15 Computer Tricks for Windows 10 and 11 That Save Real Time

The best computer tricks aren’t secret hacks. They’re built-in Windows features that most people never find, like a clipboard that remembers your last 25 copies, or a one-line command that reports on your laptop battery. If you only learn one today, make it Windows key + V.

Every trick below is documented by Microsoft and works on Windows 10 and 11 unless noted. Where Windows 10 does it differently, you’ll see that too.

Quick list

#	Trick	Shortcut or command
1	Clipboard history	Windows key + V
2	Snap windows side by side	Windows key + Z (Windows 11) or Windows key + arrow
3	Screenshot part of the screen	Windows key + Shift + S
4	Reopen a closed browser tab	Ctrl + Shift + T in Microsoft Edge
5	Lock your PC instantly	Windows key + L
6	Open Task Manager directly	Ctrl + Shift + Esc
7	Power user menu	Windows key + X
8	Battery report	powercfg /batteryreport
9	Focus sessions	Windows key + N, then Focus (Windows 11)
10	Emoji and symbols	Windows key + period (.)
11	Virtual desktops	Windows key + Ctrl + D
12	Clear the clutter	Windows key + D and Windows key + Home
13	Open pinned apps by number	Windows key + 1 to 9
14	Move a window to another monitor	Windows key + Shift + Left/Right arrow
15	Open Command Prompt in any folder	Type cmd in File Explorer’s address bar

1. Clipboard history (Windows key + V)

Normally, copying something new replaces what you copied before. Clipboard history keeps a list instead.

1. Press Windows key + V.
2. Select Turn on the first time.
3. From then on, press Windows key + V and click any recent item to paste it.

Microsoft says it holds up to 25 items (up to 4 MB each), clears when you restart except for pinned items, and can sync between PCs signed in to the same account. Our Windows emoji keyboard shortcut guide covers the settings in more detail.

Important: Clipboard history stores everything you copy, including passwords. Press Windows key + V and choose Clear all after copying anything sensitive.

2. Snap layouts

Snap arranges windows neatly without dragging edges around.

• Windows 11: Hover over a window’s maximize button, or press Windows key + Z, and pick a layout. Snap Assist then helps you fill the other spaces. You can also drag a window to the top of the screen to see the layouts.
• Windows 10: Press and hold Windows key + an arrow key to snap the current window, then pick a window for the other side.

On Windows 11, snapped windows are remembered as a Snap group: hover over one of the apps on the taskbar to bring the whole group back. If Snap doesn’t work, check Settings > System > Multitasking and turn on Snap windows.

3. Screenshot just part of the screen (Windows key + Shift + S)

Press Windows key + Shift + S, drag over what you want, and it’s copied to the clipboard. On Windows 11, Snipping Tool also saves it automatically to your Screenshots folder. Windows 11 can record the screen too, with Windows key + Shift + R.

For every method, including where each one saves, see how to print screen on Windows 11.

4. Reopen a tab you just closed (Ctrl + Shift + T)

Closed the wrong tab? In Microsoft Edge, Ctrl + Shift + T reopens the last closed tab and switches to it.

Other Edge shortcuts worth knowing: Ctrl + T for a new tab, Ctrl + W to close the current tab, and Ctrl + Shift + N for an InPrivate window.

5. Lock your PC instantly (Windows key + L)

Walking away from your desk? Windows key + L locks the computer immediately. Everything stays open, and you sign back in to pick up where you left off. It’s the single best habit for keeping your screen private at work.

6. Open Task Manager directly (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)

Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager in one step. Use it to see what’s using your CPU, memory or disk when the PC feels slow. Our guide to why your computer is so slow walks through what to look for once it’s open.

On a Mac, the equivalent is Activity Monitor; see Task Manager on Mac.

7. The power user menu (Windows key + X)

Windows key + X, or right-clicking the Start button, opens what Microsoft calls the Quick Link menu. It’s a shortcut list of system tools, and on Windows 11 it includes Terminal (Admin), which makes it one of the fastest ways to an elevated command prompt.

8. Get a battery report

Windows can produce a detailed report of your laptop battery’s usage over the life of the system:

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Run:

powercfg /batteryreport

Windows creates an HTML report file in the current folder. Open it in your browser.

To choose where the report goes, add /output with a file name:

powercfg /batteryreport /output "batteryreport.html"

You can also limit the report to recent history with /duration and a number of days, for example powercfg /batteryreport /duration 4.

9. Focus sessions (Windows 11)

Focus silences distractions for a set time. On Windows 11:

1. Select the clock or notification bell on the taskbar, or press Windows key + N.
2. Choose a time.
3. Select Focus.

During a session, Windows turns on do not disturb, shows a timer, and turns off flashing and badges on taskbar apps. You get a notification when it ends. You can also start one from Settings > System > Focus or from the Focus sessions page in the Clock app.

On Windows 10, the closest feature is Focus assist in Settings > System > Focus assist, with Priority only and Alarms only modes.

10. Emoji, kaomoji and symbols (Windows key + period)

Press Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;) in any text box to open the emoji panel. Keep typing to search. On Windows 11 it also has GIFs, kaomoji and a Symbols section for accented letters and punctuation marks.

11. Virtual desktops

Keep work and personal windows apart with separate desktops:

• Windows key + Ctrl + D creates a new desktop.
• Windows key + Ctrl + Left/Right arrow switches between desktops.
• Windows key + Tab opens Task view, where you can see and manage them.

12. Clear the clutter fast

• Windows key + D shows the desktop, and pressing it again brings your windows back.
• Windows key + Home minimizes every window except the one you’re working in. Press it again to restore them.
• Windows key + E opens File Explorer, and Windows key + I opens Settings.

13. Open taskbar apps by number

Windows key + 1 opens the first app pinned to your taskbar, Windows key + 2 the second, and so on. Add Shift (Windows key + Shift + number) to start a new instance of that app. Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + number opens a new instance of that app as administrator.

14. Move a window to another monitor

With two screens, press Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow to move the active window to the other monitor without dragging it.

15. Open Command Prompt in any folder

In File Explorer, click the address bar, type cmd and press Enter. Command Prompt opens already pointed at that folder. Once it’s open, our Command Prompt shortcuts guide shows the keys that make it faster, like F7 for your command history.

If a trick doesn’t work

• Check your Windows version. Snap layouts with Windows key + Z, Focus sessions and screen recording in Snipping Tool are Windows 11 features. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.
• Check the setting. Clipboard history must be turned on first, and Snap can be switched off in Settings > System > Multitasking.
• Work PCs can differ. Your organization may manage some settings, so ask IT if a feature is missing.

For more practical guides, browse Tech Tips.