Does anyone actually use the windows key on their keyboard as intended by the OS?

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

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.

Win + L to lock

Win + D to minimise all windows

Win + arrow key to snap window to half a screen

100%

It's the only way I open the start menu. There is no faster way to get to what I want than Superkey and typing.

PS I have all my OSes set up similarly. OSx has spotlight, my GNOME and KDE are configured to launch searchable menus on Super, and my mobile launcher is set up to search when I swipe up.

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.

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

Oh yeah. I use it all the time. It's useful to hit the key and type the first 3-5 characters of the program I want to launch and hitting return.

It's also the function key for the screen clip feature which I use often (Windows + Shift + S).

Hell yes. I'm not taking the time go move my hand to the mouse, find the cursor with my eyes, move the mouse and then move hands back to type. That's asinine.

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

Constantly. I'm a keyboard shortcut junky. I use it with several different key combos. The fact that the "super key" works slightly differently in Pop OS kind of drives me crazy. I really need to figure out how to remap it so it's closer to the same.

Edit: I should clarify that I also use it to bring up the stupid Windows menu all the time, too. Then I will search for whatever app I'm looking for. I have turned off web searching with it, though.

Even though most-frequently used apps are pinned, there are still quite a few others that I need semi-regularly but not enough to earn a pin.

Yeah, of course! Some full screen programs, mostly games, will not let you tab out to the desktop, so i use the windows key to open the start menu which also pops up the taskbar so i can swap to something else.

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!

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.

I hit the windows key, type and hit enter to open programs a lot. I literally have no desktop icons showing, I don't like the look and taking my hands off the keyboard to click stuff takes longer anyways.

I also do windows + number to open/switch to pinned programs a lot.

Whether you use Windows or Linux, the Windows key is the foundation of many useful keyboard shortcuts. You know, hold it down plus some other key.

Whatever your preferred OS, look them up! You may find a few you would like to start using.

But yeah, on my work computer which is a Windows machine, I often use it to open the start menu and start typing the name of the app I want to launch. It’s faster than clicking on an icon somewhere if your hands are already on the keyboard.

Do I use the "super" key as the OS intended it ? As a Gnome user, absolutely yes ! All the time ! Do I use the Windows key as Microsoft intended it ? Also yes, because of Gnome.

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)

I don't ever use the start menu for anything. I can't be bothered to look through that mess.

Instead I press the windows key and type the first few letters of whatever I need, unless it's already stickied to the bar. It's fewer key presses than clicking through the start menu. I suppose that still counts as opening the start menu, even if I don't use the actual menu structure.

I also use the windows + arrow keys to toss windows around the multiple screens. It has a lot of other purposes, like creating extra desktops etc, which I admittedly never use.

It's a useful button for sure, but it does get a little overwhelming when combined with shift ctrl or alt . I can't possibly remember all the uses, but I have the most commonly used on muscle memory.

but I got to wondering if anyone, ever actually uses it to access the start menu.

Yes definitely. Try pressing the Windows key and type the first few letters of the app name you're looking for, it's way way faster than mousing around clicking and scrolling through the Start Menu.

Also Windows key + E to open the file explorer gets used a lot. And windows key + L to lock the screen, I do that one a lot when walking away from the desktop at work.

Constantly, I don't use desktop icons so I am always pressing Win then typing the first 6 letters of the program that I want and hitting enter. I know wintab and winenter search programs exist, but for what I use it for the default one is fine and it is one less program constantly running in the background

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.

The Super key? Yes all the time to pull up the GNOME action menu and to use shortcuts. Super+E for file browser window, +B for browser, +T for terminal window I use often.

Windows key + type to open whichever app i need to open that's not already pinned to my taskbar.

Shift + win + s to take a screenshot.

Turns out, yes, everyone does use this key. A lot.

Yes I do.

🪟 + ⬅️/➡️/⬇️/⬆️ snaps windows into tiles on your screen or maximize/minimizes them.

🪟 + shift + S is the shortcut for the ‘new’ snipping tool

Sure, 🪟 alone opens and closes the start menu, but when opens opened, your curser is already the search bar so if you want to quickly open an app, it’s just: 🪟, first few letters of the app, Enter

I don’t use it as much, but: Ctrl +🪟 + ⬅️/➡️ cycles you through virtual desktops

I use:
\ Win+R constantly
\ Win+E regularly
\ Win+D occasionally
\ Win+M never now that I WFH full time

nope - but the start menu has been dogshit for years now, so I try to avoid start menu as much as possible- I use pinned icons and a few desktop shortcuts.

I mostly use win key fo:

• win+D
• win+E
• win + arrow
• win+shift+S
• win+R
• ctrl+shift +win+B (dodgy usb-c port replicator needs to be slapped every now and again)
• win+L , i probly use that less than ctrl alt del to lock.

I use it for shortcuts in my linux

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

Start menu is helpful to execute programs quickly as many others have stated previously. Other useful thing with the start menu is that it automatically makes a fullscreen application lose focus. So I can just use the windows key to focus out of a fullscreen app and click on something else on the other monitor.

I use it to open the start menu a lot. Especially if I'm in a full screen application.

How else would you open a program?

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.

I use it all the time in Linux and even when I unfortunately have to use Windows. Launching an app from just the keyboard is useful. And, like you said, as the modifier key for a number of shortcuts I use a lot.

I have 3 main use cases for the Windows key:

1. Bring up the start menu and immediately type "cmd" + Enter to bring up a command prompt
2. Windows + L to lock the computer when I step away
3. Windows + arrow keys to move windows around on the screen and "dock" them to the sides of the screen (although this hasn't been consistently working for me more recently)

I don't think I ever use it for anything else. So yes, I do use it to bring up the start menu, but generally only to specifically bring up a command prompt window - all of my other commonly used programs are pinned to the taskbar so I can fire them up with a single click.

Use it constantly, as others have said windows -> type is the best way to use windows, and I do the same thing on my linux machines, actually a lot of the ones I use regularly are the same or similar in KDE (can't recall if it's out of the box or if I configured that)

CTL+windows+arrows to swap desktops (which have been in windows for a while now and I swear no one else uses), lots of ones around those are super useful. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/keyboard-shortcuts-in-windows-dcc61a57-8ff0-cffe-9796-cb9706c75eec for reference.

Well once upon a time xp through 7 at least clicking start menu and starting to type the name of an app worked really well rather than resulting in some weird as web search opened in edge searching for no reason for what you had typed. I'm 100% sure there is some 3rd party launcher that still works as well as the start menu did before they ruined it. If I still used it I would probably install that.

The App menu in Cinnamon (Linux Mint) Also has the same binding and like older windows actually works well too.

GNOME Linux I use it regularly to switch between tasks/windows, as well as windows+arrow keys to snap windows to edges or minimize them.

I use it as a modifier chorded with another key in Linux for a number of things, like switching workspaces, opening a terminal or browser window, resizing windows, existing the graphical environment, locking the system, toggling floating windows, starting application launchers, toggling a window's fullscreen state, or toggling playing music. I think that as a modifier key, it's fine. I don't have tapping it alone do anything, and in general, don't like single-key operations like that; ditto for F-key operations.

It sounds like one can disable the tap-Windows-key-alone behavior on Windows via the autohotkey macro software package:

https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=101812

All the time, both on Windows and KDE Plasma. It's especially convenient for starting an app you don't have pinned to your taskbar, just press the Windows key and then type the name of the app.

Yeah I use it to open the start menu. I'm on windows 10 so I have my daily used programs pinned to the taskbar, my frequently used programs organized in sections of tiles on the start menu, and for everything else I either type to search for it in the start menu or just Win+R and use the run dialog if it's a system component.

Likely moving to Linux when Windows 10 ends support. I've got enough experience with 11 to know I couldn't stand using it regularly

Edit: and I didn't really talk about using it as a hotkey because of your OP, but for the record I use it like that all the time too. Win arrow for window sizing, win shift arrow for moving things between monitors, win R, E, L, D, win semicolon for the emoji keyboard, win number row to quickly launch taskbar pins, win tab for the lulz sometimes, win shift S for snipping tool when I don't need to use shareX instead for a local copy of the snip, etc.

Definitely! Win-Tab (properly called Meta-Tab) is used to switch activities in KDE Plasma. With this simple key combination, I gain another 15 virtual desktops.

Win key + V in Windows 10/11 is a must if you copy and paste often.

It shows your clipboard history which is great.

Only downside is passwords and you copy from a password manager, for example. Be careful if sharing your screen with others or surrounded by others or just cautious of the fact that the password is there in plain text to anything in the OS.

Not many people seem to know about it but it’s extremely helpful especially when doing repetitive tasks.

Win key + L to lock.

I use it a lot

It is my modifier key for any window management keybind. Using alt or control might overlap with other apps or games. For example, I do super+r to open my app launcher or super+w to close a window. It does not do anything on its own.

I had mostly the same keybinds when I used windows. Ofc I can't remember how I did them as it was a long time ago.

Pretty sure however you’re using the windows key, that’s how it was intended to be used.

The purpose of the windows key is its the thing you press when the program freezes and alt+tab doesn't work.

Yes since I use a lot of windowed fullscreen programs and it's the easiest eay to access the taskbar when I need it.

Windows Key + a lot of other keys are super useful shortcuts.

But I don't even use the start menu at all. It's rather pointless these days and also full of garbage.

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

Don't use windows?

🥺👉👈

I use it on my laptop running a Debian based distro with KDE because I like how I can open the start menu thing. But for some reason I don't do it on my desktop.