Keyboard -- The computer receives most of its input from the user via the keyboard that is very similar to the typewriter keyboard. The keyboard is connected by a cable to the keyboard port on the back of the computer. There are extra keys on the computer's keyboard that are not found on a normal typewriter. Following is an explanation of the function of these keys. The exact manner in which the keys function depends on the software program.

THE BASIC PC KEYBOARD LAYOUT

PC keyboards are anything but standard. Customized keyboards, with special buttons and features, seem to be the rule, not the exception. Still, the basic PC keyboard layout has 104 keys common to all PC keyboards.

There are four main areas on your PC’s keyboard (as shown in this figure):

• Function keys: These keys are positioned on the top row of the keyboard. They’re labeled F1, F2, F3, and on up to F11 and F12.
• Typewriter keys: These keys are the same types of keys you find on an old typewriter: letters, numbers, and punctuation symbols.
• Cursor-control keys: Often called arrow keys, these four keys move the text cursor in the direction of their arrows. Above them are more cursor-control keys — the six-pack of Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down.
• Numeric keypad: Popular with accountants, bank tellers, and airline ticket agents, the numeric keypad contains calculator-like keys.

BACKSPACE KEY-- Deletes the character just to the left of the cursor (or insertion point) and moves the cursor to that position.

DELETE KEY-- Sometimes labeled Del, deletes the character at the current cursor position or to the right of the insertion point, or deletes the selected object, but does not move the cursor.

ARROW KEYS -- four arrow keys for moving the cursor or insertion point right, left, up, or down. Moving the arrow keys does not delete any characters on the screen.

CAPS LOCK KEY -- A toggle key that, when activated, causes all alphabetic characters to be uppercase.

HOME -- moves the cursor to the top left corner of the screen or to the beginning of the file, but it can have other meanings depending on which program is running.

END -- moves the cursor to the end of the line, the end of the page, or the end of the file depending where the cursor is located on the page and on which program is running.

ENTER -- Used to enter commands or to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line. Sometimes labeled Return instead of Enter.

RETURN KEY -- Another name for the Enter key.

ESC -- Short for Escape, this key is used to send special codes to devices and to exit (or escape) from programs and tasks.

FUNCTION KEYS -- Special keys labeled F1 to Fx, x being the number of function keys on the keyboard. These keys have different meanings depending on which program is running.

CTRL KEY -- Short for Control, this key is used in conjunction with other keys to produce control characters. The meaning of each control character depends on which program is running.

ALT KEY -- Short for Alternate, this key is like a second Control key

PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN -- moves the cursor up or down a set number of lines usually one page or screen at a time. Often abbreviated PgUp and PgDn.

NUMERIC KEYPAD -- A separate set of keys on some keyboards that contain the numbers 0 through 9 and a decimal point arranged as on an adding machine. Numeric keypads make it easier to enter large amounts of numeric data. For the keypad to function as numbers, the NUM LOCK must be on (Num Lock light is green).

INSERT -- Changes between insert mode and overstrike mode in word processing programs. In insert mode, all characters typed are placed at the cursor position (or to the right of the insertion point). With each new insertion, characters to the right of the cursor are pushed to the right of the insertion point to make room for the new characters. If insert mode is turned off, typing then overwrites existing characters instead of inserting the new ones before the old ones. This is often called overwrite mode. Most PC keyboards have an Ins or Insert key that lets you switch back and forth between insert and overwrite modes.

KEYSTROKES TO KNOW

1. Enter--pressing this key is the same as left clicking the mouse button.

2. Ctrl + Esc or Windows Logo Key--pressing these two keys, Ctrl + Esc, simultaneously, or pressing the Windows Logo Key, will bring up the Start menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate the Start menu, especially to shut down.

3. Shift + Alt + Spacebar--when a window is in the “Restore” mode, it may sometimes shift on the screen so that you cannot locate the buttons on the title bar to close, minimize or maximize the window. Pressing these three keys will open a window, with a choice of “Maximize”. Arrow down and select Maximize and the window will open to a full screen with the buttons showing.

4. Ctrl + Alt + Delete--whenever the computer “locks up” (freezes) and the mouse or keyboard will not work, pressing these three keys simultaneously will usually open the Close Program dialog box which contains a list box of applications that are running:

Highlight the program that is “not responding” and may be causing the problem and choose “End Task.” A second dialog box may open allowing you to rethink this decision, click “End Task” to close the program—if you have not saved all data entered since the last save will be lost.

NOTE: If pressing these keys, Ctrl + Alt + Delete, does not bring up the previous window, then pressing them again will, usually, shut the computer down.

