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In other words, Cmd-Z is undo while Shift-Cmd-Z is used to undo an undo. Apple, more logically, uses the Shift key. In Microsoft Office, it will redo the previous command, if it wasn’t undo. Less useful is Ctrl-Y, which is generally known as redo. (Of course, it won’t work if you used Shift-Delete to delete files, but Windows already warned you about that.) If you accidentally deleted a bunch of files, Ctrl-Z will restore them from the bin. If you accidentally deleted a paragraph in a document, Ctrl-Z will undo that command and restore it. It doesn’t always work, but it works often enough to be worth a try. Ctrl-ZĮverybody makes mistakes, so everybody should know the Ctrl-Z or “undo” command. The Mac does have a Control key but it was used to provide a right mouse-click in the days of one-button Apple mice.įor the record, the Windows shortcut for a right mouse-click is Shift-F10, but you’ll probably never use it. On Macs, the Command (Cmd) key generally does the same job as the Control key in Windows, so the equivalent shortcut is Cmd-S. Hitting Ctrl-S takes a fraction of a second.

It takes time to move a mouse pointer to the File menu, click it, then select Save. The idea of losing an hour or even a day’s work is ridiculous. Do that and you should never lose more than a paragraph or two even if there’s a power glitch. It should be a reflex action to hit Ctrl-S whenever you pause when creating a document. The most useful example is Ctrl-S, which is the Save command. Many are now part of my “motor memory” so I don’t even have to think about them. I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler-I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.I started computing before mice were widely available, making keyboard shortcuts essential. I’ve attended trade shows of Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

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Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech, and before that I headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team, but I’m happy to be back in the more accessible realm of consumer software.

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I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft win and misstep up to the latest Windows 11. I’ve been reviewing software for PCMag since 2008, and I still get a kick of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. PC hardware is nice, but it’s not much use without innovative software. Windows Key-E opens the File Explorer and is another key command that I plan to use more often since I need to open that utility many times per day. After all, pressing one key is as simple as it gets, and how often do I open the Start menu? (Often.) Its close relative is Windows Key-S (or Windows Key-Q), which opens the Search panel where you can search your PC as well as the web. I must confess that I don’t use this darn-useful keyboard shortcut much, but I plan on changing that. You can remember it as the I standing for information.

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The Windows 11 interface makes access to this somewhat less prominent than Windows 10 did, so using the keyboard shortcut can alleviate that. Windows Key-I opens the Windows Settings app. It’s useful for a business or public environment where you don’t want to leave your computer open for anyone to see or use but you don’t want to shut it down completely. Pressing Windows Key-L simply locks the PC to the lock screen. For more on gaming in the new OS, read Jordan Minor's piece, With Windows 11, Microsoft Makes Every PC an Xbox. It can be useful even for nongamers like yours truly.

It offers a bunch of controls and displays for things like performance, audio settings, friend activity, and screen recording. To see the Xbox Game Bar, use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key-G.

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