer, then the arrows, plus and minus buttons can be used to configure navigation, that is, to collapse and expand directories, go into them, view the contents, and you can display all with the asterisk folders that are nested in this directory.
Conclusion
We introduced you not only to what hot keys are in the Windows XP operating system, but also gave their specific examples, combinations, and also told what actions these combinations perform.
Knowing the hotkeys of not only Windows XP, but also of other versions, as well as other systems, is very useful. Their use saves a lot of time. Yes, on the scale of one action - it’s seconds, but on the scale of a large project - it’s minutes that add up to hours.