Press F1 — The Help Key

When you have a question, the quickest and easiest way to get help is to press F1. When you press F1, the application you are using displays a help topic most closely related to the component—a window or button for example—that is highlighted. Because the application determines which help topic is most appropriate, this type of help is called context-sensitive.

The F1 key is a quick way to get help on an application menu or dialog box. For example, to request help about the File Manager File menu, display the File menu and press F1. File Manager displays a description of each item in the menu. Or, if a dialog box is open, pressing F1 will display an explanation of the dialog box. The F1 key is a shortcut for clicking the dialog box's Help button.

Some computers have a dedicated “Help” key on the keyboard. If yours does, it may take the place of the F1 key.