By Marlo Anderson – The Tech Ranch
Clicking and dragging to select a long document takes forever, and you always overshoot. Press Ctrl + A and everything is selected in one go.
The Shortcut
- Ctrl + A: select everything
- Then copy, delete or format it
- Works on files in a folder, too
- Mac: ⌘ + A
Bonus Tip: Shift + Click Selects a Range
Need just part of it? Click where you want to start, then hold Shift and click where you want to end. Everything in between is selected. It works in documents and on files in folders, on Windows and Mac.
More Keyboard Shortcuts, Explained
This is part of my Keyboard Shortcuts Explained series: quick, plain-English tips that make everyday computer work faster. Watch the whole series on YouTube and subscribe to The Tech Ranch so you don’t miss the next one. Short on time? Here’s the quick Short version.
Found this helpful? Give the video a thumbs up on YouTube. Got a shortcut you can’t live without? Tell me in the YouTube comments and it might show up in a future video.
