Function Keys on Keyboard
The function keys are present in each keyboard. There are a total of twelve function keys labelled from F1 to F12. Each function key is designed to carry out a specific activity. The use and function of each function key are described below.
1. F1 Key
The uses and functions of F1 key are as follows:
- This key is almost universally used to launch the Help and Support screen.
- F1 with the Windows key displays the Windows Help and Support screen.
- It is used to access the CMOS setup.
- Pressed Ctrl and F1 to open The Task Pane.
2. F2 Key
The uses and functions of F2 key are as follows:
- Most people use this key to rename files, folders, or icons.
- Press Ctrl and F2 together to open the print preview window in MS Office
- It is utilized to enter into the CMOS setup.
- Press Alt, Ctrl and F2 together to open a document window in MS Office.
- Press Alt + F2 to open the 'Save As' window in Microsoft Excel.
- It is utilized to reduce the laptop screen's brightness.
- Press Shift and F2 together to add a comment box in MS Excel.
3. F3 Key
The uses and functions of F3 key are as follows:
- F3 opens a search box where you can search for folders and files.
- F3 is used to open the find bar on many browsers.
- Press Shift and F3 together in MS Word to convert text from uppercase to lowercase or all capital letters.
- Press the Windows Key and F3 together to open the Advanced find box in Microsoft Outlook.
- Mission control is opened by pressing F3 on an Apple computer.
4. F4 Key
The uses and functions of F4 key are as follows:
- Alt + F4 is used to close a program window. If there isn't a window open, then it opens the shutdown dialogue box.
- To repeat the previous action you did in Microsoft Word, press F4.
- It used to launch the find box on Windows 95 to XP.
5. F5 Key
The uses and functions of F5 key are as follows:
- Almost all recent internet browsers allow you to refresh or reload a webpage by using this key.
- It is used to launch, find, replace, and go to screen in MS Word.
- This key is used to start a slideshow.
- A laptop's keyboard backlight can be turned by pressing this key. It is utilized to adjust the brightness.
6. F6 Key
The uses and functions of F6 key are as follows:
- This key is utilized to move the cursor to the address bar in a current browser.
- Use Ctrl and F6 to switch between different MS Word documents
- It's utilized to lower laptop speakers' volume.
- In many laptops, the laptop speaker can be muted by pressing it.
7. F7 Key
The uses and functions of F7 key are as follows:
- Press F7 to open the Spelling and Grammar dialogue box in the Microsoft Office application.
- Press Shift + F7 to search Thesaurus for the highlighted word.
- It is utilized to enable Caret browsing in Mozilla Firefox.
- This key is also used to decrease the speaker volume.
8. F8 Key
The uses and functions of F8 key are as follows:
- By holding F8 during the Windows boot process, Windows safe mode is activated.
- It shows a thumbnail image for each workspace on Mac OS.
- This key is also used to increase the volume of laptop speakers, in some laptops.
- This key is used to access the Windows recovery system, but the windows installation CD is needed.
9. F9 Key
The uses and functions of F9 key are as follows:
- To refresh a document in MS word, press F9.
- It is utilized to send emails in various applications, including Microsoft Outlook and Siebel CRM.
- The Alt + F9 and Ctrl + F9 keyboard shortcuts are used by programmers to compile and run code.
10. F10 Key
The uses and functions of F10 key are as follows:
- The menu bar of an open application in Windows OS is activated by pressing this key.
- This key is utilized to access the CMOS setup.
- Shift + F10 is similar to right-clicking on a highlighted icon, file, or website link.
- Ctrl + F10 in Visual Studio is used for debugging the code.
11. F11 Key
The uses and functions of F11 key are as follows:
- In Microsoft Excel, press Shift + F11 to create a new sheet, whereas press Ctrl + F11 to create a new macro.
- To access the hidden recovery partition on several Dell laptops, press the keys Ctrl and F11.
12. F12 Key
The uses and functions of F12 key are as follows:
- In the MS Office software, it launches the "Save As" window.
- Microsoft Word documents can be printed by pressing Ctrl, Shift, and F12.
- Press F12 to launch the browser debug tool like Firebug.
- The dashboard can be displayed or hidden using F12.
- The F12 key turns on and off aeroplane mode.