5 Keyboard Secrets You Wish You Knew Sooner

Windows Keyboard Secret 1:

The Magic Clipboard History (Windows + V)

The Problem: You copy something (text, a link, an image), then copy something else, and poof – the first item is gone. You end up copying the same things over and over.

The Solution: Meet your new best friend: Windows key + V.

Instead of just holding the last item you copied (like the traditional Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V), pressing Windows + V opens a clipboard history. This neat little window shows you a list of the recent items you’ve copied. Simply click on the item you want to paste, and you’re good to go!

How to Enable (if it’s not on): The first time you press Windows + V, Windows might ask if you want to turn on clipboard history. Just click “Turn on".

A Quick Word of Warning: Be mindful of what you copy! If you copy sensitive information like passwords or bank details, they will appear in your clipboard history. While convenient, make sure you clear your history (Windows + V, then click “Clear all") if you’ve copied something sensitive, especially on shared computers.

Windows Keyboard Secret 2:

Undo Your Mistakes Instantly (Ctrl + Z)

The Problem: You accidentally deleted a paragraph, moved a file to the wrong folder, or typed something you didn’t mean to. Panic!

The Solution: Ctrl + Z is your universal “undo" button.

Seriously, this is one of the most useful shortcuts ever created. In most applications (word processors, file explorer, email clients, even some web forms), pressing Ctrl + Z will instantly reverse your last action. Deleted text? Ctrl+Z brings it back. Moved a file? Ctrl+Z puts it back. It’s like a mini time machine for your mistakes. Need to redo what you just undid? Try Ctrl + Y.

Windows Keyboard Secret 3:

Tidy Your Workspace: Snap Windows Like a Pro (Windows + Arrow Keys)

The Problem: You’re trying to compare two documents, or maybe copy information from a webpage into an email, and you’re constantly resizing and dragging windows around. It’s messy and inefficient.

The Solution: Use Windows key + Arrow Keys to “snap" windows into place.

Windows + Left Arrow: Snaps the active window to the left half of your screen.

Windows + Right Arrow: Snaps the active window to the right half.

Windows + Up Arrow: Maximises the active window (or snaps it to a top corner if already snapped left/right).

Windows + Down Arrow: Minimises the active window (or snaps it to a bottom corner if already snapped left/right).

This makes arranging two (or even four) windows side-by-side incredibly fast and neat, perfect for multitasking.

Before:

After (Using Windows + Left Arrow):

After (Using Windows + Up Arrow):

Windows Keyboard Secret 4:

Dealing with Frozen Apps (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)

The Problem: An application stops responding. It’s frozen, you can’t click anything, and it’s bringing your workflow to a halt. The classic “Not Responding" message appears.

The Solution: Jump straight to the Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

Forget Ctrl+Alt+Delete (which brings up an extra menu); this shortcut takes you directly to the Task Manager. Here, you’ll see a list of all running applications and processes. Find the unresponsive program (it will often say “Not Responding" next to it), click on it, and then click the “End task" button. This forces the frozen app to close, allowing you to get back to work without needing to restart your whole computer.

Windows Keyboard Secret 5:

Capture Your Screen Instantly (Windows + Shift + S)

The Problem: You need to quickly save or share something on your screen – maybe an error message, a specific part of a webpage, or a funny picture – but finding the old Snipping Tool or using Print Screen and pasting into Paint is clumsy.

The Solution: Use the modern screenshot shortcut: Windows key + Shift + S.

Pressing this key combination instantly dims your screen and brings up a small menu at the top, allowing you to choose how you want to capture your screen:

· Rectangular Snip: Draw a box around what you want to capture.

· Freeform Snip: Draw any shape you like.

· Window Snip: Click on a specific window to capture just that window.

· Fullscreen Snip: Captures your entire screen(s).

Once you make your selection, the captured image is automatically copied to your clipboard (ready to paste with Ctrl + V or into your Windows + V history!) and a notification pops up. Clicking the notification opens the Snip & Sketch app, where you can annotate, save, or share the screenshot directly. It’s much faster and more flexible than the old methods!