What are the F1 through F12 keys

F1

* Almost always used as the help key, almost every program will open the help screen when this key is pressed.
* Windows Key + F1 would open the Microsoft Windows help and support center.
* Open the Task Pane.

F2

* In Windows commonly used to rename a highlighted icon or file.
* Alt + Ctrl + F2 opens a new document in Microsoft Word.
* Ctrl + F2 displays the print preview window in Microsoft Word.

F3

* Often opens a search feature for many programs including Microsoft Windows.
* Shift + F3 will change the text in Microsoft Word from upper to lower case or a capital letter at the beginning of every word.

F4

* Open find window.
* Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+)
* Alt + F4 will close the program currently active in Microsoft Windows.
* Ctrl + F4 will close the open window within the current active window in Microsoft Windows.

F5

* In all modern Internet browsers pressing F5 will refresh or reload the page or document window.
* Open the find, replace, and go to window in Microsoft Word.
* Starts a slideshow in PowerPoint.

F6

* Move the cursor to the Address bar in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
* Ctrl + Shift + F6 opens to another open Microsoft Word document.

F7

* Commonly used to spell check and grammar check a document in Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, etc.
* Shift + F7 runs a Thesaurus check on the word highlighted.
* Turns on Caret browsing in Mozilla Firefox.

F8

* Function key used to enter the Windows startup menu, commonly use to get into Windows Safe Mode.

F9

* Opens the Measurements toolbar in Quark 5.0.

F10

* In Microsoft Windows activates the menu bar of an open application.
* Shift + F10 is the same as right-clicking on a highlighted icon, file, or Internet link.

F11

* Full-screen mode in all modern Internet browsers.

F12

* Open the Save as window in Microsoft Word.
* Shift + F12 save the Microsoft Word document.
* Ctrl + Shift + F12 prints a document in Microsoft Word.


Commonly known as "function keys", F1 through F12 may have a variety of different uses or no use at all. Depending on the installed operating system and the software program currently open will change how each of these keys operate. A program is capable of not only using each of the function keys, but also combining the function keys with the ALT and/or CTRL keys, for example, Microsoft Windows users can press ALT + F4 to close the program currently active.

Below is a short-listing of some of the common functions of the functions keys on computers running Microsoft Windows. As mentioned above not all programs support function keys and/or may perform different tasks then those mentioned below. If you are looking for more specific shortcut keys and function key examples we suggest seeing our shortcut key page.