It’s important to note that while many of these shortcuts are standard across most applications (especially in Windows), their functions can change depending on the program you are using (e.g., a web browser vs. Photoshop vs. Word).
Here is a comprehensive list of common functions for Ctrl + A to Ctrl + Z in the Windows environment.
SHORTCUT KEYS FROM Ctrl+A to Ctrl+Z (WINDOWS + MAC)
Ctrl + A
· Function: Select All
· Description: Highlights all text, files, or other selectable elements in the current window.
Ctrl + B
· Function: Bold
· Description: In word processors (Word, Google Docs) and many text fields, it makes the selected text bold. In web browsers like Chrome/Firefox, it opens the Bookmarks sidebar.
Ctrl + C
· Function: Copy
· Description: Copies
the selected text, file, or item to the clipboard.
Ctrl + D
· Function: Bookmark/ Duplicate / Font
· Description:
o Web Browsers: Bookmarks the current page.
o File Explorers: Opens the “Rename” dialog for a selected file.
o Word Processors: Opens the font settings window.
o Design Software
(Figma, Photoshop): Duplicates the selected object.
Ctrl + E
· Function: Search / Center Align
· Description:
o Web Browsers & File Explorer: Moves cursor to the search/address bar.
o Word Processors: Centers the text alignment of the current paragraph.
Ctrl + F
· Function: Find
· Description: Opens a search box to find text on the current page or document.
Ctrl + G
· Function: Go To / Find Next
· Description:
o Word Processors/Excel: Opens the “Go To” dialog to jump to a specific page, line, or cell.
o Web Browsers/Editors: Finds the next occurrence of your last “Find” search.
Ctrl + H
· Function: Replace/ History
· Description:
o Word Processors/Editors: Opens the Find and Replace dialog.
o Web Browsers: Opens the browsing history window.
Ctrl + I
· Function: Italic
· Description: In word processors, it makes the selected text italic. In web browsers, it opens the “Favorites” or “Reading List” sidebar.
Ctrl + J
· Function: Justify / Downloads
· Description:
o Word Processors: Justifies the text alignment of the current paragraph.
o Web Browsers: Opens the downloads window.
Ctrl + K
· Function: Insert Hyperlink / Focus Search Bar
· Description:
o Word Processors & Web Apps (Docs, Slack): Inserts a hyperlink for the selected text.
o Web Browsers: Moves the cursor to the browser’s search/address bar (similar to Ctrl + E in some browsers).
Ctrl + L
· Function: Address Bar / Left Align
· Description:
o Web Browsers & File Explorer: Highlights the text in the address bar.
o Word Processors: Left-aligns the text of the current paragraph.
Ctrl + M
· Function: Increase Indent / Mute (Contextual)
· Description:
o Word Processors (Word, PowerPoint): Increases the indent of a paragraph.
o Slack & Teams: Toggles microphone mute in a call.
o Windows Media Player: Mutes/unmutes volume.
Ctrl + N
· Function: New
· Description: Opens a new window, document, or file, depending on the application (e.g., new browser window, new Word doc).
Ctrl + O
· Function: Open
· Description: Opens a dialog box to select and open an existing file.
Ctrl + P
· Function: Print
· Description: Opens the print dialog for the current page or document.
Ctrl + Q
· Function: Quit / Contextual
· Description:
o Many Applications: Quits the entire application (e.g., LibreOffice, Skype).
o Browsers (Firefox): No default function. Often used for browser-specific features.
Ctrl + R
· Function: Refresh / Right Align
· Description:
o Web Browsers & File Explorer: Refreshes or reloads the current page.
o Word Processors: Right-aligns the text of the current paragraph.
Ctrl + S
· Function: Save
· Description: Saves the current document or file. The most important shortcut to remember!
Ctrl + T
· Function: New Tab
· Description: Opens a new tab in your web browser or in a modern file explorer.
Ctrl + U
· Function: Underline / View Source
· Description:
o Word Processors: Underlines the selected text.
o Web Browsers: Opens the page source code for the current tab.
Ctrl + V
· Function: Paste
· Description: Pastes the contents of the clipboard at the cursor’s location.
Ctrl + W
· Function: Close
· Description: Closes the current tab, window, or document. It does not usually quit the entire application.
Ctrl + X
· Function: Cut
· Description: Cuts (removes and copies) the selected text, file, or item to the clipboard.
Ctrl + Y
· Function: Redo
· Description: Reverses the last “Undo” action, redoing the last change you made.
Ctrl + Z
· Function: Undo
· Description: Reverses the last action. The second most important shortcut to remember!
Mac Users Note:
On a Mac, the Command (⌘) key is most often the equivalent of the Ctrl key in Windows.
· Ctrl + C (Copy) on Windows is ⌘ + C on Mac.
· Ctrl + V (Paste) on Windows is ⌘ + V on Mac.
· And so on for most of the list above. The Option and Control keys on Mac are used for more advanced or alternate functions.
Source: nicpak.blogspot.com
