Summary:
From
obscure options to esoteric shortcuts to arcane add-ons, here are 55
hidden gems that will help you master the programs you use every day. [Dale Note: these tips apply to
Win7. However several of them also apply to previous versions of
Windows.]
The apps you use most--your Web browser, productivity tools, media
managers, and Windows and its built-in accessories--are more powerful
than you realize. They are loaded with unpublicized features that make
your PC easier to use, they respond to superquick keyboard shortcuts
that you've never heard about, and they support add-ons and plug-ins
that can shave minutes or even hours off of mundane daily chores.
But finding these
shortcuts and obscure features usually means perusing dusty manuals or
digging through intimidating help menus, and many of the most useful
tips are ones that you would never have thought to look for in the
first place. Fortunately, you don't have to do the searching
yourself--we've done it for you. Read on for the mother lode of expert
software secrets.
Windows Tricks
No matter how fast your
system is already, a well-crafted Windows shortcut can give it a
recurring productivity boost. These tricks and workarounds will make
your applications quicker to launch, your files easier to find, and
your PC simpler to manage.
Work Your
Windows Key
Quickly
pull up the System Info window with the Windows key.
Quickly
view your system specs: Press Windows-Pause
to bring up the System Info window. This keyboard shortcut can be
especially handy if you're troubleshooting a PC and need to pull up the
system's specs in a hurry.
Launch
taskbar apps: Put your most commonly used applications
in the taskbar, and you'll use your mouse a lot less. Pressing Windows
plus any number key will launch the program in the corresponding
taskbar slot (so Windows-1
will open Windows Explorer, Windows-2
will open the app positioned to the right of Explorer, and so on).
Press
Windows-P to switch display modes when you attach a peripheral.
Ditch
the Displays Control Panel: To switch display modes
instantly when you plug in a projector or dock your laptop to an
external display, press Windows-P.
Run apps
from anywhere: You can launch applications and set
parameters from your keyboard, without having to waste time digging
through the Start menu to find the one you want to use. Press Windows-R
to bring up the Run dialog box.
Fix the Small
Stuff
Don't
lose your work to automatic updates: Windows Update
often forces your PC to restart after it finishes updating the
operating system with the latest fixes--and if you're away from your
desk with an unsaved document open at the time, you'll lose your work.
To prevent this from happening, open Windows Update
in the Control Panel, click Change settings, and
in the drop-down menu select Download updates but let me
choose whether to install them. That way, you'll never again
get burned by a post-update reboot.
Change
Windows Explorer's default folder.
Change
Windows Explorer's default folder: Tired of clicking
through Windows Explorer to find the one folder you use regularly? You
can save precious time and mouse clicks by making Windows Explorer open
your favorite folder by default. Right-click the Explorer icon
in your taskbar, and then right-click Windows Explorer
and select Properties. In the Target field, add a
space and a file path at the end of the ‘%windir%\explorer.exe'
section, so that the new (longer) path looks like this:
‘%windir%\explorer.exe C:\Users\yourusername\yourfolder'.
Change
your Folder Options to use the same view.
Stick
to one point of view: Windows will remember and abide by
your View settings for each individual folder--a level of faithfulness
that's annoying if you like to stick with a particular view setting.
Open a folder, click the Organize tab, and
choose Folder and search options. Select the View
tab and click the Apply to folders button at
the top. You have a new default folder!
Disable
touchpad clicking when you type: If your touchpad is set
to detect a tapping motion as a mouse click, it can send your cursor
flying around your screen whenever your wrist accidentally brushes
against the touchpad. Grab Touchfreeze <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,83501/description.html>,
a free utility that automatically disables your touchpad while you're
typing, and you won't have to wonder where your newly typed text ended
up.
Use your
local Library (folder): Windows 7's Libraries provide an
easy way to organize and access files, but they become much more useful
when teamed with Win7
Library Tool , which lets you add nonindexed folders
(including network folders) to your library of choice:
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,82923-order,4/description.html>.
Safely
remove memory cards without waiting: You're supposed to
use the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the system tray before
unplugging memory cards and the like--but waiting for it is such a pain
that you'll be itching to pull your memory card without waiting for
Safely Remove Hardware to do its thing. The key to making quick removal
safe is to ensure that Windows isn't writing to the card without your
knowledge; if the operating system behaves itself, you can eject the
card whenever you want without corrupting your data. To adjust your
settings, first right-click the memory card in Windows Explorer, choose
Properties, click the Hardware tab,
select the memory card reader, and choose Properties;
then click the Policies tab (you may have to
click the ‘Change settings' button before Policies shows up), and
choose Optimize for quick removal. Henceforth,
you won't need Safely Remove Hardware.
