1. Keyboard shortcuts
A shortcut does in one keypress what takes several clicks. The big ones, used everywhere:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+C | Copy |
| Ctrl+V | Paste |
| Ctrl+X | Cut |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+A | Select all |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+F | Find on the page |
| Alt+Tab | Switch between open windows |
| Alt+F4 | Close the current window |
| Win | Open the Start menu (then just type to search) |
Check your understanding: You made a mistake and want to undo it. Which shortcut?
Ctrl+Z undoes your last action. (Ctrl+C copies, Ctrl+S saves, and Alt+F4 would close the whole window!)
2. Shortcut trainer
Real practice beats reading. Press Start, then actually press the keys for each action. (We catch the keypress, so Save and Find will not pop up.)
Press Start to begin.
Alt+Tab, Alt+F4 and the Win key are controlled by the operating system, so a web page cannot catch them. Try those for real on your own computer!
3. Files, folders & right-click
File Explorer (the yellow folder on the taskbar) is where all your stuff lives. Things are kept in folders, which can hold more folders, like boxes inside boxes. The trail to a file is its path, for example Documents\Year 7\essay.docx.
The end of a file name is its extension, and it tells you the type: .txt plain text, .docx a Word document, .png/.jpg an image, .mp4 a video, .py Python code.
The right-click (or two-finger tap on a laptop) opens a menu of things you can do right here: New → Folder, rename, delete. Here is a mini File Explorer to play in: double-click a folder to go inside (watch the path at the top), single-click to select it, and right-click for the menu.
Check your understanding: A file is called holiday.png. What kind of file is it?
The .png extension means it is an image. The extension after the dot tells you the file type.
4. What is a terminal?
The terminal (also called the command line, Command Prompt, or PowerShell on Windows) looks scary, but it is simple: instead of clicking to do things, you type commands. It is just another way to talk to the computer, and it is how programmers do a lot of their work.
# list what is in this folder dir # go into a folder cd Documents
You will not break anything by looking. Many powerful tools only have a terminal, so it is worth not being scared of it.
5. Handy tips
- Snap windows: drag a window to the left or right edge (or press Win+←/→) to fit two side by side.
- Search anything: tap the Win key and just start typing the app or file you want.
- Screenshot: Win+Shift+S lets you snip part of the screen.
- Find on a page: Ctrl+F jumps to any word on a website or document.
- Re-open a closed tab: Ctrl+Shift+T in a browser.
Module test
Five quick questions to check you have got it. Your best score shows on your My Progress page.
1. Which shortcut copies the selected thing?
2. What does Alt+Tab do?
3. A file ends in .txt. What is it?
4. How do you make a new folder on the desktop?
5. What is a terminal (command line)?
Class word cloud
Shortcuts are personal. Add the one you use the most.
Glossary
- Shortcut
- A key combination that does a task instantly, like Ctrl+C to copy.
- File Explorer
- The Windows app for browsing your files and folders.
- Folder
- A container that holds files and other folders.
- Path
- The trail of folders that leads to a file, e.g.
Documents\essay.docx. - File extension
- The bit after the dot (.txt, .png, .py) that tells you the file type.
- Right-click
- Opens a context menu of actions for whatever you clicked.
- Terminal
- A window where you type commands to control the computer instead of clicking.