Using your keyboard
Whether you're writing a letter or calculating numerical data, your keyboard is the main way to enter information into your computer. But did you know you can also use your keyboard to control your computer? Learning a few simple keyboard commands(instructions to your computer) can help you work more efficiently.
How the keys are organized
The keys on your keyboard can be divided into several groups based on function:
Typing (alphanumeric) keys . These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys found on a traditional typewriter.
Function keys . The function keys are used to perform specific tasks. They are labeled as F1, F2, F3, and so on, up to F12. The functionality of these keys differs from program to program.
Navigation keys . These keys are used for moving around in documents or webpages and editing text. They include the arrow keys, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Delete, and Insert.
Numeric keypad . The numeric keypad is handy for entering numbers quickly. The keys are grouped together in a block like a conventional calculator or adding machine.
The following illustration shows how these keys are arranged on a typical keyboard. Your keyboard layout might be different.
Typing text
In addition to letters, numerals, punctuation marks, and symbols, the typing keys also include Shift, Caps Lock, Tab, Enter, the Spacebar, and Backspace.
Using keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcutsare ways to perform actions by using your keyboard. They're called shortcuts because they help you work faster. In fact, almost any action or command you can perform with a mouse can be performed faster using one or more keys on your keyboard.
In Help topics, a plus sign (+) between two or more keys indicates that those keys should be pressed in combination. For example, Ctrl + A means to press and hold Ctrl and then press A. Ctrl + Shift + A means to press and hold Ctrl and Shift and then press A.
Find program shortcuts
You can do things in most programs by using the keyboard. To see which commands have keyboard shortcuts, open a menu. The shortcuts (if available) are shown next to the menu items.
Keyboard shortcuts appear next to menu items.
Choose menus, commands, and options.
You can open menus and choose commands and other options using your keyboard. In a program that has menus with underlined letters, press Alt and an underlined letter to open the corresponding menu. Press the underlined letter in a menu item to choose that command. For programs that use the ribbon, such as Paint and WordPad, pressing Alt overlays (rather than underlines) a letter that can be pressed.
Press Alt + F to open the File menu, then press P to choose the Print command.
This trick works in dialog boxes too. Whenever you see an underlined letter attached to an option in a dialog box, it means you can press Alt plus that letter to choose that option.
Useful shortcuts
The following table lists some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts. For a more detailed list, see Keyboard shortcuts.
Using navigation keys
The navigation keys allow you to move the cursor, move around in documents and webpages, and edit text. The following table lists some common functions of these keys.
Using the numeric keypad
The numeric keypad arranges the numerals 0 though 9, the arithmetic operators + (addition), - (subtraction), * (multiplication), and / (division), and the decimal point as they would appear on a calculator or adding machine. These characters are duplicated elsewhere on the keyboard, of course, but the keypad arrangement allows you to rapidly enter numerical data or mathematical operations with one hand.
Numeric Keyboard
To use the numeric keypad to enter numbers, press Num Lock. Most keyboards have a light that indicates whether Num Lock is on or off. When Num Lock is off, the numeric keypad functions as a second set of navigation keys (these functions are printed on the keys next to the numerals or symbols).
You can use your numeric keypad to perform simple calculations with Calculator.
Operate Calculator with the numeric keypad
Open Calculator by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Calculator , and then, in the list of results, click Calculator .
Check your keyboard light to see if Num Lock is on. If it isn't, press Num Lock .
Using the numeric keypad, type the first number in the calculation.
On the keypad, type + to add, - to subtract, * to multiply, or / to divide.
Type the next number in the calculation.
Press Enter to complete the calculation.
Three odd keys
So far, we've discussed almost every key you're likely to use. But for the truly inquisitive, let's explore the three most mysterious keys on the keyboard: PrtScn, Scroll Lock, and Pause/Break.
