Pretty much in the title, the only time I interact with the windows key in its standard operating condition is getting pissed off that the start menu opened. I use it in other capacities such as taking screen shots and other key commands but I got to wondering if anyone, ever actually uses it to access the start menu.

Also if anyone comes here and posts “dOnT uSe wINdoWs,” you really are cute.

Edit: I am more curious if anyone actually gets utility out of its default behavior (opening the start menu). I am aware that it is used in a number of key commands (although some are new to me).

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    4 days ago

    Yes, it’s one of the most useful keys. I haven’t used file explorers for applications in forever. Hit the Windows key, type a couple letters of the program you want, hit enter.

  • Kcs8v6@lemmy.world
    7·
    4 days ago

    Yeah, 100%. I hit the windows button and immediately just continue typing the name of the program I’m looking for. It’s extremely convenient.

  • towerful@programming.dev
    8·
    4 days ago

    Win+M minimises everything.
    Win+(arrow key) moves windows around.
    Win+S for screenshot.
    Win+C (with PowerToys) opens a color pipette tool.
    Win then type the name of the program or setting brings those results up (well, after windows has a network connection or realises it isn’t gonna get one. Which is stupid)

    • Blemgo@lemmy.world
      4·
      4 days ago

      Win+P allows you to quickly change how your windows works. Win+K brings up the menu to connect to a wireless monitor. Win+L will lock the screen. Win+R will call the “Run…” window.

      KDE Plasma also inherits a lot of the shortcuts Windows has. AFAIK MATE/Cinnamon do also share some of the keybinds, but for some reason they use CTRL+ALT instead.

      Also fun fact: the Windows key is also called the SUPER key.

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
    661·
    6 days ago

    I use it a lot. Ever since windows 8, the best way to use windows has been hit the windows key and type what you want.

    Additionally there are a few shortcuts that are handy

    • win + L for locking
    • win + E for file explorer
    • win + D for desktop
    • win + ctrl + alt + shift + L to hate what windows has become
  • Kethal@lemmy.world
    49·
    6 days ago

    So you use your mouse to click on the start menu button, scroll through the menu and click again on the program? That sounds awful. I click the Windows button and type the program name.

    • MicrowavedTea@infosec.pub
      101·
      6 days ago

      The real question is who uses the actual start menu, as in tiles and program list. I’ve only ever seen people type the program name

      • wols@lemm.ee
        2·
        4 days ago

        I use the tiles to “pin” programs that I use semi-regularly and can’t be bothered remembering the name of. Or that share an inconveniently long prefix with the name of another program. Or that I have multiple versions of installed, with a specific version I usually need.

        I don’t like pinning such programs to the task bar because they add unnecessary clutter while not in use.

      • Kethal@lemmy.world
        9·
        6 days ago

        The Windows start menu is inexplicably a huge mess. Like all MS products, they cram their interface with as much as possible.

        • rivalary@lemmy.caEnglish
          3·
          6 days ago

          I preferred their nested menus to what is there now, though I started using search as soon as it became a thing (Windows 7?). They should have really implemented categories (like in Linux) early on rather than having every suite have it’s own sub-menu in the Start Menu.

          • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
            2·
            6 days ago

            You can do that yourself, since Chicago first debuted in ~1994.

            I don’t want my OS categorizing stuff for me.

            My start menu is categorized on the root (where “pinned” items go), and I leave the rest of the menu alone.

            • rivalary@lemmy.caEnglish
              1·
              6 days ago

              The maintainer of the application chooses the categorie(s) but manually organizing things as an end user… is kinda dumb. Maybe I don’t understand your workflow (or why the Start Menu is the way it is now with all programs barfed into one list, I figured it was for touch devices). It doesn’t really matter, though, because search is used primarily now, anyways. Forgetting the name of the application is the only reason I can see digging through the Start Menu now.

      • LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world
        3·
        6 days ago

        I prefer OpenShell, since it unfucks the start menu and makes it usable. It’s just like Win7 but easy to customize.

        • pulverizedcoccyx@lemmy.ca
          2·
          6 days ago

          I only ever see the real start menu on other people’s computers. Openshell is like ublock, without it your face tends to contort and twist like you ate a lemon.

      • Donebrach@lemmy.worldOP
        1·
        6 days ago

        I imagine some legacy users who cut their teeth on Windows 95 or something and never changed their ways. I was a Mac user through the mid 2000s and switched back when I got my gaming rig with Windows 10 so I don’t remember when the search bar was implemented—never used the start menu since.

  • WolfLink@sh.itjust.works
    5·
    4 days ago

    Sometimes it works better for tabbing out of a game than alt-tab does. Not sure why. Also it depends on the game.

    In Ubuntu I use the command key as my main way to launch applications.

  • aStonedSanta@lemm.ee
    16·
    5 days ago

    I’m on Linux. But yeah I use it to open the start menu all the time. Then I can type apps name and hit enter

  • SagXD@lemm.ee
    5·
    4 days ago

    Do you mean super key? Yea, All the time for moving Windows, opening programs, etc.

    • DokPsy@infosec.pub
      51·
      5 days ago

      Win +shift+s to get snapshots

      Win +r to get to run command, generally for opening applications in safe mode

      Win to quickly start search for apps or settings

  • JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    5 days ago

    Constantly.

    Open shit on the taskbar.

    Win + E for file explorer.

    Win key and type stuff for a few programs I don’t want to have icons for.

    One of the best keys!

  • Eiri@lemmy.ca
    11·
    5 days ago

    All the time. It’s basically the only way I open the Start menu. And I use Windows key shortcuts like Win+Alt+K really often.

  • Metype @lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    4 days ago

    With Internet searching disabled, the start menu is decent enough as a quick launcher and so I find myself hitting the Windows key quite often for that purpose.

    On Linux there are better launchers that I’m too lazy to set up so still just hit Super and use the Application Launcher to find and run programs.

  • finalarbiter@lemmy.world
    13·
    5 days ago

    As others have said, I use it mainly for the search function to start programs as well as many shortcuts. I’ve seen others mention screenshots and locking, but here are a few more:

    • Win+. - Opens the special symbols/emoji windows
    • Win+ left or right arrow - Snaps a window to the left or right half of the screen, respectively. Up arrow maximizes, down minimizes.
    • Win+r - Opens the run dialog
    • Win+v - Opens clipboard history (history is off by default, it will ask you to enable it the first time you use the shortcut)
    • Win+x - Opens the ‘quick link’ menu (Power Options, Event Viewer, System, Device Manager, Network Connections, Disk Management, Computer Management, and Command Prompts
    • As a bonus, my favorite windows shortcut is Ctrl+Win+Alt+Shift+L, which opens linkedin in in a new browser tab.

    A full list can be found here: windows key shortcuts