Win 8 Keyboard Shortcuts . . ...

Many people prefer to use Windows with keyboard shortcuts (and who doesn’t use Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X and Ctrl-V regularly).  Windows 8 includes some new keyboard shortcuts for the new Metro UI.  These can be very useful while you’re evaluating the new Operating system.

Where they come in very useful is when you’re using Metro with a mouse.  Currently, swipes such as showing the charms on screen by swiping in from the far right of the screen don’t work with a mouse.  This can make performing a task as simple as shutting down the computer complex.  Here then are the, currently accurate, keyboard shortcuts for the Windows 8 Developer Preview.

Win + Spacebar : Switch the input language and keyboard layout

Win + C : Open the Charms

Win + D : Show the desktop

Win + E : open Windows Explorer

Win + F : Open the Search panel

Win + H : Open the Share charm

Win + I : Open the Settings charm

Win + K : Open the Connect charm

Win + L : Lock the computer

Win + O : Lock the screen rotation

Win + Q : Open the search pane

Win + R : Open run

Win + V : Cycle through toasts

Win + W : Opens the Settings search panel

Win + Y : Peek at the desktop

Win + Z : open the app bar

Win + Shift + V : Reverse cycle through toasts

Win + Enter : Launch the narrator

Win + PgUp : Move tiles to the left

Win + PgDn : Move tiles to the right

Win + Shift + . : Move the split to the left

Win + . : Move the split to the right

One useful function, especially when it comes to search is that from the Start screen you can simply start typing and Windows will open the search panel for whatever you type.  This is an improvement on Windows 7 where you first needed to open the Start Menu before you could type a search request.

Don’t forget that Windows 8 is still pre-release software and all these keyboard shortcuts, as with every other feature at the moment can change in future versions and even with updates that will be issued through Windows update to the demo platform.