Windows 8 Nav Tips & Keyboard Shortcuts for Win8

I was going to go find these when another Forum Member beat me to it, LOL. Thanks for that!! Anyway, being the big, handy help that they are, I feel they should be a Sticky, though, not just sure in what section of our W8 Forum. Nor can I find or recall where his entry was or in what thread. So anyway, here they are & I humbly take no credit although I added some:

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 8:
[WIN KEY] Open Metro Start Screen
Arrow (Direction) Keys will scroll through Start tiles
[WN KEY] >Desktop, (Can need tapping depending on location)
[Esc Key] (Once or twice) > Desktop
[WIN KEY] + C Open Charms bar
[WIN KEY] + I Desktop settings, quick access to power/shutdown/restart
[WIN KEY] + <-- or --> Snaps
grab an open window or an app, @ the top, take it left or right to Snap (split the screen).
[WIN KEY] + Up Arrow gives Full screen
[WN KEY] + Down Arrow back to original window state
[WIN KEY] + W Search Settings
[WIN KEY] + F Search Files
[WIN KEY] + D Go to Desktop anytime, from anywhere
[WIN KEY] + . Snap current app to right side
[WIN KEY] + Shift + . Snap current app to left side
[WIN KEY] + , Peek at the Windows desktop
[WIN KEY] + Q Search Apps (from Desktop)
[WIN KEY] + Z (from Start) Display app bar & ALL APPS icon > All Apps display
Rt Clk, when on Start, also, gives app bar w/ All Apps icon
[WIN KEY] + Enter Narrator
[WIN KEY] + K Devices
[WIN KEY] + L Lock Screen
[WIN KEY] + H Share options
[WIN KEY] + P Projector/Display options
[WIN KEY] + R Run a command
[WIN KEY] + U Ease of Access Center
[WIN KEY] + X Quick access to a variety of system functions
[WIN KEY] + PageUp/PageDown multiple monitors, swap which 1 the Start screen is on
[WIN KEY] + PrtScreen Save .png screenshot of desktop in Pictures library
[WIN KEY] + = Magnifier Larger
[WIN KEY] + - Magnifier Smaller
[WIN KEY] + Tab Gives LF Side Panel scroll through open windows (nicer than Alt + Tab)
Alt + Tab Scrolls through open windows
You can just hit Ctrl at the lock screen instead of dragging with the mouse.
Ctrl-Alt-Del Access to lock, switch user, sign out, Task Manager, power, accessibility

Mouse Tips for Windows 8:
• Move mouse to upper or lower right-hand of screen will open the Charms bar, slide mouse up or down to access.
• In Desktop app, click far right of taskbar to show desktop(minimize all apps), just like Windows 7
• Move mouse to upper-left, then slide cursor down to reveal running app thumbnails
• Move mouse to lower-left, then slide cursor up to reveal running app thumbnails
• Move mouse to upper-left and click mouse repeatedly to cycle through apps
• When in the "app thumbnail bar" (upper-left) right-click thumbnails for options to snap left/right or close app.
* Pull an open App to the bottom of the screen & it will close.
• Move mouse to lower-left and click for Metro Start menu (you can right-click it for a handy menu)
• Move mouse to top edge of screen in a Metro app and the cursor will change to a hand, drag
• down to the bottom of the screen to close the app.
• In Metro Start screen click button in lower-right to activate semantic zoom. You can right-click a group of tiles to name them. Click anywhere to exit semantic zoom. Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel zooms the Start Menu in and out too.
• Drag tiles anywhere to arrange them. Drag between two groups of tiles and a vertical thick white bar will appear,
dropping a tile on that bar will create a new group.

The menu one gets by Rt Clk @ the bottom-left... not only can you get that when @ Desktop but, also, when @ Start or any other screen, even an App screen.

Whilst @ Desktop, Start is @ bottom-left & Apps @ top-left
But, @ Start, Desktop is @ bottom-left, Apps @ top-left
And when @ an App, Desktop is @ top-left & Start is @ bottom-left


You can, also, Search by beginning to type anywhere on the Start screen

Start can be moved laterally by the mouse & w/out using the scroll bar.

Update 22-03-2012

This can only be done from open Desktop space but, that takes nothing away from its coolness!!
Alt+F4 gives
Screenshot2.png


NB: Credit to Dave for this. Thank you.

Cheers,
Drew
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Re: W8 Keyboard Shortcuts

My pleasure. You're very welcome. Knowing them can certainly be a big help.

Cheers,
Drew
Win8Logo (2013_02_06 10_30_24 UTC).jpg
 
Re: W8 Keyboard Shortcuts

Awesome list of short-cuts. I hated having to go to the side of screen to bring charm bar in every-time so I will be using that short-cut very often... Thanks very much!
 
