Windows Vista in a Nutshell

Keyboard Accelerators Listed by Key

Tables B-1 through B-7 list keystrokes that will work in Windows Explorer and most of the components that come with Windows Vista. However, some applications (including Microsoft applications) don’t always follow the rules.

Table B-1. Function keys

Key	Action
F1	Start Help (supported in most applications).
F2	Rename selected icon or file in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop.
F3	Open Search (in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop only).
F4	Open a drop-down list (supported in many dialog boxes)—for example, press F4 in a File Open dialog to drop down the Look In list.
F5	Refresh the view in Windows Explorer, on the Desktop, in the Registry Editor, and some other applications.
F6	Move focus between panes in Windows Explorer.
F10	Send focus to the current application’s menu.

Table B-2. Miscellaneous keys

Key	Action
Arrow keys	Basic navigation: move through menus, reposition the text cursor (insertion point), change the file selection, and so on.
Backspace	Move up one level in the folder hierarchy (Windows Explorer only).
Delete	Delete selected item(s) or selected text.
Down arrow	Open a drop-down listbox.
End	Go to end of line when editing text, or to the end of file list.
Enter	Activate highlighted choice in menu or dialog box, or insert a carriage return when editing text.
Esc	Close dialog box, message window, or menu without activating any choice (usually the same as clicking Cancel).
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