10+ Windows XP keyboard shortcuts to speed everyday tasks

The shortcutsKeystroke	Function
Alt + Tab	Switches between open programs
Alt + F4 (in a program)	Closes the program
Alt + F4 (from the desktop)	Opens the Windows Shutdown/Restart dialog box
Alt + Enter	Opens the Properties page of a selected item
Alt + Esc	Cycles between open programs in the order they were opened
Alt + Spacebar	In the active window, this brings up the corner dialog box for Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, or Close
Shift + Insert a CD/DVD	Inserts a CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
Shift + Delete	Permanently deletes an item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Opens the Windows Task Manager
Ctrl + drag an icon	Copies that item
Ctrl + Shift + drag an icon	Creates a shortcut for the item
Right-click + drag an icon	Brings up a menu to copy, move, or create a shortcut for the item
F1	Opens Windows XP Help
F2	Highlights the label of a selected item for renaming
F3	Opens Windows search for files and folders
F5 (or Ctrl + R)	Refreshes an Internet Explorer page or other window
F6	Cycles through the elements that can be selected in a screen or window
F10	Selects the menu bar in the active program (usually the File menu) so that you can use the arrow keys to navigate through the menus and the Enter key to display one
Shift + F10	Displays a shortcut menu for an item (like right-clicking with the mouse)
Ctrl + Esc	Opens the Start menu

Roll your own shortcut

You can also create custom Windows XP shortcuts. Just right-click on the icon of a program or program shortcut, choose Properties, click the Shortcut tab, and enter a keystroke combination in the Shortcut Key field. Windows will let you assign only key combos that aren’t already taken.