File Comparison Keyboard Shortcuts

Key Description
Ctrl+X Copy the current selection to the clipboard and then remove the selection.
Ctrl+C Copy the current selection to the clipboard.
Ctrl+V Replace any current selection with the contents of the clipboard. If there is no current selection, insert the clipboard content at the location of the editing cursor.
Alt+1 (one) to
Alt+0 (zero)
Activate the window caption bar quick-access command that is at the position corresponding to the pressed number key: Alt+1 activates the left-most quick-access command; Alt+2 activates the second from left, etc.; Alt+0 activates the tenth quick-access command, if there is one.
Ctrl+1 (one) Save the first file.
Ctrl+2 Save the second file.
Ctrl+3 Save the third file.
Ctrl+7 Move the editing cursor to the previous edit marker.
Ctrl+8 Move the editing cursor to the next edit marker.
Ctrl+9 Move the editing cursor to the previous automatic merge conflict.
Ctrl+0 (zero) Move the editing cursor to the next automatic merge conflict.
Ctrl+A Select all the text in the current pane.
Ctrl+Shift+A Select all the merging buttons in the current pane of a text comparison.
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+B Open a new binary comparison.
Ctrl+D Open a new folder comparison.
Ctrl+Alt+E Remove the change block within which the editing cursor is located.
Esc Stop any file comparison or re-comparison operation that is in progress.
Ctrl+F Open the Find window.
Alt+F Open the Application menu .
Ctrl+G Display a window that you can use to navigate to a specific line number.
Ctrl+H Open the Replace window.
Ctrl+I Indent the selected block of text by the amount specified on the Editing options page.
Ctrl+K Mark the current selection or line as resolved, removing any conflict markers and dimming the selection.
Ctrl+L Open a new text comparison.
Ctrl+Shift+L Toggle the display of the line-detail panel in a text comparison.
Ctrl+M Automatically merge changes from the first and third files into the central common ancestor file.
Ctrl+O Open a dialog to browse for a file.
Ctrl+P Open the Print window.
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+P Open a new image comparison.
Ctrl+Q Replace the change in the file to the left with the current change.
Ctrl+Shift+Q Append the current change to the end of the change in the file to the left.
Ctrl+S Save the current file.
Tab If the Tab key inserts tab characters instead of cycling focus option on the Editing options page is checked, insert a tab character or indent the selected block of text (equivalent to Ctrl+T). Otherwise, cycle focus through the controls in the comparison.
Shift+Tab If the Tab key inserts tab characters instead of cycling focus option on the Editing options page is checked, un-indent the selected block of text (equivalent to Ctrl+U when a block of text is selected). Otherwise, cycle focus through the controls in the comparison.
Ctrl+T Insert a tab character or indent the selected block of text. Useful if the Tab key inserts tab characters instead of cycling focus option on the Editing options page is unchecked.
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+T Open a new text comparison for patching.
Ctrl+U Un-indent the current line or selected block of text.
Ctrl+W Replace the change in the file to the right with the current change.
Ctrl+Shift+W Append the current change to the end of the change in the file to the right.
Ctrl+Y Redo the last undone operation.
Ctrl+Z Undo the last operation.
Alt+Backspace Undo the previous operation.
Ctrl+Page Up Move the editing cursor to the top of the previous change. When the file comparison has focus in a Two-way with file comparison or Three-way with file comparison layout and no changes exist before the current editing cursor location, compare the files of the previous changed/inserted/removed row in the folder comparison and navigate to the last change.
Ctrl+Page Down Move the editing cursor to the top of the next change. When the file comparison has focus in a Two-way with file comparison or Three-way with file comparison layout and no changes exist after the current editing cursor location, compare the files of the next changed/inserted/removed row in the folder comparison and navigate to the first change.
Ctrl+F1 Toggle the display of the ribbon.
F2 Move the editing cursor to the next bookmark.
Ctrl+F2 Toggle a bookmark on or off for the current line.
Shift+F2 Move the editing cursor to the previous bookmark.
Ctrl+Shift+F2 Remove all bookmarks.
F3 Move the editing cursor to the next matching text in the current file (see also Ctrl+F).
Shift+F3 Move the editing cursor to the previous matching text in the current file.
Ctrl+F4 Close the active comparison.
Alt+F4 Close the current window or dialog.
F5 Re-compare the files.
Ctrl+F6 or
Ctrl+Tab
Activate the previous comparison. (See How can I switch between the most recently used comparisons?)
Ctrl+Shift+F6 or
Ctrl+Shift+Tab
Activate the next comparison. (See How can I switch between the most recently used comparisons?)
F7 Move the editing cursor to the top of the previous change within the file.
F8 Move the editing cursor to the top of the next change within the file.
F9 Launch the previously configured external program on the file in the active comparison pane.
Shift+F9 Launch the Run Program window to configure and run an external program on the file in the active comparison pane.
F11 Split the file comparison window vertically.
F12 Split the file comparison window horizontally.
Ctrl+= Increase the comparison text or image size.
Ctrl+- Decrease the comparison text or image size.