Windows Media Center keyboard shortcuts

Applies to: Home Premium, Ultimate.

All features and buttons in Windows Media Center are accessible to you by using the keyboard only. Windows Media Center provides a variety of keyboard shortcuts for the more commonly used commands and buttons that you can use to control Windows Media Center from your keyboard or with macros.

The following table shows how to use shortcuts to navigate the keyboard.

To do this


Use this keyboard shortcut

Open Windows Media Center or return to the Windows Media Center start screen


Windows Key+ALT+ENTER

Close Windows Media Center


ALT+F4

Accept the selection


ENTER

Go back to the previous screen


BACKSPACE

Go to the first item in a list


HOME

Go to the last item in a list


END

Go to the next page


PAGE DOWN

Go to the previous page


PAGE UP

Move left, right, up, or down


ARROW KEYS

Go in and go out of windowed mode


ALT+ENTER

Use shortcuts to control audio


The following table shows how to use shortcuts to control audio.

To do this


Use this shortcut key

Mute volume


F8

Turn down volume


F9

Turn up volume


F10

Turn on or turn off closed captioning


CTRL+SHIFT+C

Go to Music


CTRL+M

Play an audio file or song


CTRL+SHIFT+P

Pause or resume an audio file or song


CTRL+P

Replay an audio file or song


CTRL+B

Skip to the next song


CTRL+F

Fast forward a song


CTRL+SHIFT+F

Rip a CD


CTRL+R

Display the context menu


CTRL+D

Use shortcuts to control the TV


The following table shows how to use shortcuts to control the TV.

To do this


Use this shortcut key

Go to Recorded TV


CTRL+O

Go to the Guide


CTRL+G

Go to live TV


CTRL+T

Record a TV show


CTRL+R

Pause or resume live TV or recorded TV


CTRL+P

Stop recording or stop playing a TV show


CTRL+SHIFT+S

Resume playing a TV show


CTRL+SHIFT+P

Rewind live TV or recorded TV


CTRL+SHIFT+B

Fast forward live TV or recorded TV


CTRL+SHIFT+F

Skip back


CTRL+B

Skip forward


CTRL+F

Display the context menu


CTRL+D

Go to the next channel


PAGE UP

Go to the previous channel


PAGE DOWN

Use shortcuts to play the radio


The following table shows how to use shortcuts to play the radio.

To do this


Use this shortcut key

Go to Radio


CTRL+A

Pause or resume live radio


CTRL+P

Stop live radio


CTRL+SHIFT+S

Resume playing radio


CTRL+SHIFT+P

Skip back


CTRL+B

Skip forward


CTRL+F

Display the context menu


CTRL+D

Use shortcuts to view pictures


The following table shows how to use shortcuts to view pictures.

To do this


Use this shortcut key

Go to Pictures


CTRL+I

Zoom a picture in Picture Details


ENTER

Play a slide show


CTRL+SHIFT+P

Stop a slide show


CTRL+SHIFT+S

Pause a slide show


CTRL+P

Skip back to the previous picture


UP ARROW or LEFT ARROW

Skip forward to the next picture


DOWN ARROW or RIGHT ARROW

Display the context menu


CTRL+D

Use shortcuts to play videos


The following table shows how to use shortcuts to play videos.

To do this


Use this shortcut key

Go to Videos


CTRL+E

Play


CTRL+SHIFT+P

Pause


CTRL+P

Stop


CTRL+SHIFT+S

Rewind


CTRL+SHIFT+B

Fast forward


CTRL+SHIFT+F

Skip back


CTRL+B

Skip forward


CTRL+F

Use shortcuts to play DVDs


The following table shows how to use shortcuts to play DVDs.

To do this


Use this shortcut key

Go to the DVD menu


CTRL+SHIFT+M

Play


CTRL+SHIFT+P

Pause


CTRL+P

Stop


CTRL+SHIFT+S

Rewind


CTRL+SHIFT+B

Fast forward


CTRL+SHIFT+F

Go to the previous chapter


CTRL+B

Go to the next chapter


CTRL+F

Change the DVD angle


ARROW KEYS

Change the DVD audio selection


CTRL+SHIFT+A

Change the DVD subtitles selection


CTRL+U