Quick Tips What the F-key F1 Through F4

What the F-key F1 Through F4

See that line of keys ranging from F1 to F12 at the top of your keyboard? Wonder what all of 'em do? Yeah, so do I, and that's why today we're going to take a trip down funky f-key lane to discover the fun of Function Keys!

Function keys have many, many uses, some of which are specific to the program that's running at the time. They're mainly used as shortcuts or in conjunction with the CTRL, ALT, and Shift keys, which I'll get more into in another article.

For now, here are the basics of function keys F1 – F4.


F1- Typically pressing this brings up the help file for the program you're currently in. To test this, go ahead and left click on a blank area of your desktop, then press F1. The help file should spring to life, offering it's bounty of knowledge!

F2 – This F-key is used to rename stuff. Click on a file or folder and strike the F2 key; you'll be able to rename it with ease! This is a good one to know if you're zipping through a bunch of files you're archiving and you have a specific naming convention in mind. Click the file, press F2 and rename it! - wash, rinse, repeat!

F3 – Used to bring up the search function in Windows, but varies for other programs. Great for Internet Explorer and Firefox users who want to find a specific word or phrase on a web page with ease!

F4 – In Internet Explorer the F4 key opens the address bar. Even though I said I wouldn't be mentioning any extra key commands until later, I must mention that pressing ALT + F4 will close any active program. Careful with this one! :)
What the F-key? F5 through F8

In part 2 of “What the F-key?” we'll be covering Function Keys F5 through F8. Some useful ideas here for function keys, folks! Just to recap let's discuss what F-keys are used for:

Function keys have many, many uses, some of which are specific to the program that's running at the time. They're mainly used as shortcuts or in conjunction with the CTRL, ALT, and Shift keys, which I'll cover in a later article.

Continuing on, here are the basics of function keys F5 – F8.

F5 – Refresh key. Use this key to reload a web page or refresh your desktop. This is a good one for both the Internet (good for Ebay bid battles) and apparent computer freezes.

F6 – Cycles the cursor from field to field in the active program. In MS Word you can use this F-key to go to the next pane or frame.

F7 – This F-key is program-specific. Experiment in different programs to see what it can do, but remember to save your work first!

F8 – This key is used to boot Windows in Safe Mode.