PrtScn (or Print Screen)
A long time ago, this key actually did what it says—it sent the current screen of text to your printer. Nowadays, pressing PrtScn captures an image of your entire screen (a "screen shot") and copies it to the Clipboard in your computer's memory. From there you can paste it (Ctrl + V) into Microsoft Paint or another program and, if you want, print it from that program.
More obscure is SYS RQ, which shares the key with PrtScn on some keyboards. Historically, SYS RQ was designed to be a "system request," but this command is not enabled in Windows.
Tip: Press Alt + PrtScn to capture an image of just the active window, instead of the entire screen.
ScrLk (or Scroll Lock)
In most programs, pressing Scroll Lock has no effect. In a few programs, pressing Scroll Lock changes the behavior of the arrow keys and the Page Up and Page Down keys; pressing these keys causes the document to scroll without changing the position of the cursor or selection. Your keyboard might have a light indicating whether Scroll Lock is on.
Pause/Break
This key is rarely used. In some older programs, pressing this key pauses the program or, in combination with Ctrl, stops it from running.
Some modern keyboards come with "hot keys" or buttons that give you quick, one-press access to programs, files, or commands. Other models have volume controls, scroll wheels, zoom wheels, and other gadgets. For details about these features, check the information that came with your keyboard or computer, or go to the manufacturer's website.
Tips for using your keyboard safely
Using your keyboard properly can help avoid soreness or injury to your wrists, hands, and arms, particularly if you use your computer for long periods. Here are a few tips to help improve keyboard use:
Place your keyboard at elbow level. Your upper arms should be relaxed at your sides.
Center your keyboard in front of you. If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, you can use the spacebar as the centering point.
Type with your hands and wrists floating above the keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm to reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.
Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while typing. If your keyboard has a palm rest, use it only during breaks from typing.
While typing, use a light touch and keep your wrists straight.
When you're not typing, relax your arms and hands.
Take short breaks from computer use every 15 to 20 minutes.
Need more help?
Join the discussion.
ASK THE COMMUNITY >
Get support
CONTACT US >
Was this information helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Article Categories
Book categories, collections.
- Technology Articles
- Computers Articles
- Basic Skills Articles
The General Keyboard Layout on a Laptop
Laptops for dummies, 6th edition.
Sign up for the Dummies Beta Program to try Dummies' newest way to learn.
A typical laptop keyboard layout has typewriter keys, shift keys, function keys, and cursor control keys.
The below figure illustrates a typical laptop keyboard layout, where all the common keys found on the whopping desktop keyboard have been miniaturized to laptop size. The design intends to let you type without the risk of fire from your fingers rubbing together.
As with a desktop keyboard, you should be able to identify the following basic items on your laptop keyboard:
Alphanumeric, or "typewriter," keys: These are the basic typing keys, each of which is labeled with a character (a letter, number, or punctuation symbol). When you’re typing on the computer, pressing a key produces its character on the screen.
Shift keys: The keyboard sports various shift keys used either alone or in combination with other keys. These include Shift, Alt, Ctrl, and the special Windows keys Win and Context. The Win key appears in the bottom row between the Fn and Alt keys; the Context key appears between Alt and Ctrl. Also note the Esc (or Escape) key, found at the beginning of the top row of keys.
Function keys: These keys are labeled F1 through F12 and are found on the top row of the keyboard, right above the number keys.
Cursor-control keys: These keys can be anywhere around the keyboard, although in this example, they're on the top and bottom right. They include the four directional arrow keys, usually found in an inverted T pattern, as well as the Insert (or Ins), Delete (or Del), Home, End, PgUp (or Page Up), and PgDn (or Page Down) keys.
About This Article
This article can be found in the category:.
