Hello. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips still apply to older versions.  The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Windows from the Keyboard – General Shortcuts

When progressive vision loss makes it increasingly difficult to see the mouse or read the screen you can use Windows without a mouse. You can operate most Windows programs such as Word, Excel, email, and web browsing without using the mouse. Did you know that the TAB key will move from link to link in a web page or from item to item in a web form or from field to field in an email? Once you navigate to an item you can activate it without clicking the mouse. Just press the Enter key.

Here are some other handy Windows keyboard shortcuts:

• Control+Backspace will delete the previous word while typing in an edit field or document.
• Control+Delete key will delete the next word while typing in an edit field or document.

Control+S will save your document.

• Control+P will print your document.
• Control+C will copy selected text, files, or folders to the clipboard.
• Control+V will paste clipboard text into a document or email. Also, Control+V will paste files or folders that have been copied to the clipboard into another location.
• Alt+F4 will close a window.
• Alt+F4 while focused on the desktop will bring up the Windows shutdown menu.
• Pressing TAB multiple times while on the Desktop will move to the Start button, then to the Task Bar, then to the Notifications area, then back to the Desktop. While in the Notifications area you can press down arrow to cycle through the System Tray icons.
• Alt+Tab will cycle between open windows.
• Windows key + M will minimize all open windows and return to the desktop.
• While on the desktop, press the first letter of any icon to jump to it. Press Enter to activate the icon.
• The Applications key beside the right control key is very important in Windows so much so that it will be discussed in a separate tip.
• Here is Microsoft’s Windows 10 Complete List of shortcuts.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.