Walking Through Your New Keyboard

This is a helpful guide that walks through all the important components of a new keyboard for your Windows device. Basic keyboard information, setup, helpful shortcuts, and maintenance will be discussed to help you best utilize your new keyboard. Shortcuts can be used for laptops, but the connection and maintenance don't apply

The supplies you need

1. A windows computer
2. Keyboard
3. Connection cable (if your keyboard is not Bluetooth or a built-in to the laptop)

Depending on the size of your keyboard it can change how many buttons and the complexity of each button. For example, Keyboards size corelates with a percentage and are most commonly seen as 100%, 80%, or 60% but can have other custom variations.

100% Keyboards include (represented by the first Image):

1. Arrow Keys
2. Alphanumeric keys
3. Number pad
4. Standard modifier buttons (home, end, delete, insert)
5. separate F1-F12 buttons
6. Roughly 104 total keys

80% Keyboards include (represented by the second image)

1. Arrow Keys
2. Alphanumeric keys
3. Standard modifier buttons (home, end, delete, insert)
4. separate F1-F12 buttons
5. Roughly 87 total keys

60% Keyboards Include (represented by the last photo):

1. Alphanumeric keys
2. Function Key
3. Roughly 67 keys

60% keyboards can include many of the same functions as a 100% or 80% by having each key be able to do multiple actions. For example, using the function button and hitting the "7" key on a 60% would cause your computer to act like you hit F7.

An important first detail to find out about your keyboard is if its Bluetooth compatible. If you want a wired connection or don't have Bluetooth capabilities skip to the next step. If you bought your keyboard from a large brand retailer, Amazon, or another online company it will most likely say if the keyboard is able to connect with Bluetooth or a wired connection. Your keyboard may have Bluetooth but uses a wireless USB plugin to connect to your computer. In that case plug in the USB Bluetooth connector into any desired computer and your keyboard will work without having to use the following steps.

If you can connect your keyboard via Bluetooth and don't have a USB Bluetooth connector, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your computers setting menu (photos 1-2)
2. Windows ---> Settings
3. From your settings menu either type in Bluetooth or find the Bluetooth tab (photo 3)
4. Make sure your keyboard has Bluetooth on and is discoverable by pressing down a connect button
5. Click add device then Bluetooth and wait till your keyboard shows up as a connectable option (photo 4-5)
6. Once found, pair the keyboard and get ready to Learn!

If your keyboard is not able to connect via Bluetooth or you prefer a wired keyboard, then you can simply plug the keyboard straight into your pc or laptop. Most likely, a connection cable came with the keyboard and has varying connecters relating to where they get plugged in. Most commonly there is a USB side (photo 1) that plugs straight into your computer and a USBC or a different connection type (photo 2) that connects into your keyboard.

When working with text documents like Word and Google Docs, there are several shortcuts than can be used to make your everyday life easier. The shortcuts below help you to understand and utilize the tools at your fingertips.

Some common short cuts you may already know are:

1. Copy: ctrl + C (for some highlighted text)
2. Cut: ctrl + x (for some highlighted text)
3. Paste: ctrl + V (from your insertion point)

For context, an insertion point is the spot that repeatedly blinks when you click on a text box and where the text you input shows up.

Here are some more useful shortcuts for working with texts

1. Undo: ctrl + Z
2. Redo ctrl + Y
3. Find (in a document): ctrl + F
4. Highlight all: ctrl + A
5. Highlight from insertion point: shift + left or right arrow key
6. Highlight up or down from insertion point: shift + up or down arrow key
7. Move insertion point to beginning of the next word: ctrl + left or right arrow key
8. Move insertion point up and down: ctrl + up or down arrow key
9. Take a Screenshot/Snipping tool: windows + shift + S

If your computer screen looks like the photo above or is very cluttered than the shortcuts below can help you maintain a clean desktop. There are many different shortcuts that can help you clean up your screen, but these are a few of the basic ones.

1. Minimize all open windows: windows + M
2. Reopen all minimized windows: windows + shift + M
3. Minimize all windows except your current active window: windows + home
4. If you have a window with Amazon behind a window with Netflix, then the Netflix screen would stay maximized while the Amazon window would be minimized

It's important to keep your keyboard clean to extend its life and performance. Except for some external keyboards you can remove the key caps (physical keys) to help clean all the crevasses of your keyboard. The switches, which are pressed when you press a key, will remain on the keyboard. The second photo shows the yellow plus sign (+) shaped switches that were under the four black keycaps in the first photo. A helpful tip before cleaning. A helpful tip is to take a picture of your keyboard before the cleaning process to remember where each key goes.

1. Unplug your keyboard and make sure it's not on before cleaning to reduce the chance of getting water on the device or causing other problems
2. Take off each key and soak them in hot soapy water to get the grime off.
3. the best tool to use to take of the keys is a keycap puller
4. A keycap puller is a tool that helps take off the keycaps on your keyboard using small prongs. (Photo 3)
5. One may have come with your keyboard and if not can be found on Amazon for cheap Keycap Puller
6. Using compressed air or a small brush, clean the keyboard without the caps to clear any crumbs or other debris that could block keys from being pressed.
7. Let the key caps fully dry overnight
8. Once dry, you can add your keycaps back to their correct spot by pressing the keycaps onto the plus sign (+) shaped switches.
9. The Keycaps should have a matching plus sign shaped hole for the caps to click into.
10. enjoy your cleaned keyboard