How do I instantly hide everything on my desktop? (Win+D)
If you are working on something private and someone approaches, you can quickly minimize every open window by pressing Win + D.
Press the Win + D key again and all the previously minimized windows return to their original states.
A related shortcut is Win-Comma.
This keyboard shortcut will perform the same action as the Win + D shortcut, but it only remains in effect while the keys are pressed. This gives you the ability to peek at the Desktop and instantly return to your work. Think of it as a temporary Win + D.
How do I see what I copied earlier in Windows? (Win+V Clipboard History)
We’re all familiar with the Ctrl + V keyboard shortcut that allows us to paste the last cut or copied item. But what if you want to paste something you cut or copied hours ago?
The Win + V shortcut brings up the Clipboard History. From here, you can scroll back potentially hours to retrieve something you cut or copied.
The Clipboard History will retain the last 25 cut or copied items.
If you have a block of text or other data that you paste frequently, once copied, you can click the Pushpin button to the right of the entry. This will pin the item to the list. Pinned items never leave the Clipboard History even if the user logs out or reboots the computer.
You can also access other features by clicking the Options button (ellipsis) to the right of an entry to delete an unwanted entry or clear the entire list.
💡 Pinned items remain even when using the Clear All option.
How do I insert emojis on a Windows PC? (Win+Period)
Pressing the Windows + Period keyboard shortcut opens the Emoji library.
From here, you can search for and insert emojis, reaction GIFs, and symbols.
How do I zoom in on my Windows screen? (Win+Plus Magnifier)
If you have something on the screen that is small, and difficult to read, you can zoom in on the area by pressing Win + Plus.
This opens the Windows Magnifier and zooms into wherever your mouse is located on the screen. You can zoom in as far as you need with repeated pressings of the Win + Plus key combination.
Moving the mouse will pan around the zoomed area allowing you to see other parts of the screen.
To zoom out, press the Win + Minus key combination.
While in the zoomed-in state, a set of controls appears in the corner of the screen.
Pressing the gear icon provides access to the customization controls for the Magnifier.
You can control the initial zoom factor when first pressing Win + Plus, as well as the zoom increment for each additional pressing of the shortcut.
How do I jump to the browser address bar with my keyboard? (Ctrl+K)
When working with your favorite Web browser, it’s not necessary to click in the Address Bar to type in a website address or initiate a search.
Pressing CTRL + K will automatically place you in the Address Bar and begin the typing process.
Think about it; your hands were likely already on the keyboard. This saves the steps needed to switch to the mouse, find the pointer, click the Address Bar, and return to the keyboard. You’ll use it more than you realize.
How do I reopen a closed browser tab? (Ctrl+Shift+T)
Everyone has experienced the pain of accidentally closing a browser window by accident and losing that super-important page of information.
Luckily, most browsers have a keyboard shortcut to restore the closed pages.
Pressing CTRL + Shift + T will restore the last closed tab.
Repeated pressing will reopen past webpage tabs in the reverse order that they were closed.
How do I switch between virtual desktops in Windows? (Win+Tab)
The Alt + Tab keyboard shortcuts allows you to switch between applications. The Win + Tab keyboard shortcut is even better.
Win + Tab opens the standard applications switcher. It also lets you create and switch to alternate Desktops.
You can create new Desktops to help organize open applications. You could have one Desktop for business applications and another Desktop for games and leisure.
You can also drag an open application from the application tiles area and drop it on a Desktop thumbnail to relocate that application.
How do I lock my Windows PC quickly? (Win+L)
We all know the importance of locking our computers at work (and perhaps at home) when taking a break. This way, mischievous co-workers or family members can’t play tricks on you.
Unfortunately, most people know the OLD way of locking a computer which is to press CTRL + ALT + Delete to open the menu that contains the LOCK option.
A simpler way of locking the computer is to press Win + L.
This will instantly lock the computer. You are free to take your lunch, safe in the knowledge that your playful co-worker has been defeated.
How do I shut down Windows with the keyboard? (Win+X, U, U)
A fast way to shut down the computer is to use the keyboard shortcut Win + X.
