Shortcut Guide - Microsoft PowerToys

Shortcut Guide displays an overlay showing available Windows keyboard shortcuts when you press and hold the Windows key. Perfect for learning and remembering Windows shortcuts.

Activation

Press and Hold Win Key

Press and hold the Windows key (Win) for the configured duration (default: 900ms).

View Shortcuts

The overlay appears showing available shortcuts for the current context.

Execute Shortcut

While holding Win, press any shown key to execute that shortcut.

Close Overlay

Release the Windows key or press Esc to close the guide.

The guide only appears when you hold the Win key without pressing other keys. If you press another key immediately, the normal Windows shortcut executes instead.

How It Works

Activation Detection

From source /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/shortcut_guide.cpp:90-116:

bool isWinPressed() {
    return (GetAsyncKeyState(VK_LWIN) & 0x8000) || 
           (GetAsyncKeyState(VK_RWIN) & 0x8000);
}

bool onlyWinPressed() {
    if (!isWinPressed()) return false;
    
    // Check no other modifiers are pressed
    for (auto key : modifierKeys) {
        if (GetAsyncKeyState(key) & 0x8000)
            return false;
    }
    return true;
}

The guide uses a low-level keyboard hook to detect:

Windows key press and hold
No other modifier keys pressed (Shift, Ctrl, Alt)
Held for configured duration threshold

Window Context Detection

Shortcut Guide intelligently detects the active window to show relevant shortcuts. From source /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/shortcut_guide.cpp:28-86:

Window Eligibility

The guide checks if shortcuts apply to the current window:Excluded Windows:

Child windows (WS_CHILD)
Disabled windows (WS_DISABLED)
Tool windows (WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW)
Non-activating windows (WS_EX_NOACTIVATE)
System windows (Taskbar, Start Menu)
Cortana/Search UI

Snappable Windows: Windows must have these styles to show snap shortcuts:

WS_MAXIMIZEBOX - Can be maximized
WS_MINIMIZEBOX - Can be minimized
WS_THICKFRAME - Resizable

Displayed Shortcuts

Shortcut Guide organizes shortcuts into categories:

Windows Snap Shortcuts

Snap Left

Win + ← - Snap window to left half

Snap Right

Win + → - Snap window to right half

Maximize

Win + ↑ - Maximize window

Minimize/Restore

Win + ↓ - Minimize or restore window

Quarter Snapping
Multi-Monitor

Combine arrow keys for quarter-screen snap:

Win + ← then Win + ↑ - Top-left quarter
Win + ← then Win + ↓ - Bottom-left quarter
Win + → then Win + ↑ - Top-right quarter
Win + → then Win + ↓ - Bottom-right quarter

Move windows between monitors:

Win + Shift + ← - Move to left monitor
Win + Shift + → - Move to right monitor

Snap shortcuts only appear when the active window supports snapping (has maximize/minimize/resize capabilities).

Desktop & Taskbar Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Win + D`	Show/Hide desktop
`Win + M`	Minimize all windows
`Win + Home`	Minimize all except active window
`Win + ,`	Peek at desktop
`Win + T`	Cycle through taskbar apps
`Win + [Number]`	Launch taskbar app at position
`Win + B`	Focus system tray

Virtual Desktop Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Win + Ctrl + D`	Create new virtual desktop
`Win + Ctrl + F4`	Close current desktop
`Win + Ctrl + ←`	Switch to left desktop
`Win + Ctrl + →`	Switch to right desktop
`Win + Tab`	Open Task View

System Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Win + A`	Open Action Center
`Win + S`	Open Search
`Win + I`	Open Settings
`Win + X`	Open Quick Link menu
`Win + L`	Lock computer
`Win + R`	Open Run dialog
`Win + E`	Open File Explorer
`Win + K`	Open Connect pane
`Win + P`	Project display mode
`Win + U`	Open Accessibility settings
`Win + V`	Open Clipboard history
`Win + .` or `Win + ;`	Open emoji picker

