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Assignment of keys on the keyboard by main groups. Where is the Win button on the keyboard? How are the keys located on the keyboard?

The article describes the purpose of the keys on a laptop keyboard.

Laptop keyboards are not much different from computer keyboards, except for the presence of the first few additional keys. When typing text on a laptop keyboard, exactly the same technique is used as on a computer keyboard, since both of these keyboards are practically a copy of a regular typewriter.

Laptop keyboard assignment of keys, description for beginners. How to use a laptop keyboard button functions

In this review we will talk about the purpose of laptop keyboard keys (decoding for dummies).

Laptop keyboard. Key assignment

First, we list the functions of each individual laptop key:

  • ESC– a standard key familiar to everyone. When pressed, any program action is canceled.
  • DEL– also a standard delete key for all computer keyboards. For example, you can use it to delete certain files.
  • F5– refreshes the current page in the browser
  • Print Screen– takes a screenshot of the visible part of the screen
  • Pause Break– when you press this key a couple of seconds after turning on the laptop, information about the laptop and the entire system is displayed.
  • Scroll Lock– when you press this key, you can use the arrows to drag the image on the display.
  • Num Lock– pressing this key activates dialing numbers on the numeric keypad on the right
  • BACK SPACE– standard button for deleting typed characters
  • F10– when this key is pressed, the menu bar is activated
  • ENTER– a standard key for confirming certain program actions, also serves as a line break in text editors.
  • SHIFT– when you press this key, the uppercase keys are activated, that is, you can type in capital letters.
  • WIN/Windows– launches the main menu
  • Windows– opens the menu “ Start»
  • Tab– in text editors creates a red line
  • FN– the key is usually used in conjunction with other keys, which we will discuss below
  • Home– by pressing this key you can drag the mouse cursor to the beginning of the text
  • End— by pressing this key you can drag the mouse cursor to the end of the text
  • Ins And Insert– keys trigger replacement and insertion in text when typing. When pasting, text can be added between words, and when replacing text, it will erase all words to the right of the cursor.
  • P.G.U.P.– using this key you can scroll the window up both in the browser and in text editors.
  • PGDN— when you press this key, you can scroll the window down both in the browser and in text editors.
  • Keys from F1 before F12– hotkeys with which you can open help, refresh the page, copy, and so on.

So, we have described the purpose of individual keys. Now we present the commands that are carried out by pressing several keys.

Key Alt in combination with the key:

  • F4– closes the current window in the OS
  • PRTSC SYSRQ– screenshot of the current window
  • BACK SPACE
  • TAB– switching between open windows or running programs
  • SHIFT– switches keyboard layout from language to language

Key Ctrl in combination with the key:

  • End– moves to the bottom of the page
  • Home– moves to the top of the page
  • ALT And DEL- starts " Task Manager»
  • Arrow keys– moves the cursor left or right one word
  • ESC- Launches " Start»
  • O– opening a document in programs
  • W– closing a document in programs
  • S– saving documents in programs
  • P– printing documents in programs
  • A– highlighting a document in programs
  • C– copying the selected area of ​​the document
  • V– pastes the copied text/file into the desired location
  • Z– cancels the previous action
  • SHIFT– switching keyboard layout from language to language

Key SHIFT in combination with the key:

  • Arrows– selects a character to the right or left of the cursor
  • DEL– permanently deletes the file from the system

Key FN in combination with the key:

  • F1– closing the laptop
  • F2– opens energy saving settings
  • F3– starts or closes the Bluetooth function
  • F4– starts or disables sleep mode
  • F5– switches from screen to screen on a laptop (if there are additional ones)
  • F6– turn off the monitor
  • F7– turn off the monitor
  • F8– turns sound on and off
  • F9– enables and disables the laptop touchpad
  • F10– changes the keyboard layout
  • F11– enables or disables the numeric keypad
  • F12– enables or disables screen movement
  • PGDN– turns on the key End
  • P.G.U.P.– turns on the key Home
  • 2(@) – adjusts sound volume
  • 1(!) – adjusts screen brightness

Key WIN in combination with the key:

  • D– minimizes all open windows
  • R– starts the program
  • E– starts explorer
  • F– starts the search
  • TAB– switch between taskbar icons

Video: How does the keyboard work and how does it work?

