Essential Keyboard Shortcuts Everyone Should Know
A handful of shortcuts cover most day-to-day needs — they work the same on Windows and most Linux environments, with a few noted exceptions.
A handful of shortcuts cover most day-to-day needs — they work the same on Windows and most Linux environments, with a few noted exceptions.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V | Copy / Paste |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + F | Search within the current page or document |
Alt + Tab | Switch between open windows |
Ctrl + Alt + Del (Windows) / Ctrl + Alt + T (Linux, open terminal) | Security menu / Terminal |
Windows + L | Lock the screen |
Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Task Manager (Windows) |
Tip: Ctrl + F works in virtually any program or webpage to search for text — one of the most underrated and useful shortcuts there is.
If you use Excel or the terminal a lot
We go deeper into specific shortcuts in our guides on Excel and on GNOME (Linux).
Frequently asked questions
Do these shortcuts work the same on Windows and Linux?
Most do, especially the text-editing ones (copy, paste, undo, search). Some system-specific ones (like opening Task Manager) vary between platforms.
What's the most useful shortcut people don't know about?
Ctrl + F for searching text — it works in virtually any program or webpage, and saves a lot of manual searching time.