The McCarty Metro - Kelly On Computers

You may have wondered what those F1 - F12 keys above your regular numbers are for. Many Metro readers probably have never had to use one before. Well, some programs have their own set of functions that they have assigned to the Function keys. You can find these in the menu of the program. The menu items which are assigned a function key have the corresponding function key designated after the item name. If you press that function key, you can perform that function without using the menu or buttons. The program's help or manual should also tell which functions are assigned to the function keys. You might want to try each one of these as you read through them.

Here is a list of the (F)unction keys and what they do in Windows.

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F1	F1 opens Help for the currently displayed program (this does not work on all programs). Windows Logo key and F1 - Opens Windows' Help.
F2	F2 highlights the name of a selected object for renaming in Windows Explorer, desktop, and some other Windows' programs. First, you need to select an item that can be renamed (like, a file or shortcut). After pressing F2, you can then type what you want to rename the object to.
F3	F3 brings up Search in Windows Explorer.
F4	F4 drops down the Address bar in Internet Explorer showing your previous locations. This allows you to scroll down and select one. Alt and F4 - Closes the currently displayed program.
F5	F5 refreshes the view in Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer (in other words, it looks at the source again and reloads the contents), and other programs. In MailWasher it checks the mail (which I guess would be a kind of refresh).
F6	F6 moves the cursor around the structure of a program. Pressing it may cycle you from window to window or from place to place within the program. In Windows Explorer it moves you from the left pane to the right pane and back. This is similar to what the Tab key does. Alt and F6 - Switches between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window).
F7	F7 does not have any functionality in Windows. It may be used in individual programs.
F8	F8 accesses Safe Mode if pressed at the right time while the computer is starting. Safe Mode is a trouble-shooting mode, which will start the computer with minimal drivers.
F9	F9 does not have any functionality in Windows. It may be used in individual programs.
F10	F10 changes the focus to and from the menu. Pressing the Alt key will also do this. Once the focus is on the menu items, you can use the arrow keys to navigate to an item and the Enter key to select it. Shift and F10 - brings up the popup menu in Windows Explorer much like right clicking on an item does.
F11	F11 switches between regular screen mode and full screen mode. Full screen mode is like a maximized screen but with more screen space and less toolbar controls.
F12	F12 does not have any functionality in Windows. It may be used in individual programs.

Ever wonder how your mouse actually works. Just scroll your mouse over the magnification area below to get a good glimpse.