TIPS, TRICKS & SHORTCUTS

by Rick Albee

This month's article is in response to a couple of requests, which I promised to do when we first started the regular column. I'll try to write about any areas of interest, so if you have something you'd like to see covered in the Journal, just e-mail me--simple as that.

A mouse is a great peripheral, but can be a real annoyance, too. I've learned that it is much faster for many of the simple operations to use the keyboard--my fingers are already there, so why go to the mouse unless I have to!

For example, probably the two most common navigating steps are to the desktop or Windows Explorer. For this, and the following tips, you'll need to use the "Windows" (Win) key, located between the Ctrl and Alt keys next to the space bar. To get to your desktop, the command is Win + D; for Explorer it's Win + E. The plus sign (+) means you press them both at the same time.

The Win key also opens the Start menu, which makes it really handy for shutting down the computer. Just hit Win, then U, and follow the prompts depending on your OS (operating system). You can also open the Start menu by pressing Ctrl + Esc.

As most of you know, I'm a backup freak. I save and backup constantly. The quickest way to save almost anything you're working on is to hit the Ctrl + S keys.

Not only am I a backup freak, but I want instant gratification (yes, we're still talking computers here). So when I want get to another program I've got running, I navigate to it using Alt + Tab. You can hold down the Alt key, and just keep tapping the Tab key until the program you want is selected.

Want some more real estate on the screen? Try hiding the task bar. Simply right-click on any open area on the task bar (that's the "menu" bar at the very bottom of your screen, where the Start button is), click on Properties, then select Auto Hide, then Apply--simple as that. The task bar will disappear until the next time you move your mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen and then voila!, it pops up for you.

I don't know about you, but I really don't want everything I delete to go into the Recycle Bin, which is supposed to be a fail-safe for those who can't really make up their minds! Mostly, when I hit Delete, I want it gone-gone. Simple solution: do a Shift + Delete, and it's gone-gone, but make sure you want it gone-gone, because it will not be in your Recycle Bin.

Here's one that, admittedly, takes some getting used to, but will flash you around the screens with lightning speed. How do you close a program or application? You go to that tiny "X" box up in the right corner, right? Try this: Alt + Spacebar, then C. Minimize is just as easy: Alt + Spacebar, then N. To maximize: Alt + Spacebar, then X. To restore an active window: Alt + Spacebar, then R.

Printing is always a hassle with the drop-down menu. Try this: Ctrl + P and you get the same options as if you'd reached for the mouse to do a File/Print command, but much faster. If you select a document to print from My Computer or Explorer, right click on it, then select the print option, Windows will open the application needed, print the item, then close the application, all without your doing any more clicking and selecting.

Here's a little-known but really cool way to control your printer. Ever start a print job, then want cancel or pause it, but you can't find the command--never again! Go to Start > Settings > Printers. Right click on the printer icon and select Create Shortcut. Windows will ask you if you want the shortcut on your desktop, and from there it can be dragged to your task bar or wherever else you may want it. Once the shortcut is created, you can right click on it during a print job and pause, cancel, clear out any waiting print job. Cool, huh?

Can't get enough of this shortcut stuff? Go to Start > Help, select the Index tab and type in shortcuts. Happy keyboarding!