You, like million of other people have probably wondered the use of the F1 to F12 keys at the top of your keyboard and failed to get an answer. You have probably only used them to adjust your volume or screen brightness, but they actually do a lot more.
There is a need for you to bear in mind the fact that some of these keyboard shortcuts are different depending on the type of computer you have. You are also able to change these features, and some computers come with pre-set functions for these keys that you have to change manually.
So, before slamming the keyboard in frustration trying to get them to work, go into your settings and see how your computer has been set up. Pressing the fn button with the F keys will typically enable them to work.
Here are the answers to those mystery F keys. By the time you are done with this article, you be surprised by how much they can do.
F1
Opens help menu when pressed with Windows button
Hides/displays ribbon menu in Excel and Word when hit with Control button
F2
Alt + Ctrl + F2 opens Document Library in Microsoft Office
Allows you to edit the selected folder or file name in Windows Explorer
F3
Opens search feature in Windows Explorer
Shift + F3 lets you change from lowercase to uppercase to all caps in Word
Opens find feature in Firefox and Chrome
F4
Alt + F4 closes window
Places the cursor in the address bar in Explorer
F5
Starts slideshow in PowerPoint
Refreshes Internet browser pages
Opens Find and Replace in Microsoft Office
F6
Goes to the next page in a split screen in Microsoft Word
Ctrl + F6 lets you easily switch between Word documents
F7
Alt + F7 does a spelling and grammar check in Microsoft Word
Shift + F7 open Thesaurus in Microsoft Word
F8
In Excel, enables extend mode for arrow keys
Enables safe mode in Windows
F9
Ctrl + F9 inserts empty fields into Word
Updates fields in Word
F10
Opens menu bar
Ctrl + F10 maximizes window in Word
Shift + F10 does the same thing as a right click
F11
Exits and enter full screen mode in browsers
Shift + F11 adds a new spreadsheet in Excel
F12
Opens Save As in Word
Shift + F12 saves Word document
Ctrl + F12 opens Word document
So, there you have it. You can now put all those dormant keys on your keyboard to good use.
