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Tips & Tricks
Copy
& Paste For an example, let's pretend you're working in a word processor and need to copy and paste a section of your document into an e-mail. Here's how: 1. First, you'll need to select the text you wish to copy. You do this by putting your mouse cursor at the first character you want to copy and, holding down the left mouse button, drag the cursor to the last character you need copied. As you drag, you'll notice everything gets highlighted (selected). 2. Next, right-click the selected area. Choose Copy from the menu that pops up (or you can use CTRL-C if you like keyboard shortcuts). 3. Finally, right-click the area in your e-mail document where you would like to insert the word processor text. Click Paste from the menu that pops up (For this, CTRL-V is your keyboard shortcut). That's it. The steps are basically the same for any copy & paste procedure you need to do. Here's another example. In the image below, we'll take a line of text, copy it, and paste the copy below the original line:
If you want to get a little more fancy, place your cursor at the first character you want selected and, while holding down the SHIFT key, click next to the last character you want selected. It's sometimes easier to follow this procedure than to make selections by dragging, especially when your wrestling with a lengthy document. I can't remember the number of times the area I wanted to stop selecting at zipped right by me on a document! Another fun way to use the SHIFT key is adding to
an existing selection. After you have used the SHIFT key to get your text selected, follow the pervious steps to copy / paste. |
Do You Know the Menu Key?
 I made a new friend today. It was there all along and I never noticed it on the right side of my keyboard between the Window Key and the Control Key. I don't even know its name, so I'll call it the Menu Key. Why? Because when you press it, it opens up a drop-down menu for whatever program you're in. The menu includes all the information you would see if you right clicked, so I guess you could also call it the Right-Click Key.
So, next time you're typing away and need an edit menu or some other feature that you normally right-click to get, just head down to the Menu Key. Pretty soon it'll be your friend too. |
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The BIG Keyboard Shortcut List What is the allure of keyboard shortcuts? Do they really save time? Why bother since my mouse is permanently attached to my hand? I like to use keyboard shortcuts, especially if someone is watching me, because they make me look like a pro. With just a few key strokes I can leave a mouser spinning his wheel! Whatever your motivation, here's a big list of keyboard shortcuts: GENERAL SHORTCUTS ALT- F4 - Quit a program / Shut down ALT-TAB - Hold down the ALT key and hit tab to cycle through open windows. CTL-ESCAPE - Display the Start menu SHIFT - TAB - tab backwards through a form CTRL - X - Cut CTRL - C - Copy CTRL - V - Paste F1 - Help menu CTRL - Z - Undo SHIFT & Restart - To restart just windows and not your whole computer, hold down the shift key when you click the OK button on the shutdown screen. Saves lots of time. (not for XP) CRTL-TAB - Navigate tabs on a tabbed screen FILE & DESKTOP SHORTCUTS Hold SHIFT while inserting a CD - Prevents the CD from "autorunning" If an item is selected: CTRL while dragging a file - Copies the file CTRL - SHIFT while dragging a file - Creates a shortcut to the file SHIFT - DELETE - Deletes an item without sending it to the recycle bin. ALT-ENTER - Display a file's properties. F2 - To rename the file In Windows Explorer: LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection if it is expanded NUM LOCK-MINUS SIGN (-) - Collapse the selected folder RIGHT ARROW - Expand the current selection if it is collapsed -Or- Select the first subfolder NUM LOCK- * Expand all folders below the current selection NUM LOCK- PLUS SIGN (+) - Expand the selected folder F6 - Switch between left and right panes In My Computer: BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up ALT- RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous view ALT- LEFT ARROW -Move backward to a previous view INTERNET BROWSER SHORTCUTS For Internet Explorer 6 and Netscape 7 (may work in older versions)
Internet Explorer ONLY
Netscape ONLY
WINDOWS KEY SHORTCUTS The Windows key can be used in conjunction with other keys to act as a keyboard shortcut for faster access to menu commands. Now, while the Alt key tends to open program menus (ex: Alt+F opens the File menu and Alt+E opens the Edit menu) and the Ctrl key performs actual operations (ex: Ctrl+C will copy and Ctrl+V will paste), the Windows key will open various Windows tools... Win key + R
will open the Start menu's Run box You can also open programs or folders on your desktop by pressing the Windows key + the first letter of the program/folder/shortcut + Enter . Sounds kinda tedious, but if you're in a bind with your mouse, it can come in quite handy ARROW TRICKS Here's a cool little arrow trick to try with word processing programs. Next time you're using your arrow keys to go from one area of a sentence to another (left and right arrows), hold down your CTRL key. Instead of moving one space at a time, you'll go one word at a time. If you're using the up and down arrows to go from line to line, holding down the CTRL key will make your cursor jump from paragraph to paragraph (well, from carriage return to carriage return anyway). One last thing, if you hold down the SHIFT key while you do this (i.e. hold down SHIFT + CTRL at the same time), you select text as you arrow along. I've tested this in MS Word and Wordpad, but it *should* work no matter what word processing program you use. HOME / END KEY FUN Do you ever find yourself scrolling through a huge folder ? Well, if you need to get to the beginning or the end quickly, just press Ctrl+Home . If you want to get to the end, click Ctrl+End .
