Win 10 / 11 · Windows

Master the keyboard shortcuts that save hours

You're probably doing 90% of your work with the mouse. Ten keys below will shave minutes off every single day.

Before you start

Low risk. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

Win + V opens clipboard history — paste any of your last ~25 copies, not just the latest one (enable it on first use)
Win + Shift + S snips exactly what you want to capture instead of a full-screen screenshot
Alt + Tab cycles open apps; hold Alt and mash Tab to preview them — faster than hunting the taskbar
Win + D shows your desktop instantly (press again to bring everything back) — perfect for a quick glance away from work
Win + E opens File Explorer, Win + I opens Settings, Win + L locks your PC when you step out of the room

Win + V, Win + Shift + S and Alt + Tab work as described in your daily workflow without hunting for menus.

A shortcut does nothing — enable clipboard history on first use of Win + V, or check that a game overlay isn't capturing the key.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.