Q. What are the new keyboard and mouse shortcuts in Windows 7?

A. Windows 7 introduces new features to the desktop environment such as Windows Peek, which lets you look at the desktop without minimizing your windows, and Aero Snaps, which lets you snap windows to parts of the display. There are new Windows key shortcuts and keyboard and mouse combinations to use these functions.

Windows Key combinations

• Windows key + arrows: Cycle the active window through various display positions. Using the left and right arrows moves the windows between snapped to the left side of the screen, the window's original position, and snapped to the right side of the screen. If you have multiple displays, the window will be moved to other displays if you continue to press Windows key and the right or left arrows. The up arrow maximizes the window and the down arrow will reduce the window from maximized to its original size, and then minimize the window if you press it again.
• Windows key + shift + arrow: Move the window to other displays without cycling through the various snap to side of screen stages.
• Windows key + space bar: Make all windows invisible to peek to the desktop, the same as hovering the mouse over the Show desktop area of the taskbar at the far right.
• Windows Key + P: Opens the projection options for the display.

Mouse and Keyboard combinations

• Shift + click on a taskbar icon or middle-click on a taskbar icon: Start a new instance of the application (as opposed to opening an already running instance).
• Shift + Ctrl + click on a taskbar icon: Start a new elevated instance of an application.
• Middle-click on the thumbnail of an application: Close the window
• Ctrl + left-click on taskbar group: Restore the last active window. Repeated clicking restores other windows in the group.
• Left-click + drag up task bar icon: Open the jump list of a task bar item, as shown here. Drag down to close the jump list.

Related Videos:

• A Guided Video Tour of Windows 7

Related Reading:

• Q. What are libraries in Windows 7?
• Q. What are the new features of Windows 7?
• Should IT Pros Install the Windows 7 Beta?
• Q. How can I create a new library in Windows 7?

Check out hundreds more useful Q&As like this in John Savill's FAQ for Windows. Also, watch instructional videos made by John at ITTV.net.