Let's look at the meaning of some keys on the keyboard: Caps Lock, Tab, Esc (Escape), Num Lock, Del (Delete), Ins (Insert), Scroll Lock, Home, End, PageUp, PageDown, up, down, left and to the right.
In the upper right corner of the keyboard with the 101st key there are three indicator lights (in other words, three lights):

  • Caps Lock – capital letter mode,
  • Num Lock – number locking mode,
  • Scroll Lock – scroll lock mode.

The above modes are turned on and off by pressing the keys of the same name: Caps Lock, Num Lock (abbreviated as Num Lk), Scroll Lock (abbreviated as Scr Lk).

On laptops with fewer keys, the Caps Lock key is located in the same place as on a 101-key keyboard. The Num Lock key is usually located with F11, and the Scroll Lock key is usually located with F12.

To enter Num Lock or Scroll Lock mode, press the Fn key, which is located in the lower left corner, and, without releasing it, press the Num Lock or Scroll Lock key, depending on which mode is required.

Let's take a closer look at these three modes.

Caps Lock, Tab, Esc

1) Key Caps Lock(translated as “fixation of capital letters”) on the left.

If you do not press Caps Lock (i.e. the light is not on) and go into a text editor (for example, Word or Notepad), then when entering text, all letters (both English and Russian) will be displayed in small letters.

If you press Caps Lock (the light, or rather, the indicator light is on), then when entering text, the letters will be displayed in capitals (capital). In this mode, when you press the Shift key, lowercase (small) letters will be displayed (the exact opposite action of what is done in normal mode, when the Caps Lock light is not lit).

Caps Lock mode (or capital letter mode) is convenient when entering text consisting of such letters. To enter one large letter, it is more convenient, of course, to press the Shift key and, without releasing it, press the key with the image of the corresponding letter.

Key Tab(tab) is located above the Caps Lock key. When editing texts, Tab is usually used to move to the next tab stop, that is, after pressing Tab, the cursor moves immediately to a specified number of positions. In other programs, its functionality may change, for example, Tab can switch between query fields, etc.

Key Esc(Escape – “to run away, escape”) is located above the Tab key and is used mainly to cancel an action.

Num Lock, Del (Delete) and Backspace

2) Key Num Lock(translated as “fixing numbers”) is located on the right side of the keyboard.

It is responsible for the operation of the small numeric keypad in two modes: if the Num Lock indicator is on (i.e., pressed the Num Lock key), then the small numeric keypad operates in the mode of entering numbers from 0 to 9 and periods.

If the Num Lock indicator is not lit, then the small numeric keypad operates in cursor control mode (up, down, right, left arrows, Home, End, PageUp, PageDown). More about the Num Lock key

Key Delete("delete") or Del is usually used to delete characters to the right of the cursor. Key Backspace("step back") or a long left arrow above the Enter key usually deletes the character to the left of the cursor.

I know that some users prefer the Delete key when deleting characters, and some prefer the Backspace key. It's all a matter of habit.

Key Insert("insert") or Ins is typically used to switch between two character input modes:

  • input with character expansion (insert mode) and
  • input with the replacement of previously typed characters, that is, new text is entered, while the “old” text is automatically erased (replacement mode).

In MS Word 2007, insert/replace mode is disabled by default. Apparently, this was done on purpose, since accidentally pressing the Insert key led in earlier versions of Word to turn on the overwrite mode, when the old text was deleted and new text was entered in its place.

