# A Windows-Key shortcut I didn't know about
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 25, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518 "2005-08-25T00:47:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/1 "2005-08-25T00:47:44Z")
Windows-Key + Pause/Break…brings up System Properties!
(I know there’s been threads mentioning Windows Key shortcuts before, but I haven’t found this one in a search, and thought I’d share it for the geeks around here 🙂 )
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/2 "2005-08-25T01:59:54Z")
Well, neato! That cuts down on the 15 steps it takes to get there now 🙂
thx for the tip.
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### Author:  [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/3 "2005-08-25T02:02:14Z")
I did not know that. What sucks is I’m just going to forget it.
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/4 "2005-08-25T02:05:46Z")
That’s cool, but I don’t know if it can technically be considered a “shortcut:” two keystrokes vs. two mouseclicks. 🙂 It’s always good to know how to do things without the mouse, though!
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/5 "2005-08-25T02:14:28Z")
Two mouse clicks? How?
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### Author:  [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/6 "2005-08-25T02:31:33Z")
I can get there in 3 mouse clicks with Start|Control Panel|System (XP Pro). I suppose if you had a shortcut to Control Panel on your desktop you could do it in 2.
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/7 "2005-08-25T02:31:54Z")
Here is a fairly comprehensive list of all [Microsoft Windows and Applications Shortcuts](http://www.computerhope.com/shortcut.htm) including a chart showing the operating systems on which they work. (The Windows Key + options are listed as “WINKEY +” about halfway down the page.)
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/8 "2005-08-25T02:44:08Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Two mouse clicks? How?
Right-click “My Computer” and click “Properties.”
Voila. 🙂
> [@FatBaldGuy](#):
>
> I can get there in 3 mouse clicks with Start|Control Panel|System (XP Pro).
I have XP Pro, too … I didn’t even know you could get to System Properties through the Control Panel like that!
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/9 "2005-08-25T07:39:34Z")
My favorite shortcut, which works in IE or Firefox (and possibly others) is the CTRL-ENTER one. When typing out a URL such as “[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)” you can type just “straightdope” in the address bar, then hit control enter. It will automatically fill in the rest. There is also CTRL-SHIFT-ENTER, which makes it a .org address, and SHIFT-ENTER which makes it a .net address.
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/10 "2005-08-25T07:41:47Z")
Sorry - minor correction, I think the SHIFT-Enter and CTRL-SHIFT-Enter only work in Firefox.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/11 "2005-08-25T10:01:16Z")
> [@Misnomer](#):
>
> Right-click “My Computer” and click “Properties.”
Of course, if ‘My Computer’ isn’t visible, it’s no longer two clicks!
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#):
>
> When typing out a URL such as “[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)” you can type just “straightdope” in the address bar, then hit control enter. It will automatically fill in the rest.
In Firefox you can just hit enter, and it completes the address.
> [@](#):
>
> There is also CTRL-SHIFT-ENTER, which makes it a .org address, and SHIFT-ENTER which makes it a .net address.
Didn’t know this! (Is there a way to change which addresses are used, e.g. to make shift-enter create a .co.uk address?)
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/12 "2005-08-25T12:04:34Z")
True that just hitting enter will just about accomplish the same thing, however just hitting enter means it will perform a search first. Hitting control-enter bypasses the search step. Usually just a miniscule difference time wise, but… well, I’m not patient.
I’ve looked before for ways to change the autocomplete but have yet to find anything that will let you adjust it, which kind of sucks.
Oh, and one that I just came across while looking again: alt-enter will do the same as just hitting enter - except that it will open it in a new tab. Nifty.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/13 "2005-08-25T12:17:32Z")
My copy of Firefox doesn’t perform any search…no idea if I tweaked settings somewhere along the way, though
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/14 "2005-08-25T12:30:47Z")
Well when I say search… If you look at the status bar at the bottom after you hit Enter, you should see it say “Looking up [Whatever]”. Of course the one advantage to this is, if you’re not sure what the extension is, it will provide you with the most likely correct one. For example, I just typed “BCIS” because I knew it wasn’t a .com address, and it correctly brought up the .org one - but in the status bar I could see that it was consulting Google first.
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### Author:  [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/15 "2005-08-25T12:34:39Z")
I’m still trying to get into the habit of hitting ctrl + L in firefox to automatically go to the address bar. I keep using the mouse to click up there! Old habits die hard.
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/16 "2005-08-25T12:42:02Z")
> [@Corporate Hippie](#):
>
> I’m still trying to get into the habit of hitting ctrl + L in firefox to automatically go to the address bar. I keep using the mouse to click up there! Old habits die hard.
And that’s one _I_ didn’t know about… I’ll have to remember this one.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/17 "2005-08-25T13:27:27Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#):
>
> Well when I say search… If you look at the status bar at the bottom after you hit Enter, you should see it say “Looking up [Whatever]”.
It does that with ctrl-enter too - it’s the DNS lookup, finding the location of the site requested
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/18 "2005-08-25T14:56:43Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Of course, if ‘My Computer’ isn’t visible, it’s no longer two clicks!
Well, you have to _choose_ to make “My Computer” not visible. No one said we were talking about nonstandard setups… 😉
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/19 "2005-08-25T14:58:22Z")
Ah, but if you’re not currently viewing your desktop, it wouldn’t be visible 😉
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-windows-key-shortcut-i-didnt-know-about/318518/20 "2005-08-25T19:36:36Z")
That’s exactly what I meant
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