If you are like most people, you probably dreaded switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10.  Just when you thought you had everything figured out, Microsoft announced that they were no longer providing manufacturer support for Windows 7.   

The shift from 7 to 10 was a surprisingly painless experience.  Most of the settings stayed in the same location, and using the search box in the taskbar makes it easy for you to find what you need. And those aren’t the only things that helped simplify usage: Microsoft’s systems allow you to utilize numerous shortcuts to navigate their operating system. 

If you, like many others, want to take your productivity and efficiency a step further and use keyboard shortcuts to accomplish some basic tasks, we’ve compiled a resource guide for you.

 Below, you will find handy shortcuts for not only Windows 10 but also Google Chrome and Microsoft Teams.  

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts: 

Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts: 

Microsoft Teams Keyboard Shortcuts: 

With Microsoft Teams exploding recently, we’ve also listed a few of the major shortcuts for the collaboration platform.  To get a complete list of all your keyboard shortcuts, enter /keys into the search menu in the search bar at the top of Microsoft Teams. 

Don’t have a shortcut for an action? No problem; you can make your own!

Just follow the steps below. 

1. Open the folder or directory that contains the program you wish to create a shortcut for. 
2. Right-click on the program and click ‘Create Shortcut’. 
3. This will create a shortcut named "Shortcut to <your program>" in the directory you are in. If you wish to rename this shortcut, right-click the file and click ‘Rename’.
4. Once the above steps have been completed, you can copy this shortcut and paste it anywhere to execute this program.

After the shortcut has been created, you can assign a keystroke to that Windows shortcut.

1. Right-click the shortcut and click ‘Properties’.  
2. Click the ‘Shortcut’ tab. 
3. Click in the Shortcut key box and press a letter. For example, if you press "t", the shortcut key will automatically be made to Ctrl + Alt + T. Which means that if saved, pressing Ctrl and Alt and T will run that shortcut. 

It may seem daunting at first—with so many shortcuts available—but you will quickly find the ones you use the most. And once you become more familiar with them, you will have no problem remembering which keystroke is used for certain actions. And until you do, you can always refer back to our handy guide! 

If you have any questions about Microsoft’s operating systems, keyboard shortcuts, or learning how to use technology to become more efficient, contact us today!