Are you tired of clicking through categories to find a specific Windows 10 setting? If you know the right commands, you can create Windows 10 shortcuts that take you to specific pages with a single click. Ed Bott shares this trick, along with dozens of commands that will take you to the Settings pages you need to visit.

From the download:

Windows 10 shortcuts new settings

As Windows 10 has evolved, Microsoft has moved huge chunks of the old Control Panel to the new, modern Settings app. But navigating to specific destinations in the new app can be just as tedious as it was in the olden days.

Fortunately, there’s a way to create one-click shortcuts for most popular settings pages using commands that begin with ms-settings, followed by a colon and the name of the page you want to jump to.

For example, ms-settings:network-status takes you to the first page in the Network & Internet category, where you can check the status of your network adapter and find shortcuts to virtually all other network settings.

Likewise, ms-settings: windows update-history takes you straight to the page that lists all updates you’ve installed. Normally, you’d have to click Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Installed Update History to get there.

Of course, typing that long command at a command prompt or in the Run dialog box makes no sense at all compared to searching or clicking for that setting. But you can use that command to create a shortcut on the desktop or another favorite location so it’s always available.

Windows 10 shortcuts from a keyboard shortcut

• Copy: Ctrl + C
• Cut: Ctrl + X
• Paste: Ctrl + V
• Maximize Window: F11 or Windows logo key  + Up arrow
• Open Task View: Windows logo key  + Tab
• Display and hide the desktop: Windows logo key  + D
• Switch between open apps: Alt + Tab
• Open the Quick Link menu: Windows logo key  + X
• Lock your PC: Windows logo key  + L

Depending on your hardware, you can use the Windows logo key  + PrtScn to take a screenshot or use Fn + Windows logo key  + Spacebar.

Windows 10 shortcuts for  dialog box shortcuts

File Explorer keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10

• Alt + D – Set focus to the address bar.
• Ctrl + E or Ctrl + F or F3 – Set focus to the search bar.
• Ctrl + N – Open a new window (also works in some web browsers)
• Ctrl + W – Close the active window (this can also be used to close the active tab in web browsers).
• Ctrl + mouse scroll wheel – Change the size of the folder and file icons. Scrolling up makes icons bigger, and scrolling down makes them smaller.
• Ctrl + Shift + N – Create a new folder.
• Ctrl + Shift + E – Displays all the folders in the parent directory of the currently active folder (by expanding the list on the sidebar) if the current folder has no sub-folders.
  • Num lock + * (asterisk) or + (plus) – Display all the subfolders in the currently selected folder on the sidebar.
  • Num lock + – (minus) – Collapse an expanded folder.
• Alt + Enter – View properties of the selected file or folder.
• Alt + P – Show the preview panel.
• Alt + Left arrow or Backspace – Go back one page (also works in some apps like web browsers)
• Alt + Right arrow – Go forward one page (also works in apps like web browsers)
• Alt + Up arrow – View the parent folder of the currently active folder.
• Ctrl + (arrow) – Navigate the items on the current page without selecting them.
  • Ctrl + Spacebar – Select individual items while navigating
• Shift + (arrow) – Select consecutive items starting from the currently selected one. In grid-style layouts, the up and down arrows select entire rows of items. If you start moving in the opposite direction, the last selected item(s) is/are deselected.
• Right arrow (on navigation sidebar) – Expand a collapsed folder or switch to the first subfolder of an expanded folder.
  • Left arrow – Collapse an expanded folder or select the parent folder of the currently selected one.
• Home – Go to the top of the current page (works in various other apps).
• End – Go to the bottom of the current page (which also works in multiple apps).
• F2 – Rename the selected file or folder.
• F4 – Display the address bar list in File Explorer.

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