Windows 7 Tip: The Windows Key Is Actually Useful Now, With Tons of Hotkey Shortcuts

Windows 7 has so many useful new features, it's kinda crazy. Besides the wacky new taskbar, they've taken the ridiculous step of making the Windows key actually useful, commanding a smorgasbord of new keyboard shortcuts:

Brandon Paddock, a Microsoft employee working on Windows 7, conveniently lists all of Windows 7 new hotkeys for us, including ones that'll make the new taskbar even easier to use. I'd memorize the taskbar shortcuts, like middle clicking for launching a new window of an open application, along with Win+number—which opens the program pinned to the taskbar that corresponds to it, like if your first pinned program is Firefox, Win+1 will launch it—and Win+G, which brings gadgets to the front, kind of like the Dashboard button on the Mac.

General
Win+Up Maximize
Win+Down Restore / Minimize
Win+Left Snap to left
Win+Right Snap to right
Win+Shift+Left Jump to left monitor
Win+Shift+Right Jump to right monitor
Win+Home Minimize / Restore all other windows
Win+T Focus the first taskbar entry
Pressing again will cycle through them, you can can arrow around.
Win+Shift+T cycles backwards.
Win+Space Peek at the desktop
Win+G Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order
Win+P External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc)
Win+X Mobility Center (same as Vista, but still handy!)
Win+#
(# = a number key) Launches a new instance of the application in the Nth slot on the taskbar.
Example: Win+1 launches first pinned app, Win+2 launches second, etc.
Win + +
Win + - (plus or minus key) Zoom in or out.

Explorer
Alt+P Show/hide Preview Pane

Taskbar modifiers
Shift + Click on icon Open a new instance
Middle click on icon Open a new instance
Ctrl + Shift + Click on icon Open a new instance with Admin privileges
Shift + Right-click on icon Show window menu (Restore / Minimize / Move / etc)
Note: Normally you can just right-click on the window thumbnail to get this menu
Shift + Right-click on grouped icon Menu with Restore All / Minimize All / Close All, etc.
Ctrl + Click on grouped icon Cycle between the windows (or tabs) in the group

Which ones do you think you'll be using the most? Also, does anybody else love that it's called the "Win" key? [Brandon Live]

Send an email to matt buchanan, the author of this post, at matt@gizmodo.com.

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