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An Intern's Guide to Workflow Productivity in Windows and Office


The fastest way to look like you know what you're doing is working without reaching for the mouse. Every shortcut below saves a second or two, and over a day of aligning logos or moving through models, those seconds compound into real time (allowing you to leave earlier). Force yourself to use them (print a cheat sheet), and they become second nature within a week.

Setup tip 1: All Office apps support the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT), and you should definitely put your most-used tools there. Once it's set, Alt + 1, Alt + 2, etc. trigger them instantly - particularly alignment tools are worth parking on Alt + 1.

Setup tip 2: Set all interface languages to English.

Usage tip: Pressing Alt reveals all available shortcuts in the current program sequences.

Tired of accidentally opening the help panel via F1? Check out my tool Hush Keys.

PowerPoint

Core & slideshow:

  • F2: Edit text in selected object
  • F5 / Shift + F5: Start slide show (from beginning / current slide)
  • F7: Quick spell check
  • F12: Save a new version
  • Ctrl + O: Open file
  • Ctrl + F: Find
  • Ctrl + H: Find & replace
  • Page Up / Down: Move up / down one slide in the editor

Objects:

  • Ctrl + D: Duplicate object
  • Ctrl + G / Ctrl + Shift + G: Group / ungroup objects
  • Arrows: Move object
  • Shift + Arrows: Scale object (lock dimensions first for images)
  • Ctrl + Alt + V: Paste special
  • Ctrl + Shift + C / Ctrl + Shift + V: Format painter copy / paste (paste applies to multiple objects in sequence)
  • Tip: Bind alignment options to Alt + 1

Excel

Tired of accidentally opening the help panel via F1? Check out my tool Hush Keys.

Editing & formulas:

  • F2: Edit cell
  • Esc: Discard changes to a formula while editing
  • F4: Lock cell reference ($); press repeatedly to cycle through options
  • F9: Refresh (or calculate the selected part of a formula)
  • F7: Spell check
  • F12: Save a new version
  • Ctrl + R / D: Copy cell formula to the right / down
  • Alt + Enter: Line break within a cell
  • Shift + Alt + 0: Quick sum (auto-selects adjacent numbers)
  • +: Faster alternative to = when starting a formula

Navigation & selection:

  • F5: Go to cell (also works on selected text); Esc to jump back
  • Shift + Space / Ctrl + Space: Select row / column
  • Ctrl + Arrow: Jump to the edge of the data region
  • Ctrl + Shift + Arrow: Select to the edge of the data region
  • Ctrl + Page Up / Down: Move between tabs

Rows, columns & grouping:

  • Ctrl + +: Insert row / column (depends on selection)
  • Ctrl + -: Delete row / column (depends on selection)
  • Shift + Alt + Arrow L / R: Group / ungroup
  • Alt + H + 5 / 6: Decrease / increase indent

Formatting:

  • Ctrl + 1: Format Cells dialog (e.g. centre across selection without merging)
  • Ctrl + 2 / 3 / 4: Bold / italic / underline
  • Ctrl + Shift + 1: Number format (thousands separator, two decimals)
  • Ctrl + Shift + 4: Currency format
  • Ctrl + Shift + 5: Percentage format
  • Alt + H + H: Cell background colour
  • Alt + H + B: Border options
  • Alt + W + VG: Toggle gridlines

Other:

  • Ctrl + Shift + V: Paste while retaining cell formatting
  • Ctrl + Alt + V: Paste specials menu (press the underlined letters for quick actions)
  • Ctrl + Shift + ´: Show / hide formulas (key next to ? / ß)
  • Shift + F2: Insert note
  • Ctrl + K: Insert link

Windows & Browsers

Windows:

  • Win + E: Open File Explorer
  • Win + L: Lock device
  • Win + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager
  • Win + Arrow Up / Down: Maximize / minimize window
  • Win + Arrow L / R: Snap window to side (combine with Up / Down for quadrants)
  • Win + Shift + Arrow: Move window to another screen
  • Win + Shift + S: Quick screenshot (Snipping Tool)
  • Win + Tab: View all open windows
  • Win + Ctrl + Arrow L / R: Switch between virtual desktops
  • Alt + (Shift) + Tab: Cycle through open windows

Browser (Chrome, Edge, etc.):

  • Ctrl + N / Ctrl + T: New window / new tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + T: Re-open the last closed tab
  • Ctrl + W: Close current tab
  • Ctrl + H / Ctrl + J: View history / downloads
  • Ctrl + L: Edit URL / jump to search bar
  • Ctrl + D: Bookmark current page
  • F5: Refresh page
  • Alt + Arrow L / R: Back / forward
  • Ctrl + Left Click: Open link in a new tab
  • Ctrl + Page Up / Down: Move between tabs