Shift Key: All Combinations and Commands in Windows 10

 

What is the Shift key and what uses does it have in Windows 10?

Windows is the most widely used operating system today, when it comes to computers (both laptops and desktops). Its uses are not specialized, that is, it is used for everything that any user may need, which makes it tremendously versatile. Of course, with so many possible functions depending on the type of user you are, there are numerous key combinations that are intended to speed up certain actions. Normally, these combinations are intended for more advanced users, since they require a certain skill to master them, but once it is done it is a breeze.

The Shift key comes on all keyboards (represented as an up arrow ), whether in full or TKL format, and even on some keyboards for tiny games . Given that it is a widely used key and that it must be adapted for both left and right handed users, instead of one, two Shift keys per keyboard are incorporated . In this way, you have one in the lower left corner (above Ctrl) and another below Enter, thus facilitating special functions to the various keys throughout the keyboard.

It is usual that of the two Shift, the one on the right is modified from one keyboard to another. Since the size of the Enter key is changed, the size of the right Shift must be changed , so sometimes it will be larger than others but it will always be positioned in the same area of ​​the keyboard. One thing to keep in mind is that both Shifts are special keys on membrane keyboards. This means that if you are cleaning the keyboard you must be careful when removing these keys, as well as others such as Enter and Space, since they come with a special anchoring system. In mechanical keyboards there is nothing to worry about, as the anchoring system is very different.

If you want to know more about this key, first take a look at this link where it is explained in detail perfectly.

Something that should be clear before seeing the commands with the Shift key in Windows, is that to activate them it is better to keep the Shift key pressed and then press the rest. That is to say, that you have to press the keys at the same time to make it work is true and not at the same time, since if it is done well it works, but if not, it does not work. On the other hand, holding down the Shift key and then pressing once as long as necessary to do the combination, cannot fail.

Commands with the Shift key in Windows 10

 Next we will show you the possible combinations of the Shift key in Windows 10 .

• Shift + Letter: Put instant capital letters . It is perhaps its most widespread use and consists of pressing the Shift key and any other non-numeric character. While we have the Shift key pressed, the rest of the letters that we press will be capitalized. The same as what happens when we press the Caps Lock key once, except that the Shift key does not act as a switch and you have to keep it pressed.

• Shift + Desired key: Access special characters . On all keyboards there are special characters, both to the left of Enter and at the top of it, in the aligned numbers. To activate these characters (those that appear at the top of each key) press Shift + desired key. There are some characters that are not activated only with Shift , and that you must then press the Alt key Gr + the desired character.

• Ctrl + Shift + Desired key: Access secondary special characters . The keys that have 3 symbols are special, the two on the left are easily accessible by a normal keystroke or with the Shift key, but the one on the right requires the Alt Gr key plus the desired keystroke . This key is on keyboards, but it can be simulated by pressing Ctrl + Shift, so finally, to write special characters in Windows you can use the desired Ctrl + Shift + key combination.

• Ctrl + Shift + N: Create folders at the speed of light. Being in any directory in Windows 10 , pressing at the same time the keys Ctrl + Shift + N we will create a folder instantly and we can choose a name for it. If we press Enter directly and do the same key combination we will have the second folder, and so on quickly until we no longer need any more folders.

• Shift + Tab: Invert the sense of something . The Shift key acts as an inverter, for example if we press Tab in any environment (browser, directory, Windows configuration windows) we will move between the predefined options, boxes will be highlighted in order to operate the computer without a mouse. By pressing Shift + Tab, the order in which these options are selected will be reversed , ideal if you don't have a mouse and there are numerous options on each screen.

• Shift + F10: Open the context menu . Continuing with what was mentioned in the previous point, having selected an option we can open the contextual menu for said option if we press the Shift + F10 keys. This is intended to complement the above option for full use of the computer without a mouse.

• Shift + Enter: Move down the line when writing without danger to send anything when doing it. There are text boxes in which when you press Enter, the box detects that you have finished and sends the written text anywhere. To avoid this, we can use Shift + Enter in text boxes to create extra lines without danger of unintentionally sending the text prematurely.

• Windows + Shift + Arrow (Left / Right): Move active windows between monitors . If we have more than one monitor connected and configured, pressing the Windows key + Shift + Left or Right will send the active window to the monitor on the left or right.

• Windows + Shift + Number (0 to 9): Quickly open pinned programs on the taskbar. The programs anchored in Windows are those that appear to the right of the Windows 10 icon, at the bottom left. When the programs are not open, clicking on them will open them, it is like a shortcut . Instead of clicking on a program, pressing Windows key + Shift + Number (from 0 to 9) will open the program located in the position of the indicated number, counting from right to left. If we also add the Ctrl key to this combination, that program will run with administrator permissions (if we have them, of course).

• Shift + Del: Permanently delete files . Deleting files, unless it is very large files, involves storing them in the Windows Recycle Bin, that is, they are not deleted directly. By selecting one or more files and pressing Shift + Del, those files will be deleted directly after asking for a confirmation . You have to be careful and know what is being deleted as it will not be easily recoverable. 3.3

• Ctrl + Insert and Shift + Insert: Copy and paste files or text . The usual combination for these commands is Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste. However, there are alternatives. The Ctrl + Insert and Shift + Insert commands are completely equivalent. The Insert key is at the top right, near the Delete key.

• Shift + Direction Arrow: Select text strings . Being in a text (either from the browser or from an application), by clicking on a certain place in the text we will have selected a starting place. If we now hold down the Shift key while pressing any of the direction arrows, all the text in the direction you pressed will be selected. By doing Shift + Up or Down Arrow you will select a complete line of text (or several lines if you press several times), while pressing Shift + Right or Left Arrow we will select character by character whatever we want.

• Windows + Shift + S: Take a screenshot in Windows 10 . Pressing the Windows + Shift + S keys will open a window automatically allowing you to decide what to capture from the screen. This window comes from the Snipping app , which comes standard in Windows 10 and is activated by default using the mentioned key combination.

• Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the task manager. Pressing Ctrl + Shift + Escape will open the task manager and it will be visible in the first line. This is equivalent to right-clicking on the empty taskbar and clicking on Task Manager.

• Windows + M and Windows + Shift + M: Minimize and recover all windows quickly . Something similar to when we press the Windows key + D, and then we press it again, is what happens when we press Windows + M and then Windows + Shift + M. Both methods have similar results, but are far from the same.

• Shift + Ctrl: Customize Windows 10 tiles without the need for a mouse. Pressing the Windows key will open the menu with some tiles (the highlighted boxes that frame the Apps). We can move through the menus with the Tab key and, when we are in the desired one, with the direction arrows. Then we move to the tile that we want to customize and in it we press Shift + Ctrl, and we move with the direction arrows where we want to take it (you can create custom folders and order tiles using this method). Also, if we need it, with the Windows 10 menu open and holding down Ctrl, we can vary its size by pressing the up and down arrows.

Using all these combinations of the Shift key , controlling Windows 10 is much easier, although it requires practice. Although most of the Shift combinations shown are compatible with versions prior to Windows 10 , the final version of Microsoft's operating system is when the maximum possible potential is brought out to play. Theirs is that you start using those that you consider that you can take advantage of to, over time, perform those actions in a much more bearable and faster way. We hope that several of the Shift key commands shown have helped you, in addition, you can also invent your own Shift key combinations to run programs in this other guide.