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).

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
    1·
    1 month 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
  • the_grass_trainer@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 month ago

    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.

      • the_grass_trainer@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 month ago

        Didn’t know about alt+esc. I’ll try that next time and see if it does the job. Thank you!

        Edit: yup! This works without having to deal with the start menu.

  • Boozilla@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    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.

    • cyberic@discuss.tchncs.de
      0·
      1 month ago

      Yeah I expect the windows snapping to work with the super key… I need to figure something out. I need my tiling!

      • Boozilla@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        Yes! I will complain about MS WIndows all day…but they did do a few things right and this is one of them.

  • InSamsara@lemmy.world
    11·
    23 days ago

    The only time I used it is when I wanted to bring up emoji easier without copy and pasting them from a website. Otherwise I prefer to just navigate to whatever I need to open manually because I can’t bother remembering all of the shortcuts. Since then I’ve changed the OS.