We're passionate about keyboard shortcuts—they're a game-changer for productivity. With practice, you can even navigate Windows entirely without a mouse. Navigating Windows Using Keyboard Shortcuts Only You may know many shortcuts already, but did you know you can master Windows mouse-free? Here's how. Read More We've compiled the ultimate guide to Windows shortcuts too: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 101: The Ultimate Guide Keyboard shortcuts save hours. Master universal ones, app-specific tricks, and tips to accelerate your work. Read More
Today, we'll use a built-in Word feature to generate a comprehensive list of shortcuts directly from the program—nothing beats the source for accuracy. This works for Word and extends to other Office apps.
Add-ins supercharge Office (like these top Excel add-ins: Power Up Excel With 10 Add-ins To Process, Analyze, And Visualize Data Like A Pro Vanilla Excel is powerful, but add-ins take it further for data processing. Learn more). However, they can alter default shortcuts or cause stability issues.
To ensure a clean list without add-in interference, launch Word in Safe Mode, which disables them. The simplest way: Search for Word (How to Search Better and Faster in Windows 8 Windows 8 search is robust for PC and web. Know more! Read More), hold Ctrl while clicking, and confirm Safe Mode.
For a geekier approach (6 Clever Windows Tips and Tricks for Geeks Unlock hidden Windows potential. Read More): Locate the executable (winword.exe), right-click the shortcut, and select Open file location. Copy the path to Explorer's address bar. On 64-bit systems for Office 2013, it's typically:
"C:\Archivos de programa (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\winword.exe"
Open Command Prompt (The Windows Command Line: Simpler and More Useful Than You Think Modern commands for efficiency. Read More), paste the path in quotes, add a space and /a:
"C:\Archivos de programa (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\winword.exe" /aThis starts add-in-free Word. Check active add-ins via File > Options > Add-ins.
Word is ubiquitous (get it free: How to Get Microsoft Word for Free Enjoy full Word without paying. Read More), so start here.
Press Alt + F8 or go to View > Macros > View Macros. Set Macros in to Word commands, select ListCommands, and run it.
Choose Current keyboard settings for a digestible 10-page list of common shortcuts (all commands yield a massive 76-page doc). Export to PDF for reference (7 Best Tools to Print to PDF Top alternatives since Windows lacks native. Read more).
For personalized shortcuts (Set Up Custom Shortcut Keys in MS Word and Make a Cheat Sheet Read More): Open a blank doc, go to File > Print. Under Settings, change Print all pages to Key assignments.
Select Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows 10) or a lightweight alternative like Foxit Reader (6 Lightweight Alternatives to Open Office and PDF Files Read More; Why You Don't Need Adobe Reader). Save your PDF cheat sheet.
This trick is Word-exclusive, but for Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, use Microsoft's official lists from Help (F1) or these pages:
Press Ctrl + P to print or save as PDF (Top Tips and Tools to Print Web Pages Read more). Pages range 8-22 long. For cleaner versions, Ctrl + A, paste to Word, edit, and export—or use PrintWhatYouLike (3 Easy Bookmarklets to Print Web Pages Nicely Read More). Store in Google Drive (10 Tips to Do More with PDFs in Google Drive Read more).
With your custom lists ready—even as Office 2016 loomed (Microsoft Office 2016 Preview Read More)—learn a few daily to fly through docs mouse-free. Dive deeper: 10 Hidden Microsoft Word Features Read More; 10 Simple Office 2013 Tips Read more.
What's your go-to Office shortcut setup? Custom or default? Share in the comments!