In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, and navigating Windows was changed forever. Along with introducing the Start menu, Microsoft also added a new control key to PC keyboards, the Windows logo key.

Like the Command key on Apple keyboards, it allows the user to run shortcuts to open programs or execute repetitive commands, like showing the Desktop. Windows 95 had only twelve Windows logo key shortcuts, as Windows 11 has over fifty. So here is the complete list of Windows logo key shortcuts inside of Windows 11.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 11

Press	To
	Open Start menu
+ A	Open Quick Settings (part of the Action Center)
+ B	Highlights Show Hidden Icons on Taskbar
+ C	Open Microsoft Teams
+ D	Show Desktop
+ E	Open File Explorer
+ F	Open Feedback Hub
The following six (6) Windows logo key shortcuts are for the Game Bar
+ G	Open the Game Bar
+ Alt + G	Record the last few moments of gameplay. (you can change the amount of time recorded in Game Bar > Settings)
+ Alt + R	Start / stop recording
+ Alt + Print Screen	Take a screenshot of your game
+ Alt + T	Show / hide the recording timer
+ Alt + M	Start / stop microphone recording
+ H	Open Speech Services (voice dictation)
+ I	Open Settings
+ K	Open Cast (connect to wireless display and audio devices)
+ L	Switch users (lock computer if on a domain)
+ M	Minimize all open windows (show Desktop)
+ N	Opens Notification Center (part of the Action Center)
+ P	Open Project (project video to another screen)
+ Q	Opens Search dialog box
+ R	Opens Run dialog box
+ S	Opens Search dialog box
+ T	Set focus on Taskbar and cycle through pinned / running desktop apps
+ U	Opens Accessibility section in Settings
+ V	Displays Clipboard history
+ W	Opens Widgets
+ X	Opens Power User menu
+ Z	Opens Snap layouts menu
+ 1-9	Go to the app at the given position on the Taskbar
+ + (plus)	Zoom in (Magnifier)
+ - (minus)	Zoom out (Magnifier)
+ , (comma)	Peek at the Desktop
+ Spacebar	Switch input language and keyboard layout
+ Tab	Show all open apps and view additional desktops
+ Esc	Close Magnifier
+ Home	Minimize non-active desktop windows
+ Pause/Break	Open System in Settings
+ Left Arrow	Snap desktop window to the left (+Shift to move window to left monitor)
+ Right Arrow	Snap desktop window to the right (+Shift to move window to right monitor)
+ Up Arrow	Maximize desktop window (+Shift to keep width)
+ Down Arrow	Restore/minimize desktop window (+Shift to keep width)
+ F1	Opens How to get help in Windows 11 search in a browser
+ Ctrl + Enter	Open Narrator
+ Ctrl + D	Add a Desktop
+ Ctrl + Right arrow	Switch between desktops you’ve created on the right
+ Ctrl + Left arrow	Switch between desktops you’ve created on the left
+ Ctrl + F4	Close the Desktop you’re using
+ Shift + Right arrow	Move an app to a monitor on the right
+ Shift + Left arrow	Move an app to a monitor on the left
+ Period (.) or Semicolon (;)	Open the emoji, kaomoji, and symbol panel
+ Shift + S	Open the Snipping Bar

For more Windows keyboard shortcuts, see the links below:

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

Natural keyboard shortcuts

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

When it comes to using a Windows-based computer, accessing programs, folders, and files quickly is essential for productivity. This is where shortcuts come in handy. Let's take a closer look at the different types of shortcuts you can have on your Windows 10 computer.

Before we proceed any further, let's take a look at the history of shortcuts in Windows. All three types of shortcuts I will be discussing in this article were introduced in 1995 with the release of Windows 95.

Windows 95 had a new graphical user interface called Windows Explorer (now named File Explorer). When you hear File Explorer, you probably think of the file manager program you navigate to find your documents, pictures, and music. And you would be right.

But File Explorer is also responsible for displaying the Start Menu, Taskbar, and Desktop. All of the shortcuts I will be discussing are directly related to File Explorer.

Geek Tip: If you ever start Windows 10 and get to a black screen with just a white cursor arrow, that is a sign that File Explorer did not start. You can manually start File Explorer and here is how to do it.

