Basic Keyboard Shortcuts

We all use a computer keyboard, especially for our family history research, but knowing some keyboard shortcuts can make the work easier.

One of the most useful and easy shortcuts is for copying and pasting text in your document. Highlight what you want to copy by placing your cursor at the beginning of what is to be copied and then at the end, making the sentence, word or paragraph highlighted. Then hold down the ‘Control’ (also has the letters ‘Ctrl’) key in the lower left of the board the at the same time the ‘C’ key. The info is now on a copy and you can paste it to any other part of the document or another document.

Paste by placing your cursor where you want to paste, press ‘Control’ again and now the key “V” to paste – magic – it is there. If you use an Apple Mac computer -it is Command key then ‘C’ to copy and Command plus ‘V’ to paste.

If you need a full page copied, save time by using ‘Control’ key and also the ‘A’ key to copy all the documents. This is a time saver for sure.

Those with Windows 10 can move about your full screen very quickly. Press the ‘Windows’ key next to Control and then the ‘up arrow’ on the lower right side of the keyboard. You will be moved to the top of the screen. To go to the bottom, same but the ‘down arrow’ key and to the right the ‘right arrow’ key and left use the ‘left arrow’ key.

To quickly pull up a new Word or Pages document use the ‘Control’ key plus the ‘N’ key for new documents.

If you need to locate a certain program or files that already exist, try this. Use the ‘Control’ key along with ‘F’ and the Search will open up. Just type the file name for it to come up.

To Zoom in or Out of a page or web site use the ‘Windows’ key and also press ‘+’ key along the top row. To Zoom out, use the ‘Windows’ key and now the ‘-‘ to the left of the ‘+’ key.

Then there is ‘Control’ plus the ‘Z’ key – this will undo what you were working on. It reverses your last action. You can reverse more than one action.

Here are a few to start mastering, truly makes quick work.

Photo: Computer keyboard

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Back-Up Work from Computer

Ancestors and Crossword Puzzles

Computer Technology