To enable insert/replace mode in MS Word 2007, click the Office button (round in the upper left corner). In the window that opens, click the “Word Options” button. Then select the “Advanced” tab, in the “Editing Options” section, check the box next to “Use the INS key to switch insert and replace modes.”

Home, End, PageUp, PageDown and arrow keys

As noted above, the Home, End, PageUp, PageDown, up, down, left and right arrow keys are called cursor keys. Clicking on them, as a rule, leads to moving the cursor in the desired direction or to “flipping through” what is on the screen.

If you press the key Home, the cursor moves to the beginning of the line. Pressing a key End, the user will move the mouse cursor to the end of the line.

Keystroke PageUp(“page up”) causes the contents of the screen to scroll, for example, when editing a document to page up. If you click on PageDown(“page down”), you can move the mouse cursor down an entire page.

Scroll Lock

3) Scroll Lock(top right on the keyboard) - widely used in the early 80s, when there was no mouse manipulator.

When the “Scroll Lock” mode was enabled, the cursor keys performed the function of moving the screen (up, down, left, right).

When the Scroll Lock mode is disabled, then the cursor keys work in the usual mode for us - changing the cursor position (up, down, left, right). Now you can see the action of this button, for example, . If you start Excel and press Scroll Lock, then the cursor keys will move the table, not the individual selected cell.

In general, the Scroll Lock key in different programs can work the way it is programmed.

Computer Literacy Exercises

1) Enter Russian and English letters in a text editor with the Caps Lock indicator on. Repeat the same while holding down the Shift key. Pay attention to which letters are displayed: lowercase or uppercase.

2) Now print with the Caps Lock indicator turned off. Then we type while holding Shift. When are lowercase and when are uppercase letters entered?

3) Look at the Num Lock operating mode. When the small numeric keypad operates in the mode of entering numbers 0, 1, ..., 9 and dots. And when does it operate in cursor control mode?

4) Copy the text of this assignment into a text editor on your computer. Place the cursor in the middle of the text. And check how characters are deleted using the Delete and Backspace keys. When are characters deleted to the left of the cursor, and when to the right of it?

5) Test the Insert key. If you have Word 2007, then you may need to first make the necessary settings to enable this mode. Place the cursor in the middle of the text. Click Insert and enter text. What happens in this case: inserting characters or replacing them (deleting old ones and entering new characters in their place)?

6) You can check the little-used Scroll Lock key. You won't need a mouse here. We go into Excel spreadsheets, enter, for example, the number 100 into the cell in the middle. Press the Scroll Lock key. In this case, you can use the arrows (up, down, left, right) to move around the table. It turns out to be a keyboard analogue of how a mouse works when moving inside an Excel window.

7) Look in a text editor at the action of the Home, End, up, down, left, right arrow keys within two or three lines. Also check the action of PageUp, PageDown - within two or more screen pages.

8) Copy a few lines into a text editor. Place the cursor at the beginning of the text and press the Tab key. If everything was done correctly, then the text should start with the “red line”.

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The keyboard is one of the earliest and most important hardware components of a computer. The range of models and design solutions is quite wide. There are completely original products. Here is a very interesting concept on which the computer keyboard is made (photo below).

However, despite the large number of design solutions on the keyboard market, the functions and purpose of the keys on almost all modifications of products of this type are organized according to the same principle. Which one exactly?

Keyboard structure

Modern computer keyboards contain 101 or 102 buttons, which are divided into several groups. These are function keys, alphabetic, numeric, service, control, and so-called modifiers. Let's consider the purpose of each type.

Function keys

There are 12 buttons of this type in total. They have been included in the Purpose of Keys for a very long time; their description is found in many textbooks on information technology, published even before the invention of the PC in its current form. Function keys are located in one row (usually) at the very top of the keyboard. Let's study their features.

The purpose of function keys is largely determined by tradition among computer and software manufacturers, rather than by any rigid standards. There are some kind of generally accepted principles for associating the buttons of a given group with certain actions. But it cannot be ruled out that individual software manufacturers will prefer to assign the function keys whatever purpose they want. Let's take a scenario in which we have to press these buttons while working in Windows, say, version 7.