Taskbar
Techniques
Restore
your Quick Launch bar: Windows 7 added a lot of neat
features to the taskbar, but in the process it got rid of the Quick
Launch bar. Fortunately, bringing Quick Launch back is fairly easy.
Right-click the taskbar and uncheck Lock the taskbar;
then right-click the taskbar again and choose New toolbar.
Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch into the file
path, and then click the arrow button on the right to navigate to that
folder. Quick Launch will be back in action.
Clean up
your system tray: Your system tray probably contains
lots of icons that you rarely use. Instead of clicking the arrow to
expand the system tray every time you need access to its contents, just
drag the icons you use most often from the expanded tray to the
minimized tray area on the taskbar. That way, you can click them
immediately instead of having to expand the tray and root around for
the icon you need.
Drag and
drop to your taskbar apps: A taskbar icon's behavior
depends on which modifier keys you hold down as you click it. Hold down
Shift while you click an app's icon to open a new instance of the app.
Hold down Ctrl-Shift
while clicking the app's icon to open the program as an administrator.
Drag a file from your desktop (or from an open window) over an app's
icon on the taskbar to pin the icon to the app's jump list, or hold
down Ctrl to open the file with that
program.
Mastering
Microsoft Office
While your job might be
sheer drudgery on certain assignments, working in Office doesn't have
to be. Office has its fair share of hidden secrets that can lighten the
load of your workday.
Work With Word
PDFtoWord
converts PDF documents into Word docs.
Maximize
your macros: If you spend a significant amount of time
in Word, consider using the built-in Macro function to record and
automate repetitive tasks. First enable the Developer tab
(in Office 2007): Click the Office button in the upper-left corner,
choose Word Options, and check Show
Developer tab in the Ribbon. Then switch to the Developer
tab in your document, and you can record your own
macros (global as well as document-specific) and assign them to keys or
toolbar buttons.
Thumbnail
view in Word helps you scroll through your documents.
Navigate
with your thumbnails: Scrolling through long Word
documents is a waste of time. Click the View tab and check the Thumbnails
box to add a bar on the left side of the window that
you can use to skip quickly from page to page.
Strip out
text formatting: Want to copy and paste a block of text
without bringing the original formatting along for the ride? To do
this, first copy the text you want (by pressing Ctrl-C); then open the
Edit menu (or click the drop-down menu under the Paste icon on the Word
2007 ribbon), choose Paste special, and select Unformatted Text. This
method is perfect for removing hyperlinks from copied Web content.
Own Your Office
Bring
menus back: If you still haven't learned Office 2007's
ribbon system after three years of exposure to it, maybe you should
just get rid of it. UBitMenu
is a third-party Office add-on that restores the old menu setup. What's
more, it's free for private use:
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84834-order,4/description.html>.
Encrypt
your Word docs by using the General Options tab of the Tools drop-down
menu.
Keep
your docs private: You can make a Word or Excel document
more secure by saving it with a password (if you like, you can even
specify different passwords so that some people can edit the document
while others can only read it). Select Save As,
click the Tools drop-down menu, and choose General
Options (Security Options in older
versions of Office).
Find a
lost e-mail message: By default, in its All Items
searches, Outlook 2007 doesn't include e-mail messages consigned to the
Deleted Items folder. If you're looking for a missive that you think
you may have deleted, select Tools, Options,
Preferences, and click Search
Options. Check the box under ‘Deleted Items' that says
Include messages from the Deleted Items folder in each data
file when searching in All Items, and you may be able to pull your
missing mail out of the trash.
Eliminate
notifications: Ever had a highly productive computer
session ruined by an errant e-mail notification? To disable Outlook's
notification sounds and system-tray messages, go to Tools,
Options, Preferences,
E-mail Options, and then click the Advanced
E-mail Options button. Uncheck all of the options shown
under ‘When new items arrive in My Inbox'.
Insert a
new worksheet in an Excel spreadsheet: To open a new
worksheet in an existing Excel spreadsheet without having to dig
through any menus first, simply press Shift-F11.
