Common Keyboard Shortcuts for Everyday Efficiency | Prescott, AZ

Do you utilize keyboard shortcuts? There are a few every day key combinations you can use to boost productivity whether you use a Windows or Mac computer. If you haven’t been using keyboard shortcuts, they will go a long way to making your day more efficient. We find that those in creative spaces get a lot out of these shortcuts, but of course they are for everyone.

Windows:

Ctrl + Z: Undo

No matter what you have been up to on your computer, Ctrl + Z is a universal life saver.

Ctrl + A: Select all

Rather than clicking and dragging your mouse across a paragraph or URL, simply click the general area of text and use Ctrl + A to save you time and finger strain.

Alt + Tab: Toggle

If you are running multiple applications on your screen and need to go back-and-forth, simply use this shortcut to navigate between them. This will save you time because instead of trying to figure out which application is minimized or open when doing multiple things, this lets you see it all at once.

Ctrl + Esc: Open Start Menu

Older generations of windows computers may not have the windows button that later models feature. To open the start menu to access different applications, Ctrl + Esc is a nifty trick!

Mac:

For Mac users, the command key is the go-to starting point for any shortcuts you may want to make. The trick is to remember which alphabetical keys do what – and try not to mix them up on important projects.

Command + A: Select All

Simply click on the section of text you want to select and use Command + A to highlight the area.

Command + S: Save

This is useful when working on documents when you are in the flow state. We all know saving documents as you go can be a life saver for those files that are too important to lose time on re-typing. Just use Command + S as if it were part of the paragraph, and your content will be saved as you go!

Shift + Command + 4: Screenshot

This little trick will turn your mouse icon into a little plus sign that will allow you to drag it across any area of the screen you want to take a picture of. Once you release the left mouse the photo will save right to your desktop for easy access from there.

Command + Delete: Move to Trash

For new Mac users, it can take time to remember you have to drag unwanted items to the trash icon. Using Command + Delete on a selected item will do it for you!

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of all the interesting and time saving commands you can control through shortcuts, but they are pretty useful! We hope these work to make your day that much more efficient. For a complete list of shortcuts that work for your computer, these are useful pages for Windows and Mac users.

For more computer tips and tricks, visit us online at urns.net or call our experts at 951.737.8558 today!