In this case, the F1 key will be responsible for calling the OS help system. Most programs running on Windows also require you to activate help by pressing F1.

The F2 key is usually responsible for folders in Windows. A similar function is assigned to it when working in some file managers.

The F3 button in Windows calls up the OS search engine, a separate folder, or a similar interface in most programs. For example, if the text is open in the editor, then by pressing F3, you can search for the desired word or phrase.

The F4 key is usually associated in Windows with two functions: going to the address bar in the integrated OS file manager, as well as displaying history.

The F5 button allows you to refresh the display of objects in a folder, on the desktop, or, for example, a page in a browser window.

The F6 key has some similarities in purpose with F4. It allows you to move the text cursor to the address bar of the built-in Windows file manager, but does not display the history.

The purpose of the computer keyboard keys in the F7-F9 row, as well as the F12 button in Windows, is not strictly defined. It all depends on the specific application in which the user is working. In this case, a specialized program can be used to assign keys.

The F10 button is responsible for calling the leftmost menu item in the program interface. For example, if a Word window is open, the user presses F10 to open the "File" menu.

The F11 key allows you to quickly switch the window to (or vice versa).

Control keys

These usually include the arrow keys - right, left, up and down. They are designed to perform operations to move objects on the screen, to control characters in computer games, etc. They can also be used to position the cursor in text.

Letter keys

They occupy the central space of the keyboard. In numerical terms, there are the most such buttons; the typical standard is 47 pieces. An English computer keyboard usually includes letter keys in their pure form. That is, apart from them, nothing is usually depicted on the keys. Russian usually allows the simultaneous use of some letter buttons as “carriers” of punctuation marks. If you press them without combining them with others (for example, modifiers), then the main letters will be entered. With the appropriate combination - punctuation marks.

Also, in some cases, letter keys allow you to control an object on the screen, if this is provided by a program or computer game (the second option is more common). In this sense, letter keys can sometimes be "control" keys.

Number keys

They, depending on the configuration of a particular keyboard model, can be located on top of the letter block, and in some cases they can be supplemented with buttons on the right side of the device (as a rule, they often do not fit on “large” keyboards for PCs and laptops).

In the second case, this key block is especially convenient to use for calculations. There are also various auxiliary buttons for operations of multiplication, division, subtraction, addition, and there is an Enter key.

Modifiers

The purpose of the keyboard keys classified as “modifiers” is to change the essence of the entered commands using function, alphabetic or numeric buttons by pressing them simultaneously. These are CTRL, ALT, and also SHIFT. Some experts also classify the INSERT, SCROLL LOCK and NUM LOCK buttons as modifiers. Other experts distinguish these four keys into a separate group - the so-called “mode” buttons.

Let's look at the most common actions that you can use these keys to perform. The computer keyboard is designed so that the user can enter data not only using single button presses, but also in combination. The functions of many “modifiers” are performed precisely thanks to this feature.

Users often combine keyboard buttons with the ALT key. For example, if you press ALT and TAB, you can switch windows of different programs - from one to another. Using the combination of ALT and F4, the user will close the active application.

Combinations of keyboard buttons with CTRL are no less popular. For example, the combination of this key and “C” allows you to quickly copy an object or data area - a file, folder, text, picture, etc. You can quickly paste a “copy” by pressing CTRL + V. If you substitute “X” instead of “C”, then the selected data will be “cut out” from its original location, and after pressing CTRL+V it will be moved to a new one.

One of the most frequently pressed modifier buttons is SHIFT. It is in combination with it that most users type capital letters in the text.

Hotkeys

Some experts call this because the latter give the user the opportunity to very quickly perform any action that would take longer if using, say, a mouse. We have already given some examples reflecting the purpose of hot keys: for example, copying text using a combination of CTRL, C, X and V is usually faster than calling the context menu using the mouse.

