Save time with computer shortcuts in Microsoft Office programs

If youre like most people, youre always looking for ways to save time, even when using Microsoft Office software. Keyboard shortcuts could be your new best friend when it comes to time management.

Not everyone uses shortcut keys to save time, but some people find them easier to use than a mouse, especially when spending long stretches of time at the computer.

Ready-made Microsoft Office tools

If the thought of memorizing key combinations makes you wince, you can still save time and effort while working in all Office programs by using these built-in tools.

Shortcut menus. Right-click in any Microsoft Office program to display a shortcut menu that

gives you quick access to many of the most commonly used features. If an arrow appears next to your selection, you can click to see more options. For example, right-clicking a Word document displays Paste Options, Look Up, Synonyms, formatting, and other options.

No matter which Microsoft Office program youre working in, right-clicking is one of the greatest shortcuts available.

KeyTips. Introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, KeyTips are built-in keyboard shortcuts available

in all programs that have the Ribbon or the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar. In Office 2010, KeyTips are also available in the Backstage view. Press Alt to display a letter or number by each Ribbon tab or Quick Access Toolbar command. After you press a letter or number, you get new KeyTips letters and numbers to access each command in the location you selected.

Pressing Alt displays KeyTips that you can press to quickly access any command.

Quick Access Toolbar. Add the commands you use all the time to your Quick Access Toolbar

in all Office programs that have the Ribbon. Just right-click almost any Ribbon command, and then click Add to Quick Access Toolbar. This is also a great way to create custom keyboard shortcuts for your favorite commands across all Office programs, since the KeyTips for your Quick Access Toolbar items remain the same as long as the command remains in the same position in the Quick Access Toolbar.

Custom keyboard shortcuts on the Office Ribbon. You can even change shortcut key

combinations or create new ones of your own. Heres how to do it in the latest versions of Microsoft Office.

In Microsoft Office 2010:

In Microsoft Office 2007:

Whether you want to work more easily and efficiently in Internet Explorer, streamline your Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 experience, or key international characters into your email messages to Europe, youll find lots of shortcuts to help you. Here is a sampling of commonly used standard-keyboard shortcuts, many of which work across all Office programs from Outlook to Access and from Visio to PowerPoint. You can find a more complete list of built-in keyboard shortcuts for a particular application by searching keyboard shortcuts in Help.

General keyboard shortcuts

To... Open Help

Use this shortcut Press F1.

Select all content in a document, window, or text Press Ctrl+A. box Search for a file or folder Press F3. In Windows 7, you can also press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu and then type in the Search box. Select the file or folder, press F2, and then retype the name.

Rename a file or folder

Find out when the file or folder was created, by Select the file, and then press Alt+Enter. whom, and how big it is Display the Start menu Scroll between open windows Undo an action Redo an action Press Ctrl+Esc. In Windows 7, you can also press the Windows logo key. Press Alt+Tab, and then hold down Alt while pressing Tab to reach the desired file or program. Press Ctrl+Z. Press Ctrl+Y.

Check the spelling of titles or words in any Press F7. Office application with the Spelling & Grammar checker Create a shortcut on your desktop to your favorite file or folder In Windows 7: Right-click the file or folder. On the shortcut menu, click Send to, and then click Desktop (Create shortcut). In Windows Vista: Right-click the file or folder. On the shortcut menu, click Create Shortcut. Drag the new shortcut to your desktop. Press Alt+Print Screen, and then press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste. In Windows 7, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Capture a screen shot Lock the computer, switch users, log off the computer, change a password, start Task Manager Lock the computer Quit program
Working with Microsoft Word

Press the Windows logo key+L. Press Alt+F4. Use this shortcut Press Shift+Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow to highlight text. To select one word at a time, press Shift+Ctrl+Arrow. To select to the end of the line, press Shift+End. Press Ctrl+C. Press Ctrl+X. Press Ctrl+V. Press Ctrl+B. Press Ctrl+F. Press Ctrl+H.

