Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Why Shortcut Combinations?

First, during certain situations you will increase your productivity by over 50%. Secondly, using the mouse all the time to perform every task is not exactly healthy for your arm, back and shoulders. Third and lastly, you can impress your friends with your new skills. ;)

If anyone knows any more useful shortcuts not listed, please contact me through the contact page.

Introduction & Sequence Explaination

<Windows Key> + means that you should press and hold down the Windows key throughout the full shortcut sequence. This means that you don't release it until you have pressed the last key as shown next:
[k] simply means that you should press the k key and then release it. This is always placed last in the shortcut sequence, after this you can let go of the other keys involed in the shortcut combination.

Shortcuts For Window Management

Minimize All Windows <Windows Key> + [m]
Maximize All Window <Windows Key> + <Shift> + [m]
Close Active Application <Alt> + [F4]

Shortcuts To For Faster Access

Bring Up System (In ControlPanel) <Windows Key> + [Pause/Break]
Bring Up Task Manager <Ctrl> + <Shift> + [Esc]
Bring Up Windows Explorer <Windows> + [e]
Bring Up Run (Start->Run) <Windows> + [r]

Shortcuts To For Text Manipulation

First off, it's important to learn how to select text with the keyboard. You can select text by by holding down <Shift> and then walking around with movement keys:
[Arrow Up] [Arrow Down] [Arrow Left] [Arrow Right]
[Page Up] [Page Down] [Home] [End]
Note that if you also hold down <Ctrl> you change the functionality of those last 4 keys mentioned, very useful.

Now that you know how to select text, here are the manipulation shortcuts:
Copy Selected Text <Ctrl> + [c]
Cut Selected Text <Ctrl> + [x]
Paste Cut/Copied Text <Ctrl> + [v]

Most of you are probably familiar with the above commands, but did you know there is another way to do it?
Copy Selected Text <Ctrl> + [Insert]
Cut Selected Text <Shift> + [Del]
Paste Cut/Copied Text <Shift> + [Insert]

Another useful tip, if you have text selected you can replace that piece of text by using paste command to paste the last text you cut or copied.