Combinations of “modifiers” are often used. For example, if the user has the “Russian” computer keyboard enabled, the layout can be changed to “English” by pressing ALT and SHIFT. And vice versa.

Service keys

There are quite a lot of them on keyboards. Experts usually include the buttons ESC, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, PRTSC, PAUSE, DEL, BACKSPACE, HOME, END, WIN, ENTER, TAB, as well as SPACE, or, in Russian, spacebar. There is an opinion that, in the broad sense of the word, “service” keys also include control keys and “modifiers”, and therefore it would be more appropriate to classify the buttons differently. But at the same time, there are no uniform standards in this matter.

Most Popular

Perhaps the most frequently used service key is SPACE. It puts a space when typing. In combination with INSERT (when its associated mode is activated), this key erases typed letters.

Probably the second most popular service key is ENTER. It has a lot of functions. It is difficult to single out the main one, we can say that there is a group of key ones: this is opening a file, folder, launching a program (or some action in an already running one), as well as translating text to a new line. Keyboards that have a separate number button area (on the right side) usually have an additional ENTER key.

The ESC button is often used. Usually responsible for canceling an action. For example, if an image viewer is open, you can close it by pressing ESC. Unless, of course, the corresponding button association is built into the application: in many cases, programs do not respond to pressing ESC.

The purpose of the PRTSC key is interesting. Using it, you can take so-called “screenshots” - graphic snapshots of the contents of the screen at a specific moment in time. To save an image into a separate file, you need to launch some kind of image processing program, for example, Paint or Photoshop, then “paste” it into the editable area (optionally, using a combination of CTRL and V), and then save it into a file of a convenient format .

Rare but necessary

Let's now study the rarely used, but very necessary in some cases, service buttons. These include SCROLL LOCK and PAUSE. The first key is designed to change the mode of use of the control arrows. So, for example, so that when you press the “right” or “left” buttons, the active window moves to the corresponding side. The PAUSE key can be useful if you are running a program or process on your PC that has a pause function. For example, before Windows loads, various types of system information are displayed on the PC screen. If the user is interested in reading it, but does not have time to do this due to the computer quickly switching to booting Windows, then he can “slow down” the process by pressing the PAUSE key. If, of course, the software interface allows this to be done - its algorithms are laid down by the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard. To continue the execution of the program, it is usually enough to press any button on the keyboard.

New and useful

Over time, with technological progress, the computer keyboard is constantly being improved and modernized. The purpose of the keys and their description may change. But this is not the only aspect of technological evolution. New keys may also be added and subsequently become, de facto, part of generally accepted standards.

Among the newest buttons are WIN, as well as “menu”. They are indicated on keyboards, as a rule, by pictures. WIN - in the form of a proprietary Microsoft flag, the second key - in the form of, in fact, a context menu with items, sometimes with a mouse arrow.

The WIN key contains almost any modern computer keyboard adapted for Windows. Photo is below.

Actually, the appearance of both buttons in question is believed to have been due to the entry of the Windows operating system into the world market.

WIN key

The WIN key, in principle, can be classified as a “hot” key, since in many cases the actions associated with it are carried out, firstly, in combination with other buttons, and secondly, they duplicate (with relatively faster execution) operations performed using the mouse. Note that if you press WIN separately, it usually opens the Start menu.

Let's look at useful hot combinations using the WIN key.

The WIN+D combination allows you to minimize all open application windows (or, conversely, maximize them).

WIN and R is useful from the point of view of calling the quick program launch window (in which you can enter the name of the main file, after which the application will launch).

The combination of WIN and PAUSE (this, by the way, is another useful property of the second key) opens the My Computer properties menu.

What's useful about the Menu key? It is, in principle, associated with the same action that the user performs by pressing the right mouse button while hovering the cursor over a file or folder. That is, it opens consisting of various options. Many users find it more convenient to use this function using the keyboard rather than the mouse.

