Keyboard Power: Using Your Computer Even If Your Mouse “Dies”

There are various accessories that could help operating a computer easier. The mouse is just an example of an accessory which makes navigation simple with just one click. However, most of these accessories have short “lifespan” and can be considered disposable. This is when the accessories can become bothersome.

What are you to do, when in the middle of an important document, your mouse decides to “die”? Would you worry? Would you panic and run to the nearest store? What ...

There are various accessories that could help operating a computer easier. The mouse is just an example of an accessory which makes navigation simple with just one click. However, most of these accessories have short “lifespan” and can be considered disposable. This is when the accessories can become bothersome.

What are you to do, when in the middle of an important document, your mouse decides to “die”? Would you worry? Would you panic and run to the nearest store? What if it’s night time and the stores are closed and you are rushing up your work?

On your keyboard, immediately press CTRL + S simultaneously to save whatever it is you’re doing. That way, you don’t lose your work. This is a common and one of the most familiar tasks without using the mouse. If the mouse is not functioning and you need to do something important but you don’t have the time to repair the mouse or change it, you can actually still do your work even with just the keyboard around. Here are some key combinations you need to navigate your way through your PC sans the mouse:

Ctrl + O – to open a file or document
Ctrl + B – to use the “Bold” feature of fonts
Ctrl + I – to italize fonts
Ctrl + U – to underline texts in a document
Ctrl + X – to cut texts, cells, or icons from files
Ctrl + W – to close existing windows
Ctrl + R – to align document to the right
Ctrl + L – to align document to the left
Ctrl + E – to align document to the center (especially in Word Documents)
Ctrl + Z – to undo last action done in a document
Ctrl + Y – to redo last action done in a document
Shift F7 – to prompt the Thesaurus tool in a document
F7 – to prompt the spelling and grammar check tool in a document
F12 – or save as, to save same document with another filename or to another drive
Windows + D - shows desktop
Alt + Tab – switches you from one window to another
F5 – refreshes your browser when it seems to have stopped moving (when you are using the Internet)
Ctrl + Esc – prompts the “Start Menu” when you are using the old 101-key keyboard without the Windows keys on it.
F6 – enables you to change the URL on the address field when you are using the Internet.
Shift + Tab – when you need to go back to a previous cell (in a spreadsheet) or entry in a form (in the Internet)
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert – to paste copied text to another document
Windows + F – when you need to find and open a file recently saved
Windows + Pause/Break – to directly open and view your system properties without going through the control panel windows
Windows + E – to directly open and view Windows Explorer without going though the Start Menu
Alt + F4 – to prompt shut down menu

When you get used to using these shortcuts, you will certainly be able to finish the task you are doing even without the mouse. And this ability will make you look like a computer whiz.