How to fix the Windows 10 black screen with a white mouse cursor

The different types of Windows 10 shortcuts

Now, there are three (3) kinds of shortcuts in Windows 10;

• File - which contains a link to a program, file, or folder.
• Internet - which contains a link to a file or website on the Internet.
• Keyboard - which is when you press two (2) or more keys on the keyboard simultaneously.

The first two types of shortcuts (File and Internet) are small files that contain a link to a specific file, folder, or website. You can spot one of these types of shortcuts by the curled arrow overlay in the lower left-hand corner of the shortcut's icon on the Desktop or File Explorer. Shortcuts on the Start Menu do not have the curled arrow.

The third type of shortcut (Keyboard) is when you use a combination of keys on your keyboard to start a program or action. Usually, these are applications or actions that you use frequently. You can even add keyboard shortcuts to File shortcuts on your Desktop.

File and Internet shortcuts

As I said before, File and Internet shortcuts are just files with different extensions. File shortcuts have a .lnk extension, Internet shortcuts use .url extensions.

File and Internet shortcuts on the Desktop, Taskbar, and the Tiles section of the Start menu are relatively easy to create. To learn how to create File and Internet shortcuts quickly, check out the following article.

How to create a shortcut in Windows 10

Creating shortcuts in the Start menu's application list can be challenging only because the location where Start menu shortcuts is hidden by default. But if you want to learn more on how to customize the Start menu, check out the following article.

How to customize the Start menu in Windows 10

Keyboard shortcuts

When it comes right down to it, Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to open various programs and settings in Windows 10. You do not have to go hunting for a Desktop icon or open the Start menu.

Just by pressing two or more keys simultaneously on your keyboard, you can bring up File Explorer or the Run dialog box. Using the Clipboard, you can also copy, cut or paste text or images too.

There are so many Keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10 that I cannot list them all here. So the following articles cover almost all Keyboard shortcuts there are.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10

General keyboard shortcuts

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

My favorite left hand Windows keyboard shortcuts

How to use all of the Clipboard features in Windows 10

Now the only Keyboard shortcut not covered in all of these articles are the ones you create yourself. Desktop shortcuts can also have Keyboard shortcuts associated with them too.

When it comes to shortcut keys in Desktop shortcuts, you have to remember that you can use a combination of keys and numbers on the keyboard or just numbers on the numeric keypad.

The Desktop keyboard shortcut keys use a combination of three (3) keys, with the first two keys having to be Ctrl + Alt. Desktop numeric keypad shortcut keys are a single digit.

1. Right-click on the Desktop shortcut you want to modify and select Properties from the context menu that appears.
   
2. Left-click on the Shortcut tab and left-click on the Shortcut key field.
   
3. Press the desired key you want to associate with the Desktop shortcut. Remember that any key you press on the keyboard will automatically add Ctrl + Alt to the key you pressed. Numeric keys have Num before the actual number key.

See the video below for more details.

Since Windows 10 is the most popular operating system right now, getting to all settings and controls is essential. But locating some of the components can be kind of tricky. So here are some of my favorite ways to find Windows 10 features and applications.

Power User menu

Did you know that you can get to Settings, Computer Management, or an Admin Command Prompt / Admin PowerShell in Windows 10 with just a couple of keystrokes or mouse clicks? That's just what you can do and more when you use the Power User menu.

The Power User menu first appeared in Windows 8 to kind of supplement users need to find essential programs and features quickly. Without a Start Menu, it was tough for regular users to find anything inside of Windows 8. The Power User menu made up for no Start Menu, well not really, but it was better than nothing at all.

The Power User menu contains shortcuts to the most used programs and features inside Windows 10 (see list below). In the Taskbar settings,

you can choose to have either the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell shortcuts. There are two different ways of bringing up the Power User menu; by mouse or keyboard.

How to display the Power User menu using your mouse

Right-click on the Windows logo on the Start Menu

How to display the Power User menu using your keyboard

Press the Windows logo key + X

Using the keyboard method, you also get keyboard shortcuts added to all of the menu selections.