Web Browser
Tricks and Scripts
Like the exploding
ballpoint pen and powerful laser watch that James Bond found so handy
in GoldenEye, your browser can do more than meets the eye. Whether you
are Firefox friendly or an Internet Explorer devotee, plenty of great
add-ons are available for customizing and controlling your Web browsing
experience.
Take advantage of the
tips in this section, and you'll never again have to endure a lost
comment or forum post, spend precious time stripping unwanted
formatting out of blocks of copied and pasted text, or waste sheets of
paper every time you print out a copy of a Web page. Besides being easy
on your processor, these practical add-ons are free, so load up on them.
Note that many of the
best Web browser add-ons cited in this article are user-created scripts
originally written for Greasemonkey <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,71759-order,4/description.html>,
a Firefox add-on that lets you write JavaScript plug-ins that may
radically change the way you use your favorite Websites. Most scripts
are hosted on the Userscripts.org site <http://userscripts.org/>. If you're
not using Firefox, read "Use
Greasemonkey Scripts In IE, Chrome, and Safari" for tips on
how to get these scripts to work:
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/184108/use_greasemonkey_scripts_in_ie_chrome_and_safari.html>.
Firefox Fans
Only
Make
Gmail better: Grab Better
Gmail 2 <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,73036-order,4/description.html>, a suite of scripts and add-ons designed to fix some
of Gmail's niggling annoyances. With Better Gmail 2, your mouse will
highlight the e-mail message that you hover it over, the Unread count
in the Gmail window will appear first (so that it won't get cut off
if it's located in a tab), and attachments will show up from the list
view, among other useful improvements. Meanwhile, the first version of
Better Gmail has become available to users as a Chrome
extension:
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84909-order,4/description.html>.
Lazarus
brings your lost text back from the dead.
Deep-six
the links: Copy
Plain Text is another convenient Firefox add-on. It strips
all of the nasty, unpredictable formatting out of text that you copy
and paste: <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84835/description.html>.
Tips for Any
Browser
Save
eight keystrokes from every URL: You no longer need to
type "www." or ".com" in most URLs. Instead, merely type the unique
part of the domain name that you want to visit--say, pcworld--into your
browser's navigation bar, and press Ctrl-Enter.
Your browser will automatically fill in the "www." and ".com" parts of
the address.
Middle-click
to open a link in a new tab: Middle-clicking a link
(that is, clicking it with the scrollwheel) will cause it to open in a
new tab. Middle-clicking a folder containing multiple bookmarks will
cause all of them to open in new tabs.
PrintWhatYouLike.com
lets you pick what you want to print.
Improve
a site's printer friendliness: At most Websites, the
"printer-friendly" versions of the content are pretty awful. So head
over to PrintWhatYouLike.com <
http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/>, and pick
exactly which page elements you want to keep in your hard copy.
Must-Have
Add-Ons
Capture a
full-page screenshot: Ever need to snag a screenshot of
an entire Web page? Three utilities designed for specific browsers--Screengrab
for Firefox <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,69658-order,4/description.html>,
IE
Screenshot <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,69659-order,4/description.html>,
and Talon
for Google Chrome <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84910-order,3/description.html>,
are perfectly suited to the task.
Try
IE-in-a-tab: Even if you typically don't use Internet
Explorer, you should have a copy of it handy for special situations.
You might need to see how your site works in IE, for instance, or a
site you use might not support other browsers. For maximum convenience,
IE
Tab for Firefox <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,63183/description.html> and IE
Tab for Chrome <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84911/description.html> let you keep the Microsoft browser in a tab so
you don't have to juggle multiple browsers at once.
Bring
back the bookmark: If you got out of the habit of using
the humble bookmark because synchronizing different sets of bookmarks
was too much of a hassle, install Xmarks <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,77294/description.html>.
It lets you sync your bookmarks across different PCs and across
different browsers.
Verify
sites' trustworthiness: The Internet can be a dangerous
place, but the Web
of Trust browser add-on promises to make your excursions
there a little safer by telling you how the sites you visit rate in
terms of privacy policy, vendor reliability, and child safety:
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,73058/description.html>.
Chrome and
Google Apps
Keep up
on your Gmail: Are you a convert to Gmail who misses the
way Outlook used to notify you of new messages? Google
Mail Checker Plus <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84912/description.html> chimes when you receive new messages, lets
you view the subject, and opens a new Gmail message window when you
click a mailto: link.
