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 File Explorer – Useful Shortcut Keys

While browsing folders in Windows file Explorer, these shortcut keys are helpful.

• F2 will allow you to rename a file. Press F2 while focused on the filename. An edit box opens with the current filename highlighted. Only the filename is highlighted not the filetype. Since Windows replaces highlighted text with typed text, all you need to do is type the new filename and press Enter. The filetype will remain as it was. For example, if you have a file named, John.txt, and you want to rename it to Jane.txt just arrow down to the John.txt in your list of files, Press F2, type, “Jane”, without the quotes, and press Enter.
• Press Alt+Up Arrow to return to the parent of the folder you are currently in.
• Press Backspace to return to the previous folder.
• Press Control+Home to move to the top of the folder.
• Press Control+End to move to the end of the folder.
• Press Alt+Enter to open the properties of the file or folder you are focused on.
• Press Delete to delete the file or folder you are focused on. Depending on the properties of your Recycle Bin, you may or may not be asked to confirm the file deletion.
• Press Control+C to copy the file or folder to the Windows clipboard. You may then move to another folder and press Control+V to paste a copy of the file or folder into the new folder. Note: A quick way to make a copy of a file is to press Control+C on the desired file and then immediately press Control+V to paste it back. Windows will make a copy of your file in the same folder with “copy” appended to the filename.
• Press Control+X to cut the file or folder to the Windows clipboard. You may then move to another folder and press Control+V to move the file or folder into the new folder thus deleting it from its original location.
• Press the Applications key (usually just to the left of the right Control key) to open a context menu for the file or folder you are focused on. Arrow up and down the menu to find other actions you may wish to perform on the file or folder such as printing a file or extracting files from a ZIP folder. If you do not have an Applications key, then Shift+F10 is another way to open the applications context menu.

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