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Unnikrishnan Pillai
Unnikrishnan Pillai

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10 Windows key shortcuts for everyone

Windows 10 is customary across most organizations. A daily users desktop is cluttered with many programs and task windows. A multi-monitor setup multiplies this clumsiness and navigating apps becomes a nightmare.

Follow these neat set of tricks and shortcuts to organize the desktop and enhance your user experience.

1. How to hide programs from your desktop

  • Click Task View button on Taskbar
  • Select New Desktop or use keyboard shortcut Windows Key+Ctrl+D to add a Desktop 2
  • Click Task View
  • Drag your distracting programs like Chats📱, Email📧, Music Player🎧 from Desktop 1 to Desktop 2.
  • To navigate to Desktop 2 use Windows Key+Ctrl+

A small laptop screen💻 can be transformed to a powerful workstation with a single keyboard shortcut

2. How to pin apps to the Taskbar.

  • Launch your programs in the order you want them to be pinned
  • Right click the program icon on Taskbar
  • Select Pin to taskbar

The first pinned app can be launched using Windows Key+1

3. How to display a program in all your Desktops

  • Click Task View button on Taskbar
  • Right click the program window
  • Check Show this window on all desktops

Prevents duplicate launch of program while using Windows Key+1 in Desktop 2

4. How to display contents of a program in Taskbar

  • Right click Taskbar
  • Select Taskbar Settings
  • Update Combine taskbar buttons to When taskbar is full
  • Under Multiple Displays turn on Show taskbar on all displays.

Moving Taskbar to the top of your screen might give you the same user experience of Internet browser tabs.

5. How to launch your favorite program using keyboard shortcut

  • Right click on your Snipping tool program icon in desktop
  • Click Properties
  • Select Shortcut tab
  • Click Shortcut Key:
  • Hit Ctrl+Alt+S

Now every time you hit Ctrl+Alt+S snipping tool will pop up.

6. How to run apps in Split Window

  • Active desktop window can be snapped to right side of screen
  • Hit Windows Key+.
  • Click the desktop window you want to be snapped left.

Useful for comparing notes, dragging files, multi-tasking etc.

7. How to pin apps to your start menu for quick access

  • Right click your frequent program or folder icon
  • Select Pin to Start
  • Hit Windows Key key to launch your Start Menu

Launch the program by clicking its icon from Start Menu.

8. How to group your programs in Start Menu

  • Navigate to Start Menu
  • Hover on top of a program
  • Click Name group to add custom group name like Work or Personal.
  • Drag and drop other apps to this group

Resize your favorite app tiles for easy access

9. How to configure your Mouse to automate shortcuts

  • Unleash your productivity by upgrading to a Programmable Mouse 🖱.
  • Map the shortcut keys to mouse buttons as shown in the cover image

10. Useful shortcuts

Shortcut Key Action
Windows Key+D Show Desktop / Show Apps
Windows Key+Ctrl+D Create Desktop 2
Windows Key+Ctrl+ Switch to Desktop 2
Windows Key+Tab Task View
Windows Key+1 Taskbar App 1
Windows Key+T Cycle Taskbar Apps
Windows Key+ Snap window right
Windows Key+E Windows Explorer
Alt+Tab Switch Previous Window
Ctrl+Alt+S Custom shortcut for Snipping tool

Whats your favorite Shortcut❔❔❔

Top comments (1)

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michaelstandeven profile image
michaelstandeven

I depend on 2, 4, and 7.
I think I'll be using 1 more now that I know the keyboard shortcut.
Opening pinned apps with shortcuts also looks awesome!