Check
your Google Calendar: If you frequently need to take
quick peeks at your Google Calendar, pick up DayHiker
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84913/description.html> and you'll be able to access it without opening a new tab or moving
away from your current page.
Perform
instant YouTube searches: Never type "www.youtube.com"
again. Instead use Fast
YouTube Search <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84914/description.html> to jump-start your search for YouTube videos
from the comfort of your main browser window.
Easily
add RSS feeds to Google Reader: If you use Google Reader
to track your RSS feeds, you'll appreciate RSS
Subscription Extension <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84927/description.html>, which displays an RSS icon in the
address bar whenever you are on a page that includes an RSS feed.
Just click the icon, and you can add the feed to your subscription list
without any hassle.
Manage Your Media
Movies, music,
podcasts, pictures...your PC may take up less space in your house than
your photo albums and your DVD collection do, but that doesn't
guarantee that its contents can't sink over time into total disarray.
For many people, PCs have become the hub for storing family photos,
home videos, and music libraries--and without the right apps and
tricks, those collections can quickly degenerate into a trackless
wilderness. Read on for tips to keep iTunes in line, to avoid
stuttering streams, and to automate photo uploads.
iTunes Tricks
Auto-add
to iTunes: Managing an iTunes library can be a hassle,
especially if you download your media from multiple apps. iTunes 9
introduced an ‘Automatically Add To iTunes' folder (located by default
at C:\Users\username\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media); iTunes monitors this
folder for new files and appropriately sorts the ones it finds.
Download new music and videos to this folder, and you won't have to
organize them later.
Keep your
feeds going: iTunes will automatically stop updating
your podcast subscriptions if you don't listen to them--a real
annoyance if you want to listen to a series of podcasts on, say, a
marathon road trip. A simple Visual Basic script <http://wperry1.dyndns.org:81/personal/projects/CodeLib/detail.asp?id=48> automatically
marks all of your unplayed podcasts as played, causing iTunes to
continue updating them. Use Windows' built-in Task Scheduler to set the
script to run every week or so.
Clean up
your music: You don't really need four copies of the
same song in your iTunes library--even if it's really good. So select File,
Display Duplicates, and start deleting.
Create
multiple libraries: You may not want iTunes to lump all
of your media into a single library. Maybe you'd prefer a
family-friendly media library and a separate adults-only media library,
or maybe you'd rather not reveal your love of Rupert Holmes singles to
anyone else. Whatever the reason, you can use Libra
to set up multiple iTunes libraries and switch from one to another at
will; with luck, that "RH+" library won't attract any attention.
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84882-order,3/description.html>
Speed it
up: By default, iTunes has a few performance-slowing
settings turned on. To disable the laggards, open the Preferences menu
and uncheck any of the following you don't use: Look for
shared libraries (Sharing tab), Look
for Apple TVs (Apple TV tab), Look
for remote speakers connected with AirTunes (Devices
tab), and Look for iPod touch, iPhone and
iPad Remotes (again, Devices tab). In
the Store menu, turn Genius off.
Secrets of
Syncing, Streaming, and Organizing
Don't
mess with codecs: If you're tired of installing and
updating audio and video codecs to extend your player's capabilities,
make VLC
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,64558/description.html> your main media player. Easily the most compatible media player
available, VLC can handle a multitude of file and streaming formats
designed for iTunes, Winamp, Windows Media Player, and more.
Make
your video stream stop stuttering by increasing the buffering time in
VLC.
Prevent
stream stutter: Though many factors outside your control
could interrupt your video stream (especially if you're streaming from
another user's PC rather than from
a dedicated service such as Netflix or YouTube), one tweak that may
help is to increase the size of your system's read buffer. This
adjustment will make the stream take longer to start, but it can also
smooth out some hiccups by introducing a little more latency. In VLC,
open the Open Network Stream menu, check Show
more options, and bump up the number in the Caching
field. In Windows Media Player, choose Options
from the Organize menu, click
the Performance tab, and manually adjust the ‘Buffering
settings'.
Accelerate
or slow down podcasts: If you want to play back your
audiobooks and podcasts in Windows Media Player at a different speed
from the one they were set to play at, you can arrange it instantly via
a few keyboard shortcuts. Press Ctrl-Shift-G
to make a podcast play faster, press Ctrl-Shift-S
to slow it down, and press Ctrl-Shift-N
to reset it to normal.
