Save tons of time with fast-acting Function key combinations

As demands on your time continue to rise, anytime you find a shortcut that helps you create or edit a presentation in less time and with more ease, you should commit it to memory. Or, just cut out our handy clip-n-save page to put dozens of useful shortcuts at your fingertips.

Get functional with Function keys

You probably already have quite a few timesaving tips and tricks at your disposal, but some of the most commonly overlooked PowerPoint shortcuts involve the function keys (the [F1] through [F12] keys along the top of your keyboard). We’ve listed each Function key that’s applicable to PowerPoint and its associated action below.

Function key	Action
[F1]	Displays either Microsoft PowerPoint Help or the Office Assistant (depending on your PowerPoint settings).
[F2]	Changes the object selected from the text box to the text within the text box, and vice versa. (Only works with text and text boxes.)
[F4]	Repeats the last action performed.
[F5]	Changes the current view to Slide Show view.
[F6]	Moves the mouse insertion point to the next pane.
[F7]	Checks your presentation for spelling errors.
[F10]	Activates the menu bar. Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate to a menu item; press [Enter] to open an item’s dropdown list; use the up and down arrow keys to navigate to an item on a dropdown list; and press [Enter] to activate a command.
[F12]	Launches the Save As dialog box.

Get more done with key combinations

Now that you have the basic Function key actions under your belt, try out the key combinations we’ve listed in Table B for even more convenience. These shortcuts use the Function keys combined with other keys to create quick results. It may take a little practice, but soon you’ll be using these shortcuts without even thinking about it.

Key combination	Action
[Shift][F1]	Launches context-sensitive help. A large question mark appears along with your insertion point when this is activated—click on any menu item or toolbar object for a short explanation.
[Alt][F2]	Launches the Save As dialog box.
[Shift][F3]	Changes the case of the selected text.
[Shift][F4]	Repeats last Find (Find Next) operation after the Find dialog box has been closed.
[Ctrl][F4]	Closes the active window.
[Alt][F4]	Closes PowerPoint.
[Ctrl][F5]	Restores the active presentation window size. Use with [Ctrl][F10] to shrink and enlarge the active window within PowerPoint.
[Alt][F5]	Restores the application window size Use with [Alt][F10] to shrink and enlarge the PowerPoint application window.
[Shift][F6]	Makes the previous pane active. Use with [F6] to navigate through panes.
[Ctrl][F6]	Makes the next presentation window active. Use with [Ctrl][Shift][F6] to toggle through open presentations.
[Ctrl][Shift][F6]	Makes the previous presentation window active.
[Shift][F10]	Displays the selected object’s shortcut menu.
[Ctrl][F10]	Maximizes the active presentation window size.
[Alt][F10]	Maximizes the application window.
[Ctrl][Shift][F10]	Activates the menu bar.
[Alt][F11]	Launches the Visual Basic Editor (VBE).
[Ctrl][F12]	Launches the Open dialog box.
[Ctrl][Shift][F12]	Launches the Print dialog box.