Chapter List

In the tables below you will discover many of the popular and frequently used keyboard commands used in Windows and Windows Explorer. You will also find many of the keyboard commands stated can also be used in applications, in particular, the keyboard commands for menus and dialog boxes.

Popular Windows and Windows Explorer commands

Windows commands Press
Open Start Menu (repeat to close) WINDOWS KEY
Open Task View WINDOWS KEY + TAB
Switch to application (action unchanged but now shows Task View when switching) ALT + TAB
Create a new virtual desktop CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + D
Switch to the next virtual desktop CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + RIGHT ARROW
Switch to the previous virtual desktop CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + LEFT ARROW
Close the current virtual desktop CONTROL + WINDOWS KEY + F4
Open Share WINDOWS KEY + H
Open Devices WINDOWS KEY + K
Open Settings WINDOWS KEY + I
Open the Tools menu WINDOWS KEY + X
Snap window to top of screen (repeat to maximise window) WINDOWS KEY + UP ARROW
Snap window to bottom of screen (repeat to minimise window) WINDOWS KEY + DOWN ARROW
Snap window to left of screen (combine with snap to top/bottom to place window in quadrant) WINDOWS KEY + LEFT ARROW
Snap window to right of screen (combine with snap to top/bottom to place window in quadrant) WINDOWS KEY + RIGHT ARROW
Go to active notifications WINDOWS KEY + V
Go to active notifications in reverse order WINDOWS KEY + SHIFT + V
Go to the Taskbar WINDOWS KEY + T
Exit an application ALT + F4
Open the Task Manager CONTROL + SHIFT + ESCAPE
Open the context menu (a small pop up menu giving options relevant to the current situation) APPLICATION KEY (or SHIFT + F10)
Open Windows Explorer (showing list of drives, folders, files etc.) WINDOWS KEY + E
Go to Address bar in Windows Explorer ALT + D
Minimise open programs and place focus on the desktop WINDOWS KEY + D (or WINDOWS KEY + M)
Rename file or folder F2
Create new folder CONTROL + SHIFT + N
Go to the Taskbar WINDOWS KEY + T
Go to the Notification Area (see below for further instructions) WINDOWS KEY + B
Open the Run dialog box WINDOWS KEY + R
Open Ease Of Access Centre WINDOWS KEY + U
Sign out and go to the lock screen WINDOWS KEY + L

Popular menu keyboard commands

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Menu Bar Commands Press
Move focus to the menu bar ALT
Move focus across the menu bar LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW
Open the menu item that has focus DOWN ARROW or ENTER
Move to and open a corresponding menu ALT + underlined letter
Move through an open menu DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW
Open a sub-menu RIGHT ARROW or ENTER
Close a sub-menu LEFT ARROW or ESCAPE
Select a menu item ENTER

Popular dialog box keyboard commands

Dialog Box Commands Press
Move to the next control TAB
Move to the previous control SHIFT + TAB
Click a button, toggle a check box or select an option (RADIO BUTTON) SPACEBAR
Select the active button (the button with the outline) ENTER
Cancel ESCAPE
Move directly to a control ALT + underlined letter
Open the next tab in a multi-tab dialog box CONTROL + TAB
Move to the previous tab in a multi-tab dialog box CONTROL + SHIFT + TAB

Popular SuperNova and ScreenReader Speak Keys for menus and dialog boxes.

The following table lists some SuperNova and ScreenReader hot keys you might find useful when navigating menus and dialog boxes.

Note: You can make SuperNova and ScreenReader automatically announce more or less information about menus, menu items, buttons, check boxes, lists and radio buttons by changing the Verbosity Level. See the product manual for more help on how to change the Verbosity Level.

Speak Key Commands Desktop - Default hot key set Laptop - Universal hot key set
Read focus (multikey) NUMPAD 0 CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW
Read Control (multikey) NUMPAD PERIOD (*) No Assignment
Describe Shortcut key (multikey) LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD PERIOD CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + LEFT ARROW
Where Am I? NUMPAD 7 CAPS LOCK + PAGE UP
Read window (multikey) NUMPAD 9 CAPS LOCK + P
Additional focus information LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 0 CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW

Popular edit area keyboard commands

Edit area Commands Press
Move to the next character RIGHT ARROW
Move to the previous character LEFT ARROW
Move to the next word CONTROL + RIGHT ARROW
Move to the previous word CONTROL + LEFT ARROW
Move to the next line DOWN ARROW
Move to the previous line UP ARROW
Move to the next paragraph CONTROL + DOWN ARROW
Move to the previous paragraph CONTROL + UP ARROW
Move to the start of the line HOME
Move to the end of the line END
View the next window PAGE DOWN
View the previous window PAGE UP
Move to the top of the document CONTROL + HOME
Move to the bottom of the document CONTROL + END

TIP: To select text use the SHIFT key in combination with the navigation keys above, for example, press CONTROL + SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW to extend a selection a word at a time.

Popular SuperNova and ScreenReader Speak Keys for edit areas

The following table lists some SuperNova and ScreenReader hot keys you might find useful when working in edit areas and documents.

Speak Key commands Desktop Default hot key set Laptop - Universal HOT KEY Set
Read character (repeat key press for more information) NUMPAD 4) caps lock + left arrow
Read word (repeat key press for more information) NUMPAD 5 CAPS LOCK + RIGHT ARROW)
Read line (repeat key press for more information) NUMPAD 6 CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW (this Speak Key is also the Read Focus hot key)
Read line to cursor (repeat key press for more information) LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 1 CAPS LOCK + HOME
Read line from cursor (repeat key press for more information) LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 2 CAPS LOCK + END
Read sentence CAPS LOCK + NUMPAD 4 LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + S
Read paragraph CAPS LOCK + NUMPAD 5 LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + P
Read From Here NUMPAD PLUS (press ESCAPE to stop reading) CAPS LOCK + DOWN ARROW (press ESCAPE to stop reading)
Read selection (repeat key press for more information) NUMPAD 1 SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + DOWN ARROW
Additional focus information LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 0 CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW

Popular Notification Area keyboard commands

The Notification Area (also called the System Tray) is the area to the far right of the Windows taskbar that includes the Windows clock. A number of programs place icons in this area of the taskbar for easy access. The Notification Area also typically holds icons that indicate network connection status, firewall activity, anti-virus protection, battery status and more. In Windows, you can choose to show or hide icons in the Notification Area. You can find these settings in the Taskbar properties.

Windows includes a keyboard command to move the focus to the Notification Area. This keyboard command is WINDOWS KEY + B. SuperNova and ScreenReader also provide a number of options to help you review and interact with these program icons. You can use these icons to find out the status of the program, left click the icon to open the program or right click the icon to open a pop-up menu that usually provides quick access to important features like performing a scan, doing a system update or quitting the program.

Notification Area Commands Desktop - Default hot key set Laptop - Universal hot key set
List items in the Notification Area (the dialog box that appears includes options to left and right click an item) CAPS LOCK + 0 CAPS LOCK + 0
Move Dolphin Cursor to Notification Area LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD SLASH (*) No Assignment
To perform a left click with the Dolphin Cursor INSERT CAPS LOCK + 8
To perform a right click with the Dolphin Cursor DELETE CAPS LOCK + 9
Read time and date LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD SLASH CAPS LOCK + F12
Read battery status LEFT CONTROL + LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD PLUS SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + B