 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Windows Tips
Windows XP
Print a Word Document
To print a document, browse your hard drive for the file, right-click its icon, and then click Print. This will automatically send the document to your printer without launching Word.
Print from Windows Explorer
To add your favourite programs to the Start menu, from the Start menu, click All Programs. Locate a favourite program, right-click the program’s icon, and then click Pin to Start menu.
You can also pin an application by dragging and dropping its icon from All Programs to the Start menu. The program is now “pinned” to your Start menu. To remove it, right-click the program icon on the Start menu and then click Unpin from Start menu.
Use small icons on your Start menu
One way to reduce the clutter is to use small icons. Right-click the Start menu and click Properties. Next, click the Start Menu tab and then click the Customize button.
Now click the General tab, click Small Icons, and then click OK twice.
Search a folder
If you have misplaced a file, you almost always know which folder it’s in, but it’s usually lost in a maze of documents or buried in a subfolder. Locate the folder where you think the file’s located, right-click on it, and then click Search. A Search window will open, ready to search for the selected folder and only that folder, much quicker than launching Search and navigating your hard drive to the folder.
Send an email attachment from anywhere
Locate a file anywhere on your hard drive that you want to email, right-click the file’s icon, click Send To, and then click Mail Recipient. A new mail message will open with the file attached and ready to send. But what’s really speedy about this tip is that your mail program doesn't’t launch. This action creates only a single new mail message.
Now, to send your attachment, simply type the recipient's email address in the To text field, add any accompanying message, and then click the Send icon. The subject and attachment fields are already set.
Don't just maximise your windows — go full screen
When you need a really big window, don't just maximise it: go full screen! To view a window full screen, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the window's title bar — or when the window is active, press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard — to get the biggest window possible.
Add the Links toolbar to My Computer
You know what would make a great toolbar? One where you could put your favourite applications and documents so that you could open them from any window at any time.
Guess what? You can, and here's how: click Start, then My Computer. Now right-click the toolbar and then click Links. You now have the Links toolbar on your windows, just like in Internet Explorer. Note: Make sure that Lock the Toolbars is not checked. Click on it to deselect it if it is.
The really cool thing about the Links toolbar is that it's completely customisable. Try this: Navigate to your favourite application and drag and drop its icon to the Links toolbar. You just created a shortcut. Do this again and again for as many applications as you want to appear on the toolbar.
Arranging windows on your desktop
You can display any two windows side by side on the desktop by first clicking a window's button on the Taskbar. Next, press and hold the Ctrl key and right-click the second window that you want to open, then click Tile Vertically. This works really well when you want to view two Word or Internet Explorer windows at the same time.
Make your own icons
Create your own icons in Windows XP. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint. On the Image menu, click Attributes. Type 32 for both the Width and Height of the document, and make sure that Pixels is selected under Units. Click OK to create a new 32x32-pixel document: the size of an icon.
Now add type, colour, or do whatever you'd like to your image. I like to shrink photos (headshots work best) to 32x32 and simply paste them into my Paint document. When you're finished, open the File menu and click Save As. Use the dialog box to choose where you want to save your file, then give it a name followed by ".ico" (without the quotes), and click Save. (The extension ".ico" tells Windows that it's an icon file.) You just created an icon! Now you can change any shortcut or folder to your own icon — just browse to it on your hard drive.
Other Tips for Windows (Earlier Versions)
Disable automatic starting of a CD-ROM
Insert your CD-ROM and hold down the Shift key until the drive light goes out.Run the Windows Explorer
Right click on the Start button and select Explorer from the pop-up menu.Reset the time or date
Double click on the clock displayed in the Windows Taskbar and change options as required.How long online
Double click on the connection icon in the Windows Taskbar and a pop-up menu will display the duration of your current call.Desktop Folder
Right click on the Desktop background, from the pop-up menu displayed select New, from the sub-menu displayed select Folder.