Application Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Win + Shift + S`	Screenshot (Snipping Tool)
`Win + PrtScn`	Full screenshot to Pictures
`Win + G`	Open Xbox Game Bar
`Win + Alt + R`	Record screen
`Win + H`	Voice typing
`Win + Shift + V`	Cycle notification focus

Features

Visual Design

Overlay Appearance

The Shortcut Guide overlay features:

Semi-transparent dark background
Keyboard layout visualization
Highlighted available shortcuts
Action descriptions next to each key
Theme-aware colors (light/dark mode)
Smooth fade-in/fade-out animations

Implementation: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/overlay_window.cpp

D2D Rendering

Shortcut Guide uses Direct2D for smooth rendering: From source files:

SVG graphics: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/d2d_svg.cpp
Text rendering: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/d2d_text.cpp
Window rendering: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/d2d_window.cpp

Animation System

Smooth Animations

Shortcut Guide includes an animation system for smooth appearance/disappearance:

Fade-in when Win key held
Fade-out when released or Esc pressed
Immediate response to Win key release
Smooth transitions

Implementation: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/animation.cpp

Keyboard Hook

Low-level keyboard hook monitors key events:

LRESULT CALLBACK LowLevelKeyboardProc(int nCode, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) {
    if (nCode == HC_ACTION) {
        // ESC key closes overlay
        if (event.lParam->vkCode == VK_ESCAPE) {
            overlay_window_instance->CloseWindow(HideWindowType::ESC_PRESSED);
        }
        
        // Win key release closes overlay
        if (wasWinPressed && !isKeyDown(event) && isWin(event.lParam->vkCode)) {
            overlay_window_instance->CloseWindow(HideWindowType::WIN_RELEASED);
        }
    }
}

From /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/shortcut_guide.cpp:128-150

Configuration

Press Duration

Open Settings

Open PowerToys Settings > Shortcut Guide.

Adjust Duration

Configure “Press duration before showing” (default: 900ms).

Shorter (500ms): Quick access, may activate accidentally
Longer (1500ms): Deliberate activation, requires longer hold

Test

Hold Win key to test the new duration.

If you frequently activate Shortcut Guide accidentally, increase the duration. If you find it takes too long to appear, decrease it.

Overlay Opacity

Adjust background transparency:

Higher opacity: Easier to read, blocks more of screen
Lower opacity: Less obtrusive, can see through to content

Theme

Shortcut Guide automatically adapts to Windows theme:

Light mode: Light background, dark text
Dark mode: Dark background, light text

Use Cases

Learning Windows Shortcuts

For New Users:

Discover available Windows shortcuts without searching documentation
Learn keyboard-driven workflows gradually
Reference guide always available with Win key hold
Contextual shortcuts based on active window

Example: New to Windows? Hold Win to learn snap shortcuts when resizing windows.

Productivity Power Users

For Experts:

Quick reference for less-common shortcuts
Discover shortcuts you didn’t know existed
Verify exact key combinations
Teach shortcuts to others by showing overlay

Example: Demonstrate virtual desktop shortcuts to colleague by holding Win.

Training & Support

For Trainers:

Visual aid when teaching Windows
Show available shortcuts during presentations
Help users remember key combinations
Reduce need for printed shortcut references

Example: During training session, hold Win to show all window management shortcuts.

Accessibility

For Accessible Workflows:

Reduce reliance on mouse
Discover keyboard alternatives to mouse actions
Learn system-wide keyboard navigation
Support for users with motor impairments

Example: Learn keyboard-only window management without touching mouse.

Advanced Features

Context-Aware Display

Shortcut Guide intelligently shows/hides shortcuts based on window state:

Snappable Windows
Non-Snappable Windows
Desktop/Taskbar Focus

When active window supports snapping:

Shows all snap shortcuts (arrows, maximize, minimize)
Displays multi-monitor move shortcuts
Shows quarter-snap combinations

From source /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/shortcut_guide.cpp:74-84:

result.snappable = ((style & WS_MAXIMIZEBOX) == WS_MAXIMIZEBOX) &&
                   ((style & WS_MINIMIZEBOX) == WS_MINIMIZEBOX) &&
                   ((style & WS_THICKFRAME) == WS_THICKFRAME);