Nuances of standardization

As we noted above, this is rather a set of rules dictated by traditions rather than international standards. However, computer and software manufacturers, one way or another, try not to experiment too much with associating buttons with new functions that are unsuitable for other market solutions.

Many users may not like the unusual computer keyboard, the assignment of the keys, or the description of its functions. Many PC owners prefer the familiar hot buttons, function buttons, or utility buttons to work exactly as they do in most applications. And therefore, the above-described patterns regarding the purpose of various types of keys, in general, are valid for almost all models of keyboards. In turn, software manufacturers try to associate application functions in algorithms that are more or less familiar to the market.

Windows standards on other systems

Moreover, even in operating systems other than Windows (for example, Linux), the range of key assignments is generally very similar to what is described above. In many competing operating systems, the computer keyboard, originally oriented towards Windows - the assignment of the keys, its description - reflects the same capabilities that are present in the OS from Microsoft. This even sometimes applies to the WIN key. Despite the fact that it is typical for Windows, its functions in other operating systems are in some cases very similar to the original range of purposes. Not to mention the “modifiers” that a computer keyboard contains. The layout between languages ​​using the ALT and SHIFT combination changes not only in Windows.

There are keys on a laptop keyboard, or rather designations on the keys, the meaning of which is incomprehensible to a beginner. In this lesson I want to explain the meaning of such notations. If you look at a laptop keyboard, you will certainly see a key on it "Fn", it is usually located in the lower left corner of the keyboard. Inscription "Fn" usually highlighted in blue or surrounded by a white frame, depending on the laptop model. In addition, if you look closely, you can see the icons on the keyboard are also highlighted in blue or surrounded by a white frame. As you probably already guessed, between the keys with these icons and the key "Fn" there is a connection.

The "Fn" key (pronounced "Funkshin"), in combination with keys with blue icons or white borders, causes the computer to perform a specific action. On different laptop models, these icons are assigned to different keys, so I will describe the actions in pictures so as not to be tied to a specific key combination. Here is a list of such combinations and corresponding actions:

"Fn"+ — call help using a keyboard shortcut.

"Fn"+ — call up energy consumption settings.

"Fn"+ — turn BlueTooth on/off.

"Fn"+ — enable/disable sleep mode.

"Fn"+ - if an external display (monitor or TV) is connected to the laptop, then using this key combination you can switch display modes: to the laptop display, to an external display, or simultaneously to the laptop display and an external display.

"Fn"+ - turns off the laptop monitor to save energy.

"Fn"+ — turn on/off TouchPada (the device on which you move your finger to move the cursor. Replaces the mouse).


I have an interesting story with this key combination. A friend of mine had been using a laptop for over a year and once during a meeting he asked me to help figure out why the Touchpad wasn’t working, i.e. He couldn't work on his laptop without a mouse for a whole year!
Without hesitation, I pressed this key combination - turned on the Touchpad and everything worked. He was very surprised because... I thought that the Touchpad was simply broken :)

"Fn"+ — turn on/off sound.

"Fn"+ — enable/disable numeric keypad mode. Those. If this mode is enabled, then when you press keys that have blue number icons or numbers surrounded by a white frame, the corresponding numbers will be displayed (like on a calculator).

If you are interested how to turn on a calculator on a laptop, then it is done like this. Start menu - all programs - standard - calculator.

I also have an interesting story with this key combination. One day, an acquaintance called me and said that on his laptop, one half of the keyboard (the left) works fine, but the other half (the right) for some reason prints numbers, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t fix it. As you already understand, the issue was resolved in 5 seconds - I told him about this key combination, and everything fell into place. How he turned on the mode for working with numbers remains a mystery :)

"Fn"+ — turn on/off the screen moving mode. Currently it only works in Excel.

