Function Keys Information For NTS Tests
What are the F1 through F12 keys?
Answer
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 or CTRL key,
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. As mentioned above not all programs support function keys and
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.
F1
· Almost
always used as the help key, almost every program will open the help screen
when this key is pressed.
· Enter CMOS
Setup.
· Windows
Key + F1 would open the Microsoft Windows help and support center.
· Open the Task
Pane.
F2
· In
Windows renames a highlighted icon, file, or folder in all
versions of Windows.
· Alt +
Ctrl + F2 opens document window in Microsoft Word.
· Ctrl + F2
displays the print preview window in Microsoft Word.
· Quickly rename a
selected file or folder.
· Enter CMOS
Setup.
F3
· Often
opens a search feature for many programs including Microsoft Windows when at
the Windows Desktop..
· In MS-DOS
or Windows command line F3 will repeat the last command.
· Shift +
F3 will change the text in Microsoft Word from upper to lower case or a capital
letter at the beginning of every word.
· Windows
Key + F3 opens the Advanced find window in Microsoft Outlook.
· Open Mission
Control on an Apple computer running Mac OS X.
F4
· Open find
window in Windows 95 to XP.
· Open
the address bar in Windows Explorer and Internet
Explorer.
· Repeat
the last action performed (Word 2000+)
· Alt + F4
will close the program window 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, Mozilla Firefox, and most other Internet browsers.
· 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 used to access
Windows Safe Mode.
F9
· Opens the
Measurements toolbar in Quark 5.0.
· With Mac
OS 10.3 or later shows all open Windows.
· Using
the Fn key and F9 at the same time will open Mission
Control on an Apple computer running Mac OS X.
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.
· Access
the hidden recovery partition on HP and Sony computers.
· Enter CMOS
Setup.
· With Mac
OS 10.3 or later shows all open Windows for active program.
F11
· Full-screen
mode in all modern Internet browsers.
· Ctrl +
F11 as computer is starting to access the hidden recovery
partition on many Dell computers.
· Access
the hidden recovery partition on eMachines, Gateway, and Lenovo
computers.
· With Mac
OS 10.4 or later hides all open windows and shows the Desktop.
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.
· Preview a
page in Microsoft Expression Web
· Open Firebug.
· With an
Apple running Mac OS 10.4 or later F12 will show or hides the Dashboard.