- Basic Skills ,
- How to Run a Scan on Your Windows 10 Laptop with Windows Defender
- Understanding Windows Update Options
- Understanding Security Threats to Your Windows 10 Laptop
- How to Go Online Using Your Laptop’s Cellular Network
- How to Use Microsoft’s Discussion Board
- View All Articles From Category
The Laptops Doctor
What Is The End Key On Keyboard Of The Laptop? Its Common Uses In 2023
On PC keyboards and Macintosh extended keyboards, the end key on keyboard is a unique cursor control key. Depending on whatever software is running, the End key has varied implications. It may, for example, move the pointer to the end of a line, the end of a page, or the end of a file.
On desktops and Laptop keyboards, the End key is a common key. The key’s impact is the polar opposite of the Home key. The same feature can be accessed through the key combination Fn+ Its standard symbol, as stated in ISO/IEC 9995-7 , on some limited-size keyboards where the End key is missing.
The End key behaves differently in most macOS programs than it does on other platforms.
The window scrolls to the bottom when the key is pushed, but the cursor location remains unchanged; that is, the End key is attached to the window, not the text box being edited.
The End key in Linux performs the same functions as it does in Windows. It scrolls a scrollable page to the end and positions the cursor at the end of a line of editable text.
When pressed together with Shift in editable text, the End key, like Windows, can be used to highlight all the characters after the cursor in a particular line.
The user press the “End” key to signal that they had finished inputting data on a specific “screen” in previous screen-oriented, text-based (non-GUI) applications.
Now let’s explore that what are the common uses of using an End Key on a laptop:
Table of Contents
what does the end key do On Laptops? Common Uses:
The End key on laptop can be used in a variety of ways on your keyboard, as seen below. Because not all programs use the End key in the same way, therefore not all of these examples will work with every program.
The following are the main uses of End Key on a Laptop:
This command brings you to the end of a line, paragraph, or document.
2. Ctrl+End (ctrl end on laptop).
Holding down the control end on laptop at the same time will take you to the exact end of the document, page, or text.
3. Shift+End.
Holding down Shift and the End key simultaneously highlights all text from the current location to the end of the line.
4. Ctrl+Shift+End.
Holding down Ctrl, Shift, and End at the same time highlight all text from the current location to the text’s or page’s end.
Other Laptop Keyboard Related Guides:
Here are a few common questions that most people ask, we have answered them all in simple possible ways. Check the articles below:
How To Use Two Keyboards On One Computer? Full Guide In 2023
How To Fix A Key That Fell Off A Laptop Keyboard – Quick And Step-By-Step Guide In 2023
How To Turn On Backlit Keyboard Lenovo – 2 Best Methods In 2023
In conclusion to the end key on keyboard , the methods listed above are a few that have proven to be beneficial to many laptop users. You don’t have to try all of them; just try a few until you find one that works for you.
Q1: When you press the End key in Microsoft Word, what does it do?
Ans: When you press End in Microsoft Word, it takes you to the end of the sentence.
Q2: What are some keyboard shortcuts that make use of the End key?
Ans: The End key is used in the keyboard shortcut keys as listed below.
Alt+End and Ctrl+End
Q3: What are the distinctions between the Home and End keys?
Ans: The home key is mainly used to get the typing cursor back to the beginning of the line you are typing on, the end key is found on a computer’s keyboard that moves the cursor back to the end of the line, document, page, cell or screen where the cursor is located.
Best Laptops With Best Keyboards:
Here we have listed a few best keyboard laptops, so if you’re ever interested in changing your laptop, then follow these guides:
10 Best Chromebooks With Backlit Keyboard In 2023
Best Laptop With Spanish Keyboard – Full Guide In 2023
Top 5 Laptops with the Best Keyboards In 2023
Computer keyboard key explanations
When dealing with technical commands that use a keyboard (for example, web pages or the command line ), you may hear such things as forward slash , backslash , and caret . Often, these terms can confuse new users because they're unfamiliar with them.
This page provides an example of a PC keyboard and a table listing non- alphanumeric keys for US-based keyboards, with a description or link for additional information.
For information on keyboard shortcut key combinations (e.g., Ctrl+S or Alt+F4 ), see our computer keyboard shortcut keys page.