1. F1—Displays Help information for the active object or the window as a whole.
2. F2—Rename a selected item. A bold rectangle appears around the title creating a text box and the title is highlighted. Type the new name and press Enter. Press ESC to cancel.
3. F3—Opens the Find All Files dialog box.
4. Alt + F4—Closes the active application window. Once all open windows are closed, pressing these keys again will open the “Shut Down Windows” dialog box.
5. F5 –Refresh all document
6. F6-While in Windows Explorer, F6 will move the cursor to different Windows Explorer pane or in Windows 7 browse available drives.
7. F7--Runs a Thesaurus check on the selected word.
8. F8-Pressing F8 over and over as the computer is booting will start the computer in Safe Mode.
9. F9-Users have no use of this key in Windows, but if you press this key in MS Word you will update the selected fields.
10. SHIFT + F9 = Switch between a field code and its result.
11. CTRL + F9 = Insert an empty field.
12. CTRL + SHIFT + F9 = Unlink a field
13. ALT + F9 = Switch between all field codes and their results
14. ALT + SHIFT + F9 = Run GoButton or Macrobutton from the field that displays the field results.
15. F10-- Simulates a right-click on selected item, which is useful if right-click is difficult or impossible using the mouse. Activates the File menu bar in all versions of Windows.
16. F11-- Display the current website in full-screen mode. Pressing F11 again will exit this mode.
17. F12-Save the open document. Just like Ctrl+S.
18. Print Screen—Copies an image of the screen to the Windows Clipboard
19. Alt + Print Screen—Copies an image of the active window to the Windows Clipboard.
20. Windows Logo Key + M—Minimizes all open windows. The keyboard focus goes to the least recently selected icon on the desktop.

Short cut key ascending order:

Ctrl+0

Toggles 6pts of spacing before a paragraph.

Ctrl+A

Select all contents of the page.

Ctrl+B

Bold highlighted selection.

Ctrl+C

Copy selected text.

Ctrl+D

Open the font preferences window.

Ctrl+E

Aligns the line or selected text to the center of the screen.

Ctrl+F

Open find box.

Ctrl+I

Italic highlighted selection.

Ctrl+J

Aligns the selected text or line to justify the screen.

Ctrl+K

Insert a hyperlink.

Ctrl+L

Aligns the line or selected text to the left of the screen.

Ctrl+M

Indent the paragraph.

Ctrl+N

Opens new, blank document window.

Ctrl+O

Opens the dialog box or page for selecting a file to open.

Ctrl+P

Open the print window.

Ctrl+R

Aligns the line or selected text to the right of the screen.

Ctrl+S

Save the open document. Just like Shift+F12.

Ctrl+T

Create a hanging indent.

Ctrl+U

Underline the selected text.

Ctrl+V

Paste.

Ctrl+W

Close the currently open document.

Ctrl+X

Cut selected text.

Ctrl+Y

Redo the last action performed.

Ctrl+Z

Undo last action.

Ctrl+Shift+L

Quickly create a bullet point.

Ctrl+Shift+F

Change the font.

Ctrl+Shift+>

Increase selected font +1pts up to 12pt and then increase font +2pts.

Ctrl+]

Increase selected font +1pts.

Ctrl+Shift+<

Decrease selected font -1pts if 12pt or lower; if above 12, decreases font by +2pt.

Ctrl+[

Decrease selected font -1pts.

Ctrl+/+c

Insert a cent sign (¢).

Ctrl+'+<char>

Insert a character with an accent (grave) mark, where <char> is the character you want. For example, if you wanted an accented è you would use Ctrl+'+eas your shortcut key. To reverse the accent mark use the opposite accent mark, often on the tilde key.

Ctrl+Shift+*

View or hide non printing characters.

Ctrl+<left arrow>

Moves one word to the left.

Ctrl+<right arrow>

Moves one word to the right.

Ctrl+<up arrow>

Moves to the beginning of the line or paragraph.

Ctrl+<down arrow>

Moves to the end of the paragraph.

Ctrl+Del

Deletes word to right of cursor.

Ctrl+Backspace

Deletes word to left of cursor.

Ctrl+End

Moves the cursor to the end of the document.

Ctrl+Home

Moves the cursor to the beginning of the document.

Ctrl+Spacebar

Reset highlighted text to the default font.

Ctrl+1

Single-space lines.

Ctrl+2

Double-space lines.

Ctrl+5

1.5-line spacing.

Ctrl+Alt+1

Changes text to heading 1.

Ctrl+Alt+2

Changes text to heading 2.

Ctrl+Alt+3

Changes text to heading 3.

Alt+Ctrl+F2

Open new document.

Ctrl+F1

Open the Task Pane.

Ctrl+F2

Display the print preview.

Ctrl+Shift+>

Increases the selected text size by one font size.

Ctrl+Shift+<

Decreases the selected text size by one font size.

Ctrl+Shift+F6

Switches to another open Microsoft Word document.

Ctrl+Shift+F12

Prints the document.

Shift+F3

Change the text in Microsoft Word from uppercase to lowercase or a capital letter at the beginning of every word.

Shift+F7

Runs a Thesaurus check on the selected word.

Shift+F12

Save the open document. Just like Ctrl+S.

Shift+Enter

Create a soft break instead of a new paragraph.

Shift+Insert

Paste.

Shift+Alt+D

Insert the current date.

Shift+Alt+T

Insert the current time.