Automate
photo uploads: Depending on which photo management
software and online photo services you prefer, you may be able to
upload new pictures automatically. LiveUpload
to Facebook can publish from Windows Live Gallery <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84833-order,4/description.html>, while Picasa
can post anything you put in a Picasa Web Album on the Picasa Website
<http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,64528-order,1-page,1/description.html>.
If you favor Flickr, try Foldr
Monitr <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84373/description.html>, which can watch a specific folder for newly added
images and post them to your Flickr account. (For more on automating
your media collection, see "Automate
Your PC's Media Library <http://www.pcworld.com/article/195367/automate_your_pcs_media_library.html>.")
Tag
your (cat) photos in Windows 7.
Tag
photos from Windows: If you have a lot of photos on your
PC, you'll probably want to organize them with a photo gallery app
(such as Windows Live Photo Gallery or Picasa). But if you don't want
to deal with an extra application, you can use Windows 7's built-in
metadata support to maintain order among your photos by means of
descriptive tags ("Kids" or "Vacation," for example). Just select the
pictures in Windows Explorer, click Show More Details...
at the bottom of the open window, click Tags, and
type the tags you want to use (separate multiple tags with semicolons).
Once you've tagged your photos, you can search for them by placing
"tag:" in front of your search string.
Windows
Notepad, Calculator, and Paint Tips
Notepad, Calculator,
and Paint aren't the flashiest apps around, but they do have a few
embedded secrets. Use these tips to get a little more use out of the
accessories that come with every Windows installation; and don't forget
to check out a few potential upgrades.
These tricks can come
in handy when you need access to features typically found in higher-end
apps that aren't on everyone's PC. Photoshop and Excel are great, but
if you're on a friend's PC, Paint and Calculator just might save your
bacon.
Track
time with Notepad: Type .LOG (in all-capital letters) on
the first line of a Notepad document, and Notepad will automatically
stamp the current date and time in the doc every time you open
it--handy for logging events or notes.
Windows
Calculator can handle a few new tricks.
Use the
new Calculator: Microsoft gave the humble calculator a
makeover in Windows 7. Not only does the updated app have four
different settings (Standard, Scientific, Programmer, and Statistics),
but you can use new worksheets to calculate gas mileage, mortgage
payments, and leasing prices, or to convert units of measure.
Switch to
watercolors: Paint in Windows 7 includes a few new
brushes that can add artistic effects to your scribbles. The Crayon
brush leaves a bumpy, uneven texture; the Watercolor paintbrush
introduces lighter streaks; and the Oil paintbrush has a notably
thicker texture. Also, the Watercolor and Oil brushes will run out of
paint if you hold down the mouse button for a particularly long stroke;
click again to reload them.
Edit
pixel-by-pixel in Paint: Need a little more precision in
your Paint editing? Turn on the grid by pressing Ctrl-G. You'll need to
zoom in to about 600% before the grid will show individual pixels.
Upgrade Your
PC's Accessories
Windows' built-in
accessories are nice, but eventually you may want something more. If
so, check out these apps, which pack more useful features while
managing to stay svelte.
Notepad++ <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,80985-order,4/description.html>
is Notepad for advanced text wranglers. Most of the features in this
application are aimed at people who work with raw code--Notepad++
supports HTML, XML, JavaScript, .ini files, and various flavors of C,
among other languages and formats--but the tabbed document displays,
macros, and in-document bookmarking features are useful for anyone who
regularly works with plain text.
The
ZuluPad app allows you to link automatically to other notes from the
note you are currently typing.
ZuluPad <
http://www.gersic.com/zulupad/>,
on the other hand, focuses on the "note" side of the Notepad feature
set. With ZuluPad (the Basic version is free; the Pro version costs
$15), you can pull in images, automatically link to your other notes
while you type, and even sync your ZuluPad documents online.
Paint.net <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,64533/description.html>
is a lightweight paint program that has been around forever--and with
good reason. It's much more capable than Microsoft Paint (which falls
short of most people's image-editing needs), and yet at the same time
it's smaller and easier to use than professional-caliber applications
such as Adobe
Photoshop Elements <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,16121-order,4-c,imageeditors/description.html> and GIMP <http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,23351-order,4/description.html>.
Copyright
1998-2010, PCWorld Communications, Inc.
(Win7_55Tips.htm)