Power User menu keyboard shortcuts

Press	To
+ X	Open the Power User menu
Then press	To open
F	Apps and Features
O	Power Options
V	Event Viewer
Y	System
M	Device Manager
W	Network Connections
K	Disk Management
G	Computer Management
You can select to have either the Command Prompt or PowerShell on the Power User menu in the Taskbar settings
C	Command Prompt
I	Windows PowerShell
A	Admin Command Prompt / Admin PowerShell
T	Task Manager
N	Settings
E	File Explorer
S	Search
R	Run dialog box
U	Shut down or sign out
U then I	Sign out
U then U	Shut down
U then R	Restart
D	Desktop

Keyboard shortcuts for Windows

It just so happens that the keyboard shortcut for the Power User menu is only one of almost fifty Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10. The Windows logo key was introduced in '95 to coincide with the release of Windows 95 and the new, at that time, Start Menu. Microsoft has added and modified the Windows logo key shortcuts with every version of Windows since then. Some of my favorites are listed below, and most of them only require one hand.

Press	To
	Open the Start menu
+ A	Open Action Center
+ D	Show desktop
+ R	Run dialog box
+ S	Search
+ X	Open the Power User menu

Click here for the complete list of Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10

If you like using keyboard shortcuts, I also personally love and use the general keyboard shortcuts and the dialog box keyboard shortcuts. And since I am right-handed and prefer to keep my hand on the mouse, I use many left-handed keyboard shortcuts.

For more information on any of the keyboard shortcuts in this article, please check the links below.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

My favorite left hand Windows keyboard shortcuts

Twenty-five years ago, in 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95 with a new way to navigate the GUI (Graphic User Interface) called the Start menu. To make it easy to use, they added a new key to the standard keyboard called the Windows logo key and added some useful shortcuts. Since then, Microsoft has integrated Windows logo key shortcuts into every version of Windows. Here's is a complete list of Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10

There are now almost fifty different Windows logo key shortcuts inside Windows 10 (all of them are listed below). For more keyboard shortcuts for Windows, see the links at the bottom of this article.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10

Press	To
	Start menu
+ A	Open action center
+ D	Show desktop
+ E	Open File Explorer
+ F	Open Feedback Hub
+ H	Share
+ I	Settings
+ K	Connect to devices
+ L	Switch users (Lock computer if on a domain)
+ M	Minimize all windows (desktop)
+ P	Project options
+ R	Run...
+ S	Opens Cortana with search box highlighted
+ T	Set focus on taskbar and cycle through pinned / running desktop apps
+ U	Ease of Access Center
+ V	Cycle through notifications (+Shift to go backward)
+ W	Opens the Start menu with the Search box highlighted
+ X	Quick link power user commands (Opens Windows Mobility Center if present)
+ 1-9	Go to the app at the given position on the taskbar
+ + (plus)	Zoom in (Magnifier)
+ - (minus)	Zoom out (Magnifier)
+ , (comma)	Peek at the desktop
+ Enter	Open Narrator
+ Spacebar	Switch input language and keyboard layout
+ Tab	Show all open apps and view additional desktops
+ Esc	Exit Magnifier
+ Home	Minimize non-active desktop windows
+ Pause/Break	System Properties
+ Left Arrow	Snap desktop window to the left (+Shift to move window to left monitor)
+ Right Arrow	Snap desktop window to the right (+Shift to move window to right monitor)
+ Up Arrow	Maximize desktop window (+Shift to keep width)
+ Down Arrow	Restore/minimize desktop window (+Shift to keep width)
+ F1	Windows Help and Support
+ Ctrl + D	Add a desktop
+ Ctrl + Right arrow	Switch between desktops you’ve created on the right
+ Ctrl + Left arrow	Switch between desktops you’ve created on the left
+ Ctrl + F4	Close the desktop you’re using
+ Shift + Right arrow	Move an app to a monitor on the right
+ Shift + Left arrow	Move an app to a monitor on the left
The following Windows logo key shortcuts were added in the Creators update (Version 1703).
+ G	Open the Game bar
+ Alt + G	Record the last few moments of gameplay (You can change the amount of time recorded in Game bar > Settings.)
+ Alt + R	Start/stop recording
+ Alt + Print Screen	Take a screenshot of your game
+ Alt + T	Show / hide the recording timer
+ Alt + M	Start / stop microphone recording
The following Windows logo key shortcuts were added in the Fall Creators update (Version 1709).
+ Period (.) or Semicolon (;)	Open the emoji, kaomoji and symbol panel
+ H	To open a dictation window
The following Windows logo key shortcut was added in the Windows 10 feature update (Version 1809).
+ Shift + S	Open the Snipping Bar
The following Windows logo key shortcut was modified in the Windows 10 feature update (Version 1809).
+ V	Displays clipboard history

