Mastering Shortcuts: Windows vs. Mac Cheat Sheet for a Smoother Workflow

Whether you’re a tech wizard or just starting to explore the world of keyboard shortcuts, mastering these quick commands can save you time and make your computing experience smoother. Whether you're using Windows or Mac, these shortcuts help you navigate and perform tasks more efficiently. If you’ve recently switched from Windows to Mac or vice versa, or if you use both, this guide will help you get up to speed.

This cheat sheet covers shortcuts for Windows 11 and macOS Monterey, but most will work on earlier versions too. We've also included a link to a downloadable PDF version of this cheat sheet through our distribution partner, TradePub. Just fill out a quick form to access it for the first time!

Essential Mac and Windows Shortcuts at a Glance

Here’s a handy table of essential shortcuts for both Windows and Mac:

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
Copy	Ctrl + C	Command + C
Cut	Ctrl + X	Command + X
Paste	Ctrl + V	Command + V
Undo	Ctrl + Z	Command + Z
Find	Ctrl + F	Command + F
Search and Replace	Ctrl + H	Command + H
Select All	Ctrl + A	Command + A
Bold	Ctrl + B	Command + B
Italic	Ctrl + I	Command + I
Underline	Ctrl + U	Command + U
Superscript	Ctrl + Shift + =	Command + Control + +
Subscript	Ctrl + =	Command + Control + –
Rename	F2	Return

Menu Navigation

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
File Menu	Alt + F	Command + F2 then F
Edit Menu	Alt + E	Command + F2 then E
View Menu	Alt + V	Command + F2 then V

Command Prompt/Terminal

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
Copy	Ctrl + C	Command + C
Paste	Ctrl + V	Command + V
Select Current Line	Ctrl + A	Triple-click the line
Move One Line Up/Down	Ctrl + Up / Ctrl + Down	Option + Command + Page Up / Option + Command + Page Down
Search	Ctrl + F	Command + F
New Tab	Ctrl + Win + T	Command + T

File and Directory Management

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
List Files and Folders	dir	ls
Full Path of Current Folder/Directory	cd	pwd
Change Folder/Directory	cd <path to directory>	cd <path to directory>
One Directory Up in Directory Tree	cd..	cd ..
Move to Root Directory	cd	cd
Create New Directory in Current Directory	mkdir newFolder	mkdir myFolder
Create New File	echo some-text > fileName(.txt)	cat > fileName(.txt)
Remove a Directory	rmdir myFolder	rmdir myFolder
Rename a Directory	ren oldFolderName newFolderName	mv oldFolderName newFolderName
Copy a Directory	robocopy myFolder <path to destination directory>	cp -r myFolder <path to destination directory>
Move a Directory	move myFolder <path to destination directory>	mv myFolder <path to destination directory>
Remove a File	del myFile	rm myFile
Rename a File	ren oldFileName newFileName	ren oldFileName newFileName
Copy a File	copy myFile <path to destination directory>	cp myFile <path to destination directory>
Move a File	move myFile <path to destination directory>	mv myFile <path to destination directory>
Clear the Screen	cls	clear
Concatenate and Print a File	myFile	cat myFile
Count Lines in a File	C:/../myFile PIPE** find "" /v /c	wc -l myFile
Close Window	Type Exit then press Enter	Shift + Command + W

Browser Shortcuts

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
New Tab	Ctrl + T	Command + T
Focus on Browser Address Bar	Alt + D	Command + L
Go to Browser Home Page	Alt + Home	Command + Home
Add .com to URL	Ctrl + Enter	Command + Return / Control + Return
Add to Current Page Bookmark	Ctrl + D	Command + D
Close Current Window	Ctrl + W	Command + F11

Desktop Management

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
System Search	Windows key, then type	Command + Space, then type
Show/Hide Desktop	Windows + D	Command + Mission Control
Peek Desktop	Windows + ,	Command + F3
Resize or Minimize App	Windows + Down arrow	Command + M
Minimize All Apps	Windows + M	Command + Option + M
Switch Between Active Windows	Alt + Tab	Command + Tab
Close Active Window	Alt + F4	Command + W
Toggle Full Screen	F11	Command + Control + F
Launch Taskbar App with Position Specified by the Number	Windows + Number	Fn + Control + F3 then Left arrow and Return
Save Screenshot of the Screen	Windows + Print Screen	Command + Shift + 3
Copy Screen Screenshot to Clipboard	Print Screen	Command + Control + Shift + 3
Copy Active Window Screenshot	Alt + Print Screen	Command + Control + Shift + 3
Narrator in Windows / VoiceOver in Mac	Windows + Ctrl + Enter	Command + Fn + F5
Start Menu in Windows / Dock in Mac	Windows key	Command + Option + D
File Explorer in Windows / Open Search in Finder	Windows + E	Command + Option + Space
Character Map	Windows + R, type charmap, then Enter	Command + Control + Space
Settings / Preferences	Windows + I	Command + ,

Power Management

Action	Windows 11	macOS Monterey
Lock Desktop	Windows + L	Command + Control + Q
Sign Out	Ctrl + Alt + Del, click Sign out	Command + Option + Shift + Q
Sleep or Standby	Windows + X then U then S	Command + Option + Eject
Shutdown	Windows + X then U then U	Command + Control + Option + Eject
Restart	Windows + X then U then R	Command + Control + Power
Force Shutdown	Hold power button	Hold power button for longer than 1.5 seconds

Step Up Your Productivity With These Shortcuts

Now that you’ve got the lowdown on the most useful shortcuts for both Windows and Mac, it’s time to put them into practice. Mastering these shortcuts will not only streamline your workflow but also make it easier to switch between different operating systems.

Happy shortcutting!

This article is based on factual information available on third-party websites, which has been carefully confirmed and verified during the research process. It is recommended to check any required information. I do not hold any rights over the used image; it is truly AI-generated.