Example of a keyboard
Below is a close-up image of a QWERTY computer keyboard with each of the keys selectable. You can hover your mouse cursor over any key to see a description. Clicking any of the keys opens a new page with full details.
Listing of non-alphanumeric keys
Related information.
- See our special keys definition for information about special and multimedia keys.
- Full listing of keyboard terms.
- Extended special HTML characters and codes.
- Keyboard help and support.
TeachersCollegesj
Knowledge repository and useful advices
How do I use the End key on my laptop?
Table of Contents
- 1 How do I use the End key on my laptop?
- 2 What are the Home and End keys for on a keyboard?
- 3 What does Ctrl Alt End do?
- 4 What is End key in laptop?
- 5 What key is end?
- 6 How do you Ctrl Alt end?
- 7 What is Ctrl F in Word?
- 8 What are the functions of end key of keyboard?
- 9 Why is the keyboard button not working?
- 10 What does Ctrl end mean?
Uses of End Key on laptop
- End – This command brings you to the end of a line, paragraph, or document.
- Ctrl+End – Holding down the Ctrl and End keys at the same time will take you to the exact end of the document, page, or text.
What are the Home and End keys for on a keyboard?
Tapping End moves your cursor to the end (natch) of a line, while Home moves it to the beginning. Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End, meanwhile, jump you to the top and bottom of your document, respectively.
How do you use the End on the keyboard?
Examples of using the End key Ctrl + End – Pressing Ctrl and the End key at the same time takes you to the very end of the document, page, or text. Shift + End – Pressing Shift and the End key at the same time highlights all text from the current position to the end of the line.
What does Ctrl Alt End do?
Ctrl+Alt+End is a keyboard shortcut used in a Remote Desktop Session to display the security dialog box. On the Desktop, it has no functions and will likely behave just as if you had pressed the End Key alone. On a window with a scroll bar, it will simply scroll to the bottom of screen.
What is End key in laptop?
The End key is a key found on a computer keyboard that moves the cursor to the end of the line, document, page, cell, or screen.
What is the End key on a Chromebook?
End. Ctrl+Tab. Switch to next browser tab.
What key is end?
How do you ctrl alt end.
How do you use Ctrl End?
Alternatively referred to as Control End and C-End, Ctrl+End is a shortcut key that moves the cursor to the end of a document. To use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+End, press and hold either Ctrl key on the keyboard and while continuing to hold, press the End key with either hand.
What is Ctrl F in Word?
What is Ctrl-F? Also known as Command-F for Mac users (although newer Mac keyboards now include a Control key). Ctrl-F is the shortcut in your browser or operating system that allows you to find words or phrases quickly. You can use it browsing a website, in a Word or Google document, even in a PDF.
What are the functions of end key of keyboard?
Examples of using the End key End – Go to the end of the line, paragraph or document. Ctrl+End – Pressing Ctrl and the End key at the same time takes you to the very end of the document, page, or text. Shift+End – Pressing Shift and the End key at the same time highlights all text from the current position to the end of the line.
Where is the end button on the keyboard?
Why is the keyboard button not working?
What does ctrl end mean.
Privacy Overview
Stack Exchange Network
Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Q&A for work
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.
Mini keyboard has no home/end keys; how to type them?
Some months ago I needed a small keyboard and bought an Okion KM229 without noticing that it has no Home or End key. This makes it tricky to type as I'm so used to using these keys. I haven't yet figured out if there is a key combination that issues Home and End keystrokes. Does anyone have experience of these keyboards and know how to issue those keystrokes? The keyboard is used on a PC running Windows XP.
I have used the contact form on the Okion USA web site to ask this question but received no response.
Wikipedia suggests that Home and End keystrokes are issued with Fn-Left and Fn-Right on some limited size keyboards. However, although this keyboard has a Fn key, using it with the left and right keys does not produce the Home and End actions.
