Shortcuts
Selecting text vertically in Microsoft Word
I probably use about 1% of all the features that come with Microsoft Word and I don’t usually post tips on its use. However, here is one that is too good not to pass along. I found it at TechRepublic (requires a login).
Techniques for selecting or highlighting text horizontally or in blocks are well-known. But [...]
Send to: an overlooked Windows function
It’s been part of Windows for years and may be old hat to some but the “Send to” function in the right-click context menu doesn’t get the use that it ought to. It’s a way to add functionality for any file or folder. Over the years, I have written about it more than once but [...]
The mysterious “Application” key
I recently wrote about the Windows key on desktop keyboards and what it does. As I noted, many PC owners don’t know what that key is for. Even fewer know what the function of the Application key might be (shown on the right). This is the key usually between the Windows key and the Ctrl [...]
Useful shortcuts with the Windows key
The keyboard on many desktop computers contains a key with the Windows flag logo on it, usually located between Ctrl and Alt. (Because of space limitations, it is not on many notebook computers.) I find that many people do not know what this key is for and it is often ignored. However, there are [...]
What that row of keys F1- F12 is for
I sometimes get asked about the purpose of the row of keys F1 to F12 that are at or near the top of most keyboards. These are often called function keys and their purpose is to provide shortcuts to various actions. Their precise nature depends on what program is active and varies from one program [...]
Use environment variables to access your files more quickly
And just what are environment variables, you ask. You’ve probably seen them; they are those expressions wrapped in percent signs that you sometimes see in file paths. They are shorthand for certain standard system properties. I give a lot of the details at this page but my purpose here is to point out how to [...]
Using the keyboard to open menu items
Windows has a feature that allows use of the keyboard to open menu items. This is often more convenient than having to switch your hand to the mouse. Each menu item can have an underlined letter in its name. Examples are the File and Edit menus. When the underlined letter is pressed together with the [...]
Quick way to “undo” an action
Sometimes, right after you carry out an action on the computer, you wish you hadn’t. Or maybe you hit the wrong key or clicked the wrong button by mistake. Fortunately, many actions have an “undo” feature and can be reversed. Very often the keyboard combination Ctrl+z will undo a previous action. Examples are copying, moving, [...]
Make a shortcut to System Restore
I try out a lot of system tweaks and new software and that means that I am frequently creating new System Restore points. Opening System Restore from the All Programs menu or from Control Panel is a bit tedious. So I prefer a shortcut. (I discuss the details of how to make shortcuts to programs [...]
Editing Internet Explorer Favorites
The “Organize Favorites” function in IE is pretty primitive and can be a pain to use. It is much easier instead to open the Favorites folder directly and to do editing functions there. Since IE Favorite are just files, they can be moved, renamed, and deleted in the same way as any group of files. [...]