Start Visible Mode

Shortcut Guide can launch in “always visible” mode for testing: Implementation: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/start_visible.cpp

Developer/Testing Mode

When launched with start-visible flag:

Overlay appears immediately on startup
Stays visible without holding Win key
Useful for testing visual changes
Helpful for taking screenshots/documentation

Troubleshooting

Overlay Not Appearing

Checklist:

Ensure Shortcut Guide is enabled in PowerToys Settings
Verify you’re holding Win key (not just tapping)
Check press duration setting isn’t too long
Don’t press other keys while holding Win
Ensure PowerToys is running

Common Issue: Pressing Win + another key too quickly executes shortcut instead of showing guide.

Shortcuts Not Working

Possible Causes:

Some shortcuts may be disabled by Group Policy
Windows version may not support certain shortcuts
Third-party software may override shortcuts
Active window may not support specific shortcuts (e.g., snap)

Solution: Test shortcuts shown in guide work without the overlay.

Overlay Closes Immediately

Reasons:

Releasing Win key too quickly
Another application capturing Win key
Keyboard hardware sending multiple key events
Press duration setting too short

Fix: Increase press duration in settings to 1500ms for testing.

Wrong Shortcuts Displayed

Context Issues:

Overlay shows shortcuts for detected window context
Some applications may not be detected correctly
System windows may show limited shortcuts

Verification: Check if active window is expected type (snappable vs. non-snappable).

Performance

Resource Usage

System Impact

Shortcut Guide is lightweight:

Minimal CPU usage when idle (keyboard hook only)
Direct2D rendering for efficient graphics
Quick overlay rendering (less than 16ms)
Small memory footprint
No background processing when not active

Hide Window Types

From source, the overlay can be hidden via:

enum HideWindowType {
    ESC_PRESSED,    // User pressed Escape
    WIN_RELEASED,   // User released Win key
};

Implementation ensures immediate response to user input.

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Complete Shortcut List

Shortcut Guide displays shortcuts from these categories:

Window Management (when applicable)
Desktop & Taskbar (always shown)
Virtual Desktops (Windows 10+)
System Functions (always shown)
Applications (context-aware)

The exact shortcuts shown vary by Windows version. Windows 11 may show additional shortcuts not available in Windows 10.

Source Code

Location: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuide/

Main logic: shortcut_guide.cpp
Overlay window: overlay_window.cpp
D2D rendering: d2d_window.cpp, d2d_svg.cpp, d2d_text.cpp
Animation: animation.cpp
Start visible mode: start_visible.cpp
Native event handling: native_event_waiter.cpp

Module Interface

Documentation: /src/modules/ShortcutGuide/ShortcutGuideModuleInterface/README.md

Get Started

Core Utilities

Mouse & Input

Productivity Tools

Configuration

Community & Support

​Activation

​How It Works

​Activation Detection

​Window Context Detection

​Displayed Shortcuts

​Windows Snap Shortcuts

Snap Left

Snap Right

Maximize

Minimize/Restore

​Desktop & Taskbar Shortcuts

​Virtual Desktop Shortcuts

​System Shortcuts

​Application Shortcuts

​Features

​Visual Design

​D2D Rendering

​Animation System

​Keyboard Hook

​Configuration

​Press Duration

​Overlay Opacity

​Theme

​Use Cases

​Advanced Features

​Context-Aware Display

​Start Visible Mode

​Troubleshooting

​Performance

​Resource Usage

​Hide Window Types

​Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

​Complete Shortcut List

​Source Code

​Module Interface

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Activation

How It Works

Activation Detection

Window Context Detection

Displayed Shortcuts

Windows Snap Shortcuts

Desktop & Taskbar Shortcuts

Virtual Desktop Shortcuts

System Shortcuts

Application Shortcuts

Features

Visual Design

D2D Rendering

Animation System

Keyboard Hook

Configuration

Press Duration

Overlay Opacity

Theme

Use Cases

Advanced Features

Context-Aware Display

Start Visible Mode

Troubleshooting

Performance

Resource Usage

Hide Window Types

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Complete Shortcut List

Source Code

Module Interface