This will open the menu that appears when you right-click the Windows Start button. This by itself doesn’t initiate the shutdown process. You must follow Win + X with a U key and a second U key.
This seems like a lot of keys, but with a bit of practice, it’s a fairly quick process.
PRO TIP: Consider disabling the Fast Startup option in the Windows Power Options for a more thorough refreshing of the computer’s memory. Check out this video for more information on why rebooting isn’t what it used to be.
How do I open Copilot with a keyboard shortcut? (Win+C)
Press Win + C to open Microsoft 365 Copilot on Windows 11 (version 24H2 and later). If your keyboard has a dedicated Copilot key, pressing it does the same thing.
Copilot opens as a sidebar, ready to answer questions, summarize documents, draft emails, or search the web without you leaving the app you’re in. You can type or use voice input.
If Win + C does nothing on your PC, check three things:
- You are on Windows 11, version 24H2 or newer. Older versions use a different shortcut.
- Copilot is installed. Open the Microsoft Store and search for Copilot if it’s missing.
- The shortcut hasn’t been remapped. Go to Settings, Personalization, Text input, Customize Copilot key on keyboard.
Once Copilot is open, the real productivity gain is knowing what to ask it. We put together 10 Microsoft 365 Copilot prompts to automate your workday that cover email drafts, meeting summaries, and Excel analysis.
How do I take a quick screenshot in Windows? (Win+Shift+S)
Press Win + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool overlay and capture any part of your screen. The screen dims and your cursor becomes a crosshair.
You get four capture modes along the top of the screen:
- Rectangular snip (default): drag to capture a rectangle
- Freeform snip: draw any shape with your cursor
- Window snip: click a window to capture just that window
- Fullscreen snip: capture the entire screen in one click
After you capture, the screenshot goes to your clipboard and a notification appears in the bottom right. Click it to open the full Snipping Tool, where you can annotate, crop, or save as a PNG, JPG, or GIF.
Why this beats Print Screen: PrtScn captures the whole screen whether you want it or not, then you have to paste it into Paint to crop. Win + Shift + S lets you grab exactly what you need in one step.
The Snipping Tool does a lot more than just capture screenshots. It also has a delay timer, built-in OCR to pull text out of an image, a redact feature to blur sensitive info, and screen recording with Win + Shift + R. We cover all of it in our full guide on how to take screenshots on Windows with the Snipping Tool.
💡 Pro tip: Combine with Win + V (Clipboard History) from earlier in this guide. Every screenshot you take is saved to your Clipboard History, so you can paste recent captures without retaking them.
Windows Shortcut FAQ
What is the most useful hidden Windows keyboard shortcut?
Win + V opens Clipboard History, which keeps the last 25 items you copied. You can paste anything from the list, pin items so they survive reboots, and delete entries you no longer need. It turns copy-paste from a single-item action into a searchable stack.
How do I enable Clipboard History in Windows?
Press Win + V. If Clipboard History is off, Windows shows a “Turn on” button. Click it once, and from then on every copy or cut is saved to history. You can also enable it in Settings, System, Clipboard.
What is the shortcut to lock a Windows PC?
Press Win + L to instantly lock your computer. Your apps stay open but require your password, PIN, or Windows Hello to unlock. This is faster than the old Ctrl+Alt+Delete menu method.
What is the difference between Win+D and Win+Comma?
Win + D minimizes all windows and shows the desktop. Press it again to restore them. Win + Comma is a temporary peek, it only shows the desktop while you hold the keys and restores windows the moment you release them.
Why do my Windows keyboard shortcuts stop working?
The usual causes are Sticky Keys being enabled, outdated keyboard drivers, or a third-party app intercepting the key combination. Go to Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard to disable Sticky Keys, or run the keyboard troubleshooter at Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters.
Do these shortcuts work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes. All 9 shortcuts in this guide work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Win + V Clipboard History requires Windows 10 version 1809 or later. Win + C for Copilot is Windows 11 only (version 24H2 and newer).
Get the Full Windows 11 Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
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Leila Gharani
Founder of XelPlus and ten-time Microsoft MVP. Leila helps over 500,000 professionals master Excel, Power BI, and data automation through practical, real-world training.