Hey, that's not all! This little trick works on more than just folders. If you use the Home key in a word processor, it goes to the beginning of the line you're currently working on. If you hit the END key, it should head to the end of the current line. If you pair Home & End up with the Ctrl key in a word processor, you will be whisked away to the beginning or end of the document. Again, this should work, but it depends on your word processor. |
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Caps Lock
Trick Don't you hate it when you accidentally hit the Caps Lock key? Sometimes I have a whole sentence typed in before I realize my mistake! (I know, GASP!) What if you could set your computer up so it alerts you when your pinky finger wanders off and taps the Caps Lock key? With this tip, I'll show you how to make your computer beep & flash the next time it happens. The first thing you'll need to do is get the computer to beep when you hit the Caps Lock key. Here's how: 1. Click the Start button, Settings, Control Panel (XP Users, hit the Start button, Control Panel). Open the Accessibility Options Icon.
2. On the Keyboard tab, click the "Use Toggle Keys" checkbox.
That's it for the beeping part. Next, we need to get your screen to flash you, err, flash at you. Here's how: 1. From the Accessibility Options screen, click the Sound tab and check the "Use SoundSentry" checkbox.
2. Next click the Settings button and select "Flash active window" from the "Warning for windowed programs" drop down box.
That's it. Hit OK until you're clear of property and settings screens. Open your favorite word processor and hit your Caps Lock key. Cool huh? P.S. If you don't have an Accessibility Options icon in your Control Panel, you may not have it installed. To install, hit your Start button, Settings, Control Panel. Open the Add / Remove programs icon and click the Windows Setup tab. You'll be able to add components from there. Keep in mind you'll need your Windows CD! |
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Instant
Properties Here's a quick little trick you'll like. If you need to get the properties for something (like an icon, for instance), just hold down your ALT key and double-click it. Instant properties! Try it with "My Computer" or one of your regular desktop icons. And yes, I know that you can also right-click an item and select Properties from the resulting menu. I just thought this was cooler. |
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Get Sticky
I love using keyboard shortcuts. It's quick and makes me look like I'm a pro or something. However, I realize that many of you like to keep one hand on the mouse, so those three key combos are out. How about a way to type one key at a time rather than all at once? This feature is called "Sticky Keys" and gives you a delay between key strokes when doing a keyboard shortcut. Let's say you want to copy something-rather than hold down Ctrl + C you can type Ctrl then C. Ready to get sticky? Here's what to do... Head over to the Control Panel (Click Start / Settings / Control Panel ) and select "Accessibility Options". On the "Keyboard" Tab, place a check in the checkbox next to "Use Sticky Keys".
Click OK to close the Accessibility Options window. Now you can do combos a key at a time. Yeah! |
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A Fast
System Properties Box Need to get to your system properties? Well, you *could* click the Start button, Settings, Control Panel, then open the System icon. Want a faster way? Hold down the ALT key and double click the My Computer icon on your desktop.
And you get this:
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