- 10 Fn-Left and Fn-Right is fairly standard for Home/End. – Daniel R Hicks Apr 15, 2012 at 21:19
- In case you have Fn key but it doesn't do the job, try Alt+RightArrow or Alt+LeftArrow instead(Alt might be called Meta on some keyboards) – aderchox Jul 17, 2020 at 4:49
11 Answers 11
On most small keyboards (including many notebook keyboards) Fn + → (right arrow) will function as the End key.
- 4 My laptop has (Home) and (End) keys, and yet (Fn)+(← (left arrow)) and (Fn)+(→ (right arrow)) function as Home and End. – G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica' May 23, 2015 at 20:48
- 1 Worked for me, not sure why anyone down voted it, as it doesn't require any external hotkey app (if it works on yours, that is) – Dave Jul 7, 2015 at 15:34
- Works for my laptop. It's not marked like the other Fn keys... weird. – Joe Coder Jun 3, 2016 at 17:32
- On mine they are marked. Now what about "Insert"? (Edit: It's Fn-PrtSc and marked as well.) – Nimrod Mar 14, 2018 at 5:40
- wt... I've been using my mini keyboard for almost 6 months now and I just realized this now. – chip May 3, 2019 at 4:46
Your best shot, in lieu of finding out if your keyboard has a proper key combo for this, is probably to use a program such as AutoHotkey to assign a key combination as a hotkey for the Home and End keys.
For example the following would assign Win + H to the Home key and Win + E to the End key.
Simply install AutoHotkey, save those two lines to a file, HomeEnd.ahk for example, and run the newly created file, this should give you access to the Home and End keys via the hotkeys I mentioned.
Autohotkey also has a "compiler" that can convert a script into an executable by bundling the script and interpreter together so that you only have one thing to execute and don't need to install AutoHotkey on every machine. You could simply have your compiled script on a USB key.
The documentation for AutoHotkey may also be of use to assign the keys to whatever key combo you like.
- I'm familiar with AutoHotkey and will consider using it if I don't find any trick native to the keyboard. – Steve Crane Apr 15, 2012 at 18:54
I had the same problem admittedly with a crappy Chinese imitation of an Apple mini keyboard (there literally is no model or manufacturer identifier on it whatsoever). I used AutoHotKey to map Win-x to End, and Win-z to Home. I had to do a bit more work to @Mokubai's answer in order to make Ctrl-End, Shift-End, and Ctrl-Shift-End work though:
You can use AutoHotKey to bind Win + → ( right arrow ) for End and Win + ← ( left arrow ) for Home keys. You can use following script
Using AutoHotkey why not Change the Caps Lock key to something useful like:
You can still use your caps lock key by pressing Shift + Caps Lock
AutoHotkey is the simplest solution to this. It took me a while to find the right mapping for my keyboard and I thought this was a good place to share it. (Thank you Ilan for showing the CTRL and SHIFT combinations.)
My Dell Precision 7510 laptop does not have dedicated Home and End buttons but it does have dedicated PrtScr and Insert buttons ( like this ). Because I normally use an external keyboard and I regularly use my Print Screen key I needed a way to toggle that button between being Print Screen and Home when using the laptop keyboard. Building upon the example from Iian , I setup Win+Print Screen to toggle the override.
ON my brand new computer I made this same discovery and I used the HOME and END keys a lot to go to the beginning or end of a document. I found that ctrl + fn + arrow RIGHT key goes to the end ctrl + fn + arrow LEFT key goes to the beginning
This is partially working, but try pressing UP or DOWN arrow for your purpose. In most one-line text input fields, it does what HOME and END do.
These are the things you can try.
Fn+PgUp --->> Home
Fn+PgDn --->> End
Fn+RightArrow --->> Home
Fn+LeftArrow --->> End
MY NOTEBOOK = ASUS X202e
running W8: Fn right arrow = END Fn left arrow = HOME
Hope this helps somebody.
