Tips and Tricks for Creating Effective and Memorable Keyboard Shortcuts
Now you already know how to create keyboard shortcuts for any Windows 11 application, using both the Properties menu and AutoHotkey. However, there are some tips and tricks you can follow to create more effective and memorable keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of them:
- Select the button associated with the name or function of the application. For example, you can use P for Paint, N for Notepad, or C for Calculator. This will help you remember keyboard shortcuts more easily.
- Avoid using keys already used by Windows 11 or other apps as keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can’t use Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V as keyboard shortcuts, because these keys are already used to copy and paste text. If you use the same key, you will interfere with the built-in functioning of Windows 11 or other applications, and you may get unwanted results.
- Use easy-to-reach and convenient key combinations. For example, you can use a combination of Ctrl+Alt or Win+F as keyboard shortcuts, as these keys are close to each other and easily accessible with one hand. Avoid using key combinations that are difficult to reach or inconvenient, such as Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Z or Win+Q.
- Create consistent and logical keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can use Win+F1 to Win+F12 as keyboard shortcuts for 12 different apps, or you can use Ctrl+Alt+P for Paint, Ctrl+Alt+N for Notepad, and so on. This will help you group and organize your keyboard shortcuts better, and avoid confusion or conflicts.
- Use comments or labels to document your AutoHotkey script. If you use AutoHotkey to create keyboard shortcuts, you can add comments or labels at the beginning or end of your script to explain what the script does, or to provide an associated application name or description. You can use the ; mark to create comments, or the : mark to create labels. For example, you could write:
; This script creates a shortcut keyboard for Paint F1::Run, C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe ; End of script
Or:
:Paint F1::Run, C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe Return
These comments or labels won’t affect the functionality of your script but will help you remember or identify your script more easily.
That’s how to create a keyboard shortcut for any Windows 11 application by two different methods: using the Properties menu and using AutoHotkey. We hope this article was useful for those of you who want to open your favorite Windows 11 apps quickly and easily. Good luck!