Everyone knows that the Windows key () pops up the Start Menu, but it has a few other cool shortcuts built-in to XP.

  • +E brings up Windows Explorer.  Much more convenient than navigating the Start Menu!
  • +R brings up the Run command for typing shell commands.
  • +Pause brings up the My Computer properties dialog.  I'm not sure why this is built-in, except it might be handy for support issues.
  • +TAB switches between applications using the buttons in the task bar (at the bottom of the screen) instead of popping up the task switcher dialog.  In Vista, this activates Flip 3D if your system supports it.
  • +D clears the Desktop, similar to minimizing them (they aren't closed).  This is nice because it even minimizes windows that have no Minimize button!  Note that pressing it again restores your windows.
  • +M actually minimizes all windows.  Unlike +D, this is like clicking the Minimize button.  If a window has no Minimize button, it has no effect.  Repeating the keypress with the SHIFT key (SHIFT++M) restores those same windows.
  • +L locks your computer by returning to the user login screen.  Note that it's only really locked if you have a password-protected account.  This is not a logout.
  • +F brings up the Find File dialog.  Not something I use much, though it is more useful with Windows Desktop Search installed.
  • +F1 pops up the Windows Help and Support Center.  Might be useful if guiding someone to the Remote Assistance options (Invite a friend to connect to your computer with Remote Assistance is here).

A good resource for embedding non-proprietary, non-keyboard characters in Windows can be found here.  If you need to type in another language Latin-based language, this can make it easier.  The Character Map (Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Character Map) gives you a window displaying these characters, making it easy to locate and paste them without worrying about codes and strange key combinations.

UPDATE (3/28): The Windows logo does not appear to work in Firefox.  I was embedding it as an HTML entity using the Wingdings font, but Firefox just doesn't like that fond name apparently!  I've now replaced it with a bitmap.