For more keyboard shortcuts for Windows, see the links below:

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

Natural keyboard shortcuts

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Repairing computers for a living requires working on different versions of Windows. Windows 8 must have the most changes out of all the Windows releases I've seen in the last decade or so. It seems like what worked in previous versions of Windows doesn't work in Windows 8. So here are six ways to make Windows 8 easier to use.

1. Create Shutdown, Restart, and Logoff shortcuts

Microsoft made shutting down and restarting Windows 8 kind of hard. You have to go to the Start screen and log-off before you can get to these options. It just seemed like too many steps for me, so I just created my own shortcuts and toolbar for shutting down, restarting, and logging off.

How to create log-off, restart, and shutdown shortcuts on the Start screen in Windows 8.

2. Start menu replacements

Windows 7 style Start menu in Windows 8 using Start8

If you're a die-hard Windows user and find the Start screen just doesn't work for you, there is hope. There are numerous third-party shell menus out there like Start8, Open Shell, and Pokki's Windows 8 Start Menu. Get one, and Windows 8 will feel just like Windows 7.

3. Power users command menu

The desktop and laptop versions of the Windows 8 Power User command menu

This is one of the Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 8 (see below), but I think it deserves to be listed separately. It contains links to some of the most used programs inside of Windows. From the Control Panel, Computer Management, and an Admin Command Prompt, if it's a commonly used Windows program, you'll probably find it here. Add it works on both the Desktop and Start screen.

Press	To
+ X	Open the Power User command menu. There are over a dozen different apps you can run from this menu.

4. Start screen hidden search feature

Most people find it hard to find programs on the Start screen (Windows RT). But there is one cool feature that actually will help you search for programs. If you go to the Start screen and just type the first couple of letters of the name of the program you're looking for, Windows RT will bring up the Search charm with Apps pre-selected. Remember that there is no box or form field associated with this feature; you just type.

5. Windows 8 Keyboard shortcuts

The Windows logo key has been around since Windows 95, and with every new version of Windows, Microsoft just adds more key combinations. There are now forty (40) different Windows logo key shortcuts in Windows 8.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 8.

6. Windows 8 restart options

Windows 8 restart option screen

It used to be when you had a problem with Windows, you could press F8 at startup and get to the boot options. This was the primary way to start Windows in Safe Mode or boot to other media. But with newer computers using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Windows 8 booting faster, pressing F8 at boot is hard, if not impossible. But there are a couple of ways to get there once Windows 8 is started. Note: If you want to boot from removable media, make sure that the media you want to boot to is attached (USB) or inserted (CD/DVD) before proceeding.

If you are logged off:

1. On the logon screen, in the lower right-hand corner, tap or left-click the Power Icon. Hold the Shift key down while you tap or left-click on Restart.
2. On the restart options screen, tap or left-click Troubleshoot.
3. Tap or left-click on Advanced options.
4. From here, you can choose what startup settings you want to use or boot to a bootable CD/DVD or USB drive.

If you are logged on:

1. Press the Windows logo key + C to bring up the Charms bar.
2. Tap or left-click Change PC Settings.
3. Tap or left-click General.
4. Scroll down to Advanced startup and tap or left-click Restart now.
5. On the restart options screen, tap or left-click Troubleshoot.
6. Tap or left-click on Advanced options.
7. From here, you can choose what startup settings you want to use or boot to a bootable CD/DVD or USB drive.

And if you would like to enable the Advanced Boot Options menu, you can do that too. Just remember that there is no timer on the Advanced Boot menu anymore. If enabled, Windows 8 will wait for user input every time the system starts. How to enable the Advanced Boot Options menu at start up in Windows 8.