Enter the name for the folder and press Enter.Delete an item without sending it to the Recycle Bin
Depress the Shift key while deleting an item.Rename a file or folder in Windows Explorer
Select the file you want to rename.
Press the F2 key.
Enter the new name for the file and press the Enter key.Display today's date
Leave the mouse pointer over the clock (displayed within the Window Taskbar) for a few seconds.Display the Start Menu
Press Control+Esc.Empty the Documents folder on the Start menu
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select Properties from the pop-up menu.
Click on the Start Menu's Programs tab.
Click on the Clear button.Refresh the Windows Explorer window
Press the F5 key.Copy a file to a floppy disk using the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Right click on the file and select Send To 3 1/2" Floppy.Make a file or folder first in the Microsoft Windows Explorer list
Change the first character of the file name to an underscore character.View the properties for an icon
Hold down the Alt key and double click on the icon.Cycle between currently running program windows
Press Alt+Tab.To create a Desktop shortcut to an item displayed within the Microsoft Window Explorer
Start the Windows Explorer within a window.
Select the item for which you wish to create a Desktop shortcut.
Drag and drop the item to the Desktop while depressing the Ctrl and Shift keys.Copy an item from one folder to another within the Microsoft Windows Explorer window
By default, dragging a file from one folder to another moves it. If you wish to copy a file hold down the Ctrl key while dragging.Move a file from one disk to another
By default dragging a file from one disk to another copies it. If you wish to move a file hold down the Shift key while dragging.Expand all subfolders within the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Click on the folder you wish to expand and press the asterisk(*) key on the numeric keypad.Format a floppy disk within the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Right click on the Floppy drive icon and select the Format command.Selecting more than one file within the Microsoft Window Explorer
Hold down the Ctrl and click on the files you wish to select.Select a block of files within the Windows Explorer
Select the first file in the block.
Hold down the Shift key and click on the last file in the block.Find the file pointed to by a shortcut
Right click on the shortcut icon and select Properties.
Click on the Shortcut tab.
Click on the Find Target button.Change the icon used by a shortcut
Right click on the shortcut icon and select Properties.
Select the Shortcut tab.
Click on the Change Icon button and browse to find a new icon.Select more than one Desktop icon within a rectangle
On the Desktop, drag and drop across the icons you which to select with the right hand mouse button depressed.Select all items within a folder
Press Ctrl-A.Display file name extensions within Microsoft Windows Explorer
Click on the View drop down menu and select Options.
Display the View tab. Make sure the Show all files button is ticked and the button called Hide MS-DOS file extensions is not ticked.Edit the Windows Shutdown screens
Start the Paint program supplied with Windows.
Click on the File drop down menu and choose the Open command.
Display the contents of the Windows folder.
Type Logo.sys or Logow.sys into the Filename text box and click on the Open button.Find a file containing a known portion of text
Right click on the Start button and the Find command from the pop-up menu.
To search the entire disk, select the Name and location tab and then enter the root directory in the Look in section of the dialog box.
Make sure the Include sub-folders check box is ticked.
Select the Advanced tab.
In the Containing Text section of the dialog box enter the text you are searching for.
Click on the Find Now button.Tile two (or more) programs on the screen
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select either Tile horizontally or Tile vertically.
Does not work for minimized programs, only those running in a window, or full screen.Simultaneously minimize all your windowed (or full screen) programs
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select Minimize all windows.Display the Windows Taskbar at the top (or the side) of the screen
Drag and drop the Taskbar to the top or side of the screen, as required.'Autohide' the Taskbar
Right click on the Taskbar and select Properties.
Make sure the Taskbar Options tab is selected.
Select Autohide and click on the OK button. Taskbar will disappears. Re-display by moving the mouse pointer to the edge of the screen.Set a default page for the Internet Explorer
Click on the Internet Explorer icon and select Properties.
Select the Navigation tab and in the Address text box enter the URL of the web site you wish to view when the Internet Explorer is run.