How the  F-Keys Make Your Computer Work Easier. Find Out What They Actually Do.

How the F-Keys Make Your Computer Work Easier. Find Out What They Actually Do.

Do you know the functions of F-keys on your keyboard? If you do, then you can be proud of yourself. Very few know that. Most of us have no idea what the keys do and what happens when you press them. The thing is that they are not a decoration of keyboard. They are there to help you with your everyday computer work and entertainment.
According to a number of tests carried out, knowing how to use all keys saves you 3 minutes every day, which amounts to 1095 minutes per year! Can you image what you could do during 18.5 hours? That’s why you’d better find out what F1 up to F12 are for!


F1

 

Do you need some help? The basic function of F1 is opening the help window. If, for example, you are exploring a file folder and you press the button, you will open the Windows help (if this is your operating system).

F2

 

This key lets you change the name of the file or folder and, in fact, it lets you save a few seconds when you name your files. F2 also works as the volume key.

Press Alt+Ctrl+F2 to open a file in Microsoft Office.

Press Ctrl+F2 to open print preview. Mark a word and press Shift + F3 – this is how you capitalise the first letter in a given word.

F3

 

Press the key of you want to open a search window in a specific program or browser.

F4

 

No matter if you open a website by accident or you are at work and you don’t want your boss to know that you are browsing Facebook, Alt+F4 might save you. This combination simply shuts the website without saving. In Microsoft Word F4 repeats the most recent activity you have done.

F5

 

If a website freezes, F5 comes in handy. When your browser is open, press F5 to refresh the site automatically. If you want to completely refresh the entire browser and delete cache memory, press Ctrl+F5. You can also press the key to find or replace something in Microsoft Word or start a new presentation in PowerPoint.

F6

 

If you want to save a few seconds, press F6 to move the cursor into a selected browser. The combination of Ctrl+Shift+F6 will open a new text document. In some laptops this key also works as volume control.

F7

 

If you are busy writing a document in Microsoft Word, press F7 to switch on the spelling check module.

F8

 

In Mac computers F8 shows miniatures of all open working spaces. In Windows systems this is how you run the safe mode (useful when you think your computer might be infected with a virus).

F9

 

This key opens email message windows in Outlook. It also opens the tool bar in Quark 5.0. In some laptops it controls the brightness of display. In OS 10.3 F9 display working spaces miniatures. Press Fn +F9 to open mission control in Mac OS X.

F10

 

F10 opens application bar and in Windows 10 it opens the function sending a project to another screen (for example a smart TV or another computer). If you press Shift + F10, the functions window will open, just like it does after a right mouse click. In IOS, F10 displays all open windows.

F11

 

Press F11 to open and close the full-screen mode in your web browser. In IOS F11 hides all open windows (which is a great convenience when your kids enter your room when you are buying Christmas present online). In Microsoft Excel Shift+F11 adds another sheet to the document.

F12

 

In Microsoft Word F12 automatically saves the documents (SAVE AS function)

Press Ctrl+F12 to open a document in Microsoft Word.

Shift + F12 saves the document (just like Ctrl+S)

Ctrl+Shift+F12 prints the document.

In IOS 10.4 (and newer versions), F12 shows and hides the desktop.

Please note that each key may have a different function when pressed in combination with Fn.
Now that you already know what F keys are for, perhaps you can share it with somebody who doesn’t know it yet.

The post How the F-Keys Make Your Computer Work Easier. Find Out What They Actually Do. appeared first on Handimania.

Back to blog