To... Select text

Copy selected text Cut selected text Paste selected text Bold text Search for text in a document Find and replace text in a document

Got to a page, line, or bookmark in a document Italicize text Underline text Subscript text Superscript text Center text Align text left Align text right Justify text Decrease the font size

Press Ctrl+G. Press Ctrl+I. Press Ctrl+U. Press Ctrl+equal sign (=). Press Ctrl+plus sign (+). Press Ctrl+E. Press Ctrl+L. Press Ctrl+R. Press Ctrl+J. Press Ctrl+Shift+less than sign (<). If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also press Ctrl and scroll down. Press Ctrl+Shift+greater than sign (>). If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also press Ctrl and scroll up. Press CTRL+SHIFT+F, and then use the arrow keys to reach the new font. Press Ctrl+Shift+P, and then use the arrow keys to reach the new font size. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also press Ctrl and scroll up or down. Press Ctrl+Enter. Press Ctrl+N. Press Ctrl+O. Press Ctrl+W. Press Ctrl+S. Press CTRL+P. Press ALT+Ctrl+I. In Windows 7, this keyboard shortcut opens the integrated Print and Preview window, which you can also access by pressing Ctrl+P. Select the shape, and then press Shift+Arrow. Select the shape, and then hold the Alt key while you press the Left Arrow key or the Right Arrow key.

Increase the font size

Change the font Change font size

Create a page break Create a new document Open the My Documents window Close a document Save a document Print a document Preview what you're about to print

Resize a shape (Office 2010) Rotate a shape (Office 2010)

Accelerating Microsoft Excel

To... Open a new workbook Move left to right, cell by cell Move right to left, cell by cell Move down, cell by cell Move up, cell by cell

Use this shortcut Press Ctrl+N. Press Tab, or press the Right Arrow key. Press Shift+Tab, or press the Left Arrow key. Press Enter, or press the Down Arrow key. Press Shift+Enter, or press the Up Arrow key.

Move down or up to the last empty or non-empty Press Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow or Up Arrow. cell Move to the last empty or non-empty cell to the Press Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow or Left Arrow. right or left Erase data in the current cell Insert a return within a cell Return to the beginning of the row Advance to the next worksheet Go to the previous worksheet Enter the date Enter the time Find out about the style within the cell Display the Format Cells dialog box Apply the general number format Apply the currency number format Apply the percentage number format Apply a border Remove a border Hide the selected columns Hide the selected rows Unhide hidden rows within a selection
Expediting Internet Explorer

Press Backspace. Press Alt+Enter. Press HOME. Ctrl+Page Down Ctrl+Page Up Press Ctrl+Semicolon (;). Press Ctrl+Shift+Colon (:). Press Alt+Apostrophe (). Press Ctrl+1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Tilde (~). Press Ctrl+Shift+Dollar Sign ($). Press Ctrl+Shift+Percent (%). Press Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&). Press Ctrl+Shift+ underscore (_). Press Ctrl+0 (zero). Press Ctrl+9. Press Ctrl+Shift+opening parenthesis.

Find more Excel keyboard shortcuts at the MSDN blog.

To... Add sites to your Favorites

Use this shortcut 1. 2. Go to the site. Press Ctrl+D to add to your Favorites.

Click Favorites, and then, to create a separate folder for the site or to add it to an already-formed list, click Add to Favorites.
3.

Select a home page

1. Go to the webpage that you would like to make your home page. Open the Tools menu, and select Internet Options.
2. 3.

Under Home page, on the General tab, click Use Current. Use the History function if you visit a few select sites constantly 1.
2.

Press Ctrl+H to open the History pane.

Select the site that you would like, rightclick the site, and then select Add to Favorites. 1. 2.
3.

Customize your toolbar to the tools you use most frequently

Right-click the command bar. Point to Customize. Click Add or Remove Commands.

Go to your home page Switch between tabs Move forward through the items on a webpage or the Address bar Move back through the items on a webpage or the Address bar Find on this page Stop downloading a page Use zoom on a webpage

Press Alt+Home. Press Ctrl+Tab. Press Tab. Press Shift+Tab. Press Ctrl+F. Press Esc. Increase zoom (+ 10%): Press Ctrl+plus sign (+). Decrease zoom (- 10%): Press Ctrl+minus sign (-). Increase to 100%: Press Ctrl+0.

Find more Internet Explorer 8 keyboard shortcuts. For Outlook keyboard shortcuts, read the Outlook team blog. Shortcuts arent limited to Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer, of course. Ample time savers are built into many popular Microsoft programs, including Access, Visio, and PowerPoint. For Outlook keyboard shortcuts, read the Outlook team blog. Another convenient way to save time is to add Office.com and Microsoft Answers to your Favorites in Internet Explorer, so youll always have ready help nearby.

The more you use these tools and make Microsoft work for you, the more time you can save. Have fun exploring the options available to you! Adapted from an article written by Liz Eustace based upon an original piece from Microsoft Home Magazine.