Keyboard shortcuts and automations are powerful tools for boosting productivity on Windows. By reducing reliance on the mouse and streamlining repetitive tasks, you can save significant time throughout your day. Here’s a list of ways to save time with keyboard shortcuts and automations on Windows.

7 Use system-wide keyboard shortcuts

Some Windows shortcuts you can’t do without

Windows has built-in shortcuts that let you navigate and manage your system a lot faster. Here are some shortcut examples that will save you some clicks.

• Win + D: Show or hide the desktop instantly.
• Alt + Tab: Switch between open applications.
• Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager directly.
• Win + L: Lock your computer quickly.
• Win + E: Open File Explorer.
• Win + I: Opens the Settings app.

Above, you can see an article recommendation with a huge list of shortcuts you can use in Windows.

6 Snap windows with keyboard shortcuts

You no longer need to move windows with your mouse

Window snapping is a feature in Windows that allows you to organize your workspace by resizing and positioning windows with keyboard shortcuts. This is especially helpful when multitasking or working on large monitors.

For instance, you can press Win + Left Arrow to snap a window to the left half of the screen, or Win + Right Arrow to snap it to the right half. In the same way, you can press Win + Up Arrow to maximize a window or Win + Down Arrow to minimize it.

If you have multiple monitors, Win + Shift + Left/Right Arrow moves a window to the adjacent monitor.

Manually resizing and arranging windows can be tedious, especially if you frequently switch between different layouts. Keyboard shortcuts make this process instantaneous, and it will help you maintain an organized and efficient workspace without interrupting your work.

5 Launch apps quickly with shortcut keys

Assign custom keyboard shortcuts to frequently used programs

If you have all the apps organized on your taskbar, you can click on them with your mouse. However, if you don’t want to stick them there or you use your keyboard more, you can assign shortcuts to open them using key combinations.

All you need to do is right-click on an application shortcut and select Properties. Then, in the Shortcut tab, click on the Shortcut key field and simply press the desired key combination. For instance, I use Ctrl + Alt + C to start Google Chrome.

Of course, you can do that with any installed application in Windows, but make sure that the shortcut is not assigned to any other process in Windows.

4 Automate file operations with batch scripts

A new world will open up after you learn this trick

Batch scripts are simple text files containing commands that automate file operations, such as moving, copying, deleting, or organizing files. For example, you can use a simple batch script to move all .jpg files from your Downloads folder to a Photos folder. If you did that manually, you would have to start File Explorer, go to the Downloads folder, select all, copy, then navigate to the Photos folder and paste them. Here’s how to do that the easy way.

1. Open Notepad and paste the following command (Make sure to replace YourName with your actual name from your PC): move C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\*.jpg C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\Photos\
2. Click on File -> Save as, and save your Notepad file with a .bat extension.
3. Now, double-click the .bat file, and the files will be copied.

Now, every time you need to move the .jpg files from the downloads folder, you just launch this batch file. Of course, this is just an example. You can perform a lot more complicated scripts to automate tasks on your PC.

3 Use Clipboard history and shortcuts

This shortcut saved me hundreds of hours until now

Windows 10 and 11 include a clipboard history feature that stores up to 25 items you’ve copied. This way, you can paste them later without switching apps.

Press Win + V to open the Clipboard history, scroll down, and select previously copied text, images, or files. When you click one of them, you will paste them whenever you want.

So, let’s say you want to copy and paste several text portions from one place to another. You won’t need to jump from one place to another. Just copy the text portions one by one, then go to the app you need to paste them and press Win + V.

This feature is usually enabled by default, but if it isn’t, it’s easy to do so. Go to Settings -> System -> Clipboard and toggle Clipboard history to On.

2 Use virtual desktops with shortcuts

Virtual desktops help you organize tasks into separate workspaces

If you didn’t know yet, Windows 10 and 11 allow you to have multiple desktop instances called virtual desktops. It’s like having multiple monitors but on a single screen. This way, you can have a desktop for work, one for home and entertainment, one for school, etc.

Here are the dedicated shortcuts to manage the virtual desktops right from your keyboard:

• Win + Ctrl + D: Create a new virtual desktop
• Win + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow: Switch between virtual desktops
• Win + Ctrl + F4: Close the current virtual desktop

1 Schedule tasks with Task Scheduler

Automate basic or complex tasks to make everything easier

Task Scheduler is a lesser-known app in Windows, but it can be extremely useful to automate tasks. You can use it to make automatic backups, schedule cleanups, launch apps at specific times, and a lot more. For example, here’s how to schedule an automatic shutdown of your PC at 10 pm every night.

1. Click the Start button, type task scheduler, and click on the app from the results to open it.
2. Now, click on Create basic task from the menu on the right, Enter a name for the task, and click Next.
3. Select the frequency of the task, and clicked Next, then select the day and hour you want to start the task. I set it to 10 pm because that's when I want to shut down my PC every day. Click Next again.
4. In the Action step, select Start a program and click Next, then click on Browse, start typing shutdown, and select Shutdown.exe from the results.
5. After clicking Next again, you will see the final window, showing you all the details of the task you've set up. Check if everything is correct and click Finish.
6. Don't worry, if you did something wrong, or you just want to get rid of the task, just launch Task Scheduler again, select the task, and click on Delete from the menu on the right.

That's it! From now on, every day at 10 pm, the PC will shut down. You can perform a lot of tasks with this tool. If you want more ideas or information, check our guide, which has five things you can automate with Task Scheduler.

Which shortcuts and automation are best for you?

There are many tricks to optimize Windows 11 and Windows 10 to improve your productivity and overall experience, but these worked for me every time. Generally, the shortcuts will save you a lot of time from going through the menus and windows with your mouse. If you are a techie, you will enjoy creating and running scripts, and if you just want to stay organized, arranging your windows on the screen and using virtual desktops will transform how you use the PC.