Dude you are the man! I have been wanting to lock my screen without having to go to metro interface thanks again, for the short-cuts.
I was going to go find these when another Forum Member beat me to it, LOL. Thanks for that!! Anyway, being the big, handy help that they are, I feel they should be a Sticky, though, not just sure in what section of our W8 Forum. Nor can I find or recall where his entry was or in what thread. So anyway, here they are & I humbly take no credit although I added some:

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 8:
[WIN KEY] Open Metro Start Screen
Arrow (Direction) Keys will scroll through Start tiles
[WN KEY] >Desktop, (Can need tapping depending on location)
[Esc Key] (Once or twice) > Desktop
[WIN KEY] + C Open Charms bar
[WIN KEY] + I Desktop settings, quick access to power/shutdown/restart
[WIN KEY] + <-- or --> Snaps
grab an open window or an app, @ the top, take it left or right to Snap (split the screen).
[WIN KEY] + Up Arrow gives Full screen
[WN KEY] + Down Arrow back to original window state
[WIN KEY] + W Search Settings
[WIN KEY] + F Search Files
[WIN KEY] + D Go to Desktop anytime, from anywhere
[WIN KEY] + . Snap current app to right side
[WIN KEY] + Shift + . Snap current app to left side
[WIN KEY] + , Peek at the Windows desktop
[WIN KEY] + Q Search Apps (from Desktop)
[WIN KEY] + Z (from Start) Display app bar & ALL APPS icon > All Apps display
Rt Clk, when on Start, also, gives app bar w/ All Apps icon
[WIN KEY] + Enter Narrator
[WIN KEY] + K Devices
[WIN KEY] + L Lock Screen
[WIN KEY] + H Share options
[WIN KEY] + P Projector/Display options
[WIN KEY] + R Run a command
[WIN KEY] + U Ease of Access Center
[WIN KEY] + X Quick access to a variety of system functions
[WIN KEY] + PageUp/PageDown multiple monitors, swap which 1 the Start screen is on
[WIN KEY] + PrtScreen Save .png screenshot of desktop in Pictures library
[WIN KEY] + = Magnifier Larger
[WIN KEY] + - Magnifier Smaller
[WIN KEY] + Tab Gives LF Side Panel scroll through open windows (nicer than Alt + Tab)
Alt + Tab Scrolls through open windows
You can just hit Ctrl at the lock screen instead of dragging with the mouse.
Ctrl-Alt-Del Access to lock, switch user, sign out, Task Manager, power, accessibility

Mouse Tips for Windows 8:
• Move mouse to upper or lower right-hand of screen will open the Charms bar, slide mouse up or down to access.
• In Desktop app, click far right of taskbar to show desktop(minimize all apps), just like Windows 7
• Move mouse to upper-left, then slide cursor down to reveal running app thumbnails
• Move mouse to lower-left, then slide cursor up to reveal running app thumbnails
• Move mouse to upper-left and click mouse repeatedly to cycle through apps
• When in the "app thumbnail bar" (upper-left) right-click thumbnails for options to snap left/right or close app.
* Pull an open App to the bottom of the screen & it will close.
• Move mouse to lower-left and click for Metro Start menu (you can right-click it for a handy menu)
• Move mouse to top edge of screen in a Metro app and the cursor will change to a hand, drag
• down to the bottom of the screen to close the app.
• In Metro Start screen click button in lower-right to activate semantic zoom. You can right-click a group of tiles to name them. Click anywhere to exit semantic zoom. Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel zooms the Start Menu in and out too.
• Drag tiles anywhere to arrange them. Drag between two groups of tiles and a vertical thick white bar will appear,
dropping a tile on that bar will create a new group.

The menu one gets by Rt Clk @ the bottom-left... not only can you get that when @ Desktop but, also, when @ Start or any other screen, even an App screen.

Whilst @ Desktop, Start is @ bottom-left & Apps @ top-left
But, @ Start, Desktop is @ bottom-left, Apps @ top-left
And when @ an App, Desktop is @ top-left & Start is @ bottom-left


You can, also, Search by beginning to type anywhere on the Start screen

Start can be moved laterally by the mouse & w/out using the scroll bar.

Update 22-03-2012

This can only be done from open Desktop space but, that takes nothing away from its coolness!!
Alt+F4 gives
Screenshot2.png


NB: Credit to Dave for this. Thank you.

Cheers,
Drew
 
Allen,

You're most welcome; glad it's appreciated.

And, btw, you can, also, have an (ALL) applications window on the Taskbar. Saves changing screens to access anything (same content as WinQ). I can supply the 'How To" if you're interested.

Cheers,
Drew
Win8Logo (2013_02_06 10_30_24 UTC).jpg
 
Sounds interesting too me would glad to see a tutorial on that.
Allen,

You're most welcome; glad it's appreciated.

And, btw, you can, also, have an (ALL) applications window on the Taskbar. Saves changing screens to access anything (same content as WinQ). I can supply the 'How To" if you're interested.

Cheers,
Drew
View attachment 1281
 
Doesn't really need a tutorial, Allen but, below are the instructions. I have had it in this forum for a long time but, instead of linking you to its thread...

Myself, my clients, people in MS and many in a few Tech forums find this plus, the Desktop Toolbar being used, makes things pretty sweet. Together, eliminates having to swap screens and any need for Desktop icons to be showing.

Rt Clk on your desktop > New > Shortcut.
Put this in the 'box' %windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{4234d49b-0245-4df3-b780-3893943456e1}
Name it, Applications
(Now) Open the desktop icon, probably you'll want to remove the nav tree, really no need for it in this case, select the View & Sort desired and Minimize it to the Taskbar... never close it or will have to be reconfigured from the desktop icon.... it has to be reset from that icon following a reboot.

Cheers,
Drew
Win8Logo (2013_02_06 10_30_24 UTC).jpg
 
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