- 1 The question explicitly says that the asker tried this and it didn't work. – David Richerby Oct 10, 2015 at 0:22
Simple friends . Our normal short cut to go 1st cell is Ctrl+home . In mini keyboards we have to add Fb key together as follows. CTRL+fn+home (left key).. the same as for end ( ctrl+fn+right key)
- This duplicates MAC's answer. – fixer1234 Mar 23, 2018 at 8:40
- Not simple at all. As my original question states, using the Fn button in combination with arrow keys does not work. – Steve Crane Mar 23, 2018 at 11:41
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged keyboard or ask your own question .
- The Overflow Blog
- The open-source game engine you’ve been waiting for: Godot (Ep. 542)
- How Intuit democratizes AI development across teams through reusability sponsored post
- Featured on Meta
- We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup
- Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st,...
Hot Network Questions
- is there a chinese version of ex. as in example?
- What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak?
- How to properly visualize the change of variance of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable?
- Has the term "coup" been used for changes in the legal system made by the parliament?
- if statement with string comparison
- How to choose voltage value of capacitors
- PTIJ Should we be afraid of Artificial Intelligence?
- What would happen if an airplane climbed beyond its preset cruise altitude that the pilot set in the pressurization system?
- Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application
- If my extrinsic makes calls to other extrinsics, do I need to include their weight in #[pallet::weight(..)]?
- Confusion About Entropy
- Can the Spiritual Weapon spell be used as cover?
- Dynamic programming: optimal order to answer questions to score the maximum expected marks
- How to digitize the vector figure?
- Does Cosmic Background radiation transmit heat?
- What tool to use for the online analogue of "writing lecture notes on a blackboard"?
- Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks?
- Sum of strings (UTF-16 codepoints)
- Torsion-free virtually free-by-cyclic groups
- Why was the nose gear of Concorde located so far aft?
- Does Nick love Gatsby?
- Represent a random forest model as an equation in a paper
- Small bright constellation on the photo
- Getting to the "outdoors" without a car
Your privacy
By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy .
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Ctrl+Shift+End - Pressing Ctrl, Shift, and End all at the same time highlights all text from the current position to the end of the text or page. Tip While browsing the Internet pressing the End key on your keyboard moves to the bottom of the page.
The End key is a key commonly found on desktop and laptop keyboards. The key has the opposite effect of the Home key. In some limited-size keyboards where the End key is missing the same functionality can be reached via the key combination of Fn + → or Control + End keys.
The most frequently used control keys are Ctrl, Alt, the Windows logo key , and Esc. Function keys. The function keys are used to perform specific tasks. They are labeled as F1, F2, F3, and so on, up to F12. The functionality of these keys differs from program to program. Navigation keys.
Shift keys: The keyboard sports various shift keys used either alone or in combination with other keys. These include Shift, Alt, Ctrl, and the special Windows keys Win and Context. The Win key appears in the bottom row between the Fn and Alt keys; the Context key appears between Alt and Ctrl.
The following are the main uses of End Key on a Laptop: 1. End. This command brings you to the end of a line, paragraph, or document. 2. Ctrl+End (ctrl end on laptop). Holding down the control end on laptopat the same time will take you to the exact end of the document, page, or text. 3. Shift+End.
PC keyboards also have a Menu key that looks like a cursor pointing to a menu. Esc: Esc (escape) ...
Ctrl+End – Holding down the Ctrl and End keys at the same time will take you to the exact end of the document, page, or text. What are the Home and End keys for on a keyboard? Tapping End moves your cursor to the end (natch) of a line, while Home moves it to the beginning.
On most small keyboards (including many notebook keyboards) Fn + → (right arrow) will function as the End key. My laptop has (Home) and (End) keys, and yet (Fn)+ (← (left arrow)) and (Fn)+ (→ (right arrow)) function as Home and End. Works for my laptop.