"Fn"+ — number 7 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — number 8 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — number 9 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — “/” symbol when NumLk mode is enabled.

"Fn"+ — number 4 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — number 5 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — number 6 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — “*” symbol when NumLk mode is enabled.

"Fn"+ — number 1 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — number 2 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — number 3 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — “-” symbol when NumLk mode is enabled.

"Fn"+ — digit 0 when NumLk mode is on.

"Fn"+ — “+” symbol when NumLk mode is enabled.

"Fn"+ — increase monitor brightness.

"Fn"+ — reduce the brightness of the monitor.

"Fn"+ — increase the sound.

"Fn"+ — reduce the sound.

Designation of keys on the keyboard

F1 - calls up Windows Help or the help window of the active program. In Microsoft Word, the Shift+F1 key combination shows text formatting;
F2- renames the selected object on the desktop or in the Explorer window;
F3- opens a search window for a file or folder on the desktop and in Explorer. The Shift+F3 key combination is often used to search backwards;
F4- opens a drop-down list, such as the address bar list in the My Computer window or in Explorer. Keyboard shortcuts Alt+F4 in Windows is used to close applications, and Ctrl+F4− is used to close part of a document or program (for example, tabs) ;
F5 - refreshes the active window of an open web page, desktop, explorer, and so on. In Microsoft PowerPoint, F5 starts the slide show from the beginning, and the key combination Shift+F5− starts from the current slide;
F6 - switch between screen elements in a window or
on the desktop. In Explorer and Internet Explorer - move between the main part
windows and address bar;
F7- checks spelling (in Word, Excel);
F8 - when loading the operating system, selects the boot mode.
In the Word editor, enables advanced text selection.
Selecting a fragment from the initial to the final cursor position occurs without holding down the Shift key.
Pressing F8 again highlights the word closest to the cursor.
The third is a sentence containing it.
The fourth is a paragraph. Fifth - document.
You can remove the last selection by pressing the key combination Shift+F8.
You can disable the mode using the Esc key;
F9 - in some programs updates selected fields;
F10- activates the full menu, and the key combination Shift+F10 activates the context menu;
F11 - switches the window to full screen mode and back, for example, in Internet Explorer;
F12 - go to selecting file saving options
(File -> Save As).
On a standard PC/AT keyboard, the alphanumeric block consists of 47 keys and includes keys for entering letters, numbers, punctuation, arithmetic, and special characters. The effect of these keys depends on the case (lower - upper) in which these keys are pressed.
The control keys Shift, Ctrl, Caps Lock, Alt and AltGr (right Alt) are also called modifier keys, since they are intended
to change the actions of other keys.
Shift (read “Shift”) is an uppercase key (non-fixed switching). Used in conjunction with other keys, such as the alphanumeric block keys for typing capital letters and uppercase characters.
Additionally, the Shift key is used as a modifier in keyboard shortcuts and mouse clicks. For example, to open a link in a separate window in a browser, you need to click on the link with the mouse button,
while holding down the Shift key.
Ctrl (read “control”) - used in combination with other keys, for example:
Ctrl+A- on Windows selects all text in the window;
Ctrl+B- in the MS Word editor switches the font to “bold-normal”;
Ctrl+C- in programs with WinAPI copies text to the buffer, and in console programs it ends the command;
Ctrl+F- in many programs opens a search dialog;
Ctrl+I- in the MS Word editor switches the font to “italic-normal”;
Ctrl+N- in programs with a multi-window interface opens a new empty window;
Ctrl+O- in many programs opens a dialog for opening an existing file;
Ctrl+P - in many programs, sends text to print or opens a print dialog;
Ctrl+Q - in some programs exit it;
Ctrl+R- in browsers refreshes the contents of the window;
Ctrl+S - in many programs saves the current file
or calls a save dialog;
Ctrl+T- in browsers opens a new tab;
Ctrl+U- in the MS Word editor toggles text underlining;
Ctrl+V- in programs with WinAPI pastes the contents of the clipboard;
Ctrl+W- in some programs closes the current window;
