They are almost there, you see them every time you feel to use the computer at your work or at home, but you probably don’t know what many of them are for. They are the calls function keysthe row at the top with the keys that range from F1 A F12and in this article we will explain what you can do with each of them in Windows.
The truth is that the function keys They were not always 12 nor were they located where you see them. They appeared for the first time on the keyboards of the decade of the 60although its current form did not standardized until the years 80.
One of the first keyboards with programmable keys, which can be considered predecessors of the F keys, was the IBM 3270 Terminal in 1972. This type of device, unlike a PC, did not have its own processing capacity, or very limited, and connected to a central computer for its operation. Each of the function keys had an independent name of the rest and They were on the left side.
In 1981IBM launched the IBM PC 5150 already with the keys Fbut not yet in its definitive form. They were still on one side and covered until F10. Subsequently, they moved to the top of the keyboard and a model like the IBM 3270 PC (not terminal) of 1983 housed22 keys f!
The following year, IBM found the format that the sector would adopt with the IBM Personal Computer/AT. The 12 F aligned keys at the top have not moved from the place since then.
F1
Aid: Open the help of the active program or the operating system. In Microsoft Word, Open Office’s help; In the browser, the support page, etc.
F2
Rename: Select a file or folder and click F2 to change your name.
F3
Look for: Open the search function in the file explorer or in browsers.
F4
Addresses bar: In the file explorer opens the display of the address bar.
ALT + F4: Close the window or active application.
F5
Update: Recharge the active window. In the explorer, update the files; In a browser, recharge a web page.
Ctrl + F5: Recharge the browser page by removing the cache.
F6
Navigating elements: In browsers, move the cursor between the addresses, tabs and content bar.
F7
Spelling and Grammar: In Microsoft Word, it opens the spelling review.
Keyboard navigation: In browsers, activate text cursor navigation to use the keyboard instead of the mouse.
F8
Failure -proof starting: It allows access to Windows safe mode when starting the system.
Text selection: In Microsoft Word, it allows you to select part of a text or the complete document according to the number of times it is pressed.
F9
In Outlook: Send and receive emails.
In Word: Update selected fields (such as indices or formulas).
F10
Keytips: Open the ‘accelerating keys’ that allow access to the options of the feature tape (the menus and options in the upper part to which combinations of letters and numbers are allocated) without using the mouse in programs such as Microsoft Word or the notes.
In the browser: select the Options menu.
CAPITALS + F10: Equivalent to right mouse click.
F11
Full screen: Activate or disable full screen mode in browsers and other applications.
F12
Save like: In Word, open the window of ‘Save as’.
In browsers, open the developer tools.