PC - Handy Hints

[Semih_Sayginer]

Id like forum members to list some handy hints to make using a computer easier.

things like the small shortcuts that make life easier

example:- Pressing control and F brings up a box where you can type in a keyword to search a lot of text for a particular word or phrase. saves manually searching.

so, whats "yours"?

[snookerfran]

In Firefox, you can just press / to get the search box.

(Aren't most of these tips going to depend on which OS/browser/browser version/browser extentions you're using and how you've configured shortcuts?)

[MrRottweiler]

1.) Alt-tabbing is useful for switching screens

Hold Alt and press tab.

2.) You can maximise a screen by double clicking anywhere in the blue bar at the top.

[Semih_Sayginer]

cheers so far....


if its specific to an OS, then say so please. ta

[April madness]

Alt+F4 to close a window or program

[MrRottweiler]

4 key - 4

& key - &

sorry.

[Mitsuko]

If your manager is about to come round press the windows key + m + l

[MrRottweiler]

Windows OS:

CTRL + Z - Undoes the last action. VERY handy!

[RaNeN]

Windows:

Ctrl+ N - Opens New window. Example you need to open another IE when one is already open. Just press Ctrl+N.

[The Statman]

In Word, pressing SHIFT plus cursor arrows, page up, home etc, will highlight the text between your starting point and whatever directional keys you press (this works in many other applications as well).

This gets round those annoying situations where you click and move down the page and it whizzes down uncontrollably!

In Excel, pressing Ctrl+cursor arrows will take you to the next blank, or next non-blank, cell in the row/column – and pressing Shift as well will highlight the area in between.

In most applications, Ctrl+Home will take you to the very top-left of the document.

Try to memorise the letters that are underlined on a menu.
E.g. File, Print, etc.
Holding down Alt while hitting those letters provides a useful shortcut (e.g. in Word, hold down Alt and type FP and it will take you straight to the Print box).

In Word, some of the most useful ones are: OF for Font, FA for Save As, OT for Tabs – the list goes on.

In most programs, Ctrl+ X, C, V are, respectively, Cut, Copy, Paste without a dialog box. You can remember X as Cut for looking like scissors, C for Copy because Copy begins with C, and V for paste as it is the next key along from X and C.

[The Statman]

Windows OS:

CTRL + Z - Undoes the last action. VERY handy!

...and if you find you wanted it after all, F4 will redo it.

[MrRottweiler]

I've always meant to find out how to redo. Thanks Statman.

[Semih_Sayginer]

cheers for the replies

this is turning into a good thread (i am going to make a list of the ones i already knew, and add the ones from this thread i didnt, so that i can learn them)

ta

[The Statman]

Going on from my shortcuts, some of my favourites are:

Alt+[space],C closes that application.

Excel, Alt+O,C,A will make the column (that you're in) the correct width for the widest cell in it; similarly O,R,A for rows.

Alt+F,P,G for the 'which page' prompt in the Print box (most applications) and F,P,E for the 'print current page'.

Alt+FU for Page Setup

In Word, Alt+O,F,R for Character Spacing...

You know those annoying times when you have made the margins as small as possible, the font as small as possible but it still won't quite fit on one page? Well, Character Spacing allows you to squash the letters together bu multiples of 0.1pt. They stay the same size, but are positioned more closely together.

Similarly Line Spacing (Alt+O,P,N) allow you to specify the line spacing (size 10, 11 or whatever ore even size 10.34 if you need that amount of accuracy) without altering the size of the actual type.

Also, a lot of people, when finding that Size 10 is too small but Size 11 is too big, that Word Font sizes can be in multiples of ½ – so you can have Size 10.5.

[The Statman]

In virtually any application, you can easily find those awkward accented letters by going through the HTML codes:

Hold down Alt and type, on the number keypad, the relevant number below:

à = 0224
á = 0225, and then it goes through As, ç, Es, Is, ñ, Os and Us in numerical order (with the exception of 0247)

Capitals run in the same sequence starting at 0192 (except 0215).

Other useful ones are:

0215= × (you will see in the maths puzzles thread that I always use × rather than lowercase x)
0247= ÷
0188, 0189 and 0190 are ¼ ½ ¾
0185, 0178 and 0179 are ¹ ² ³
0177= ±
0176= °

There are more symbols that you can get by typing the 4-digit code normally, then typing Alt+x

2105 gives ℅, for example, and 2153, 2154, 215B, 215C, 215D and 215E give ⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