Ctrl+Z- in many programs undoes the last action;
Ctrl+F5- in browsers updates the content;
Ctrl+Home - in programs with a text field, moves to the beginning of the document being edited;
Ctrl+End - in programs with a text field, moves to the end of the document being edited;
Ctrl+- in Total Commander navigates to the root directory of the disk.
Alt (read “Alt”) - used in conjunction with other keys, modifying their action. For example:
Alt+F4- in all programs closes them;
Alt+F7- in some programs opens a search dialog;
Alt+F10 - in some file managers brings up the directory tree;
Alt+Tab- in Windows navigates to the next running window;
Alt+letter - in some programs calls menu commands or opens menu columns.
Additionally, the keyboard shortcuts Alt+Shift or Ctrl+Shift are commonly used to switch keyboard layouts.
Capslock (read “Capslock”) - switch to uppercase mode (fixed switching). Pressing the key again cancels this mode. Used when typing text in CAPITAL letters.
The Esc control key (read “Escape”), used to cancel the current operation or last change, minimize an application, go to the previous menu or screen, or remove a selection, is located in the left corner of the keyboard next to the function key block.
In the Windows operating system, the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens the Task Manager.
Tab (read “Tab”) - in text editors, enters a tab character and works with indentations, and in graphical interfaces moves focus between elements. For example, moving between the desktop, Start button, Quick Launch, taskbar, and system tray.
The AppsKey action is equivalent to right-clicking the mouse and brings up a context menu
for the selected object.
Line feed key Enter (Enter) - used to enter a line feed when typing text, selecting a menu item, issuing a command or confirming an action, and so on.
Backspace (read “Backspace”) - in text editing mode, deletes the character to the left of the cursor, and outside the typing area - returns to the previous screen of the program or web page in the browser.
Delete (read “Divide”) - deletes the selected object, selected text fragment
or the character to the right of the input cursor.
The Insert key (read “Insert”) is used to switch between insertion modes (the text appears to move apart) and replacement modes (new characters replace existing text) when editing text.
The Ctrl+Insert key combination replaces the “copy” command, and Shift+Insert replaces the “paste” command. In the Total Commander and FAR Manager file managers, the key is used to select a file or folder.
PrtScn (print screen) (read “Print screen”) - takes a screenshot and places it on the clipboard. In combination with the Alt key, the image is copied to the buffer
current active window.
The ScrLk (Scroll Lock) service key (read “Scroll Lock”) blocks scrolling and when activated with the cursor keys, the contents of the entire screen are shifted, which is very convenient when editing large tables, for example, in Excel.
Pause/Break (read “Pause” or “Break”) - pauses the computer. In modern operating systems, this key is only relevant when the computer boots.
The up, down, right and left arrows refer to the cursor keys and allow you to navigate through menu items and move the input cursor in the corresponding direction by one position. When combined with the Ctrl key, the arrows move a greater distance. For example, in the Microsoft Word editor, Ctrl+← moves the cursor one word to the left.
Using the Shift key selects a block of text.
The Home and End keys move the cursor to the beginning and end of the current line of a document or list of files.
What hotkeys are useful to know?
The Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination is indispensable when the computer freezes; it calls up the “Task Manager”, with which you can end a process, cancel a task, or shut down the computer.
Alt + Tab keys allow you to switch between open windows. A panel with all open applications appears in the center of the screen, and when selecting the active window, you need to hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key several times.
The combination Alt + Space (spacebar) opens the window system menu, with which you can restore, move, maximize, minimize and close the window without using the mouse.
Alt + Shift or Ctrl + Shift – switch keyboard layout.
Using Win + D you can minimize all windows and show the desktop, and the Win + M keys minimize all windows except dialog windows.
Win + E opens the My Computer folder.
Win + F – opens a window to search for a file or folder.

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