Windows dialog box keyboard shortcuts
Press |
To |
CTRL+TAB |
Move forward through tabs. |
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB |
Move backward through tabs. |
TAB |
Move forward through options. |
SHIFT+TAB |
Move backward through options. |
ALT+Underlined letter |
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. |
ENTER |
Carry out the command for the active option or button. |
SPACEBAR |
Select or clear the checkbox if the active option is a checkbox. |
Arrow keys |
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. |
F1 |
Display Help. |
F4 |
Display the items in the active list. |
BACKSPACE |
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. |
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Windows general keyboard shortcuts
Press |
To |
CTRL + C |
Copy. |
CTRL + X |
Cut. |
CTRL + V |
Paste. |
CTRL + Z |
Undo. |
DELETE |
Delete. |
SHIFT + DELETE |
Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. |
CTRL while dragging an item |
Copy selected item. |
CTRL + SHIFT while dragging an item |
Create a shortcut to the selected item. |
F2 |
Rename selected item. |
CTRL + RIGHT ARROW |
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. |
CTRL + LEFT ARROW |
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. |
CTRL + DOWN ARROW |
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. |
CTRL + UP ARROW |
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. |
CTRL + SHIFT with any of the arrow keys |
Highlight a block of text. |
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys |
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. |
CTRL + A |
Select all. |
F3 |
Search for a file or folder. |
ALT + ENTER |
View properties for the selected item. |
ALT + F4 |
Close the active item, or quit the active program. |
ALT + Enter |
Displays the properties of the selected object. |
ALT + SPACEBAR |
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. |
CTRL + F4 |
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. |
ALT + TAB |
Switch between open items. |
ALT + ESC |
Cycle through items in the order they were opened. |
F6 |
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. |
F4 |
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. |
SHIFT + F10 |
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. |
ALT + SPACEBAR |
Display the System menu for the active window. |
CTRL + ESC |
Display the Start menu. |
ALT + Underlined letter in a menu name |
Display the corresponding menu. |
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu |
Carry out the corresponding command. |
F10 |
Activate the menu bar in the active program. |
RIGHT ARROW |
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. |
LEFT ARROW |
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. |
F5 |
Refresh the active window. |
BACKSPACE |
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. |
ESC |
Cancel the current task. |
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive |
Prevent the CD from automatically playing. |
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You might need to be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to perform some tasks.
Disk Defragmenter consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume. As a result, your system can gain access to your files and folders and save new ones more efficiently. By consolidating your files and folders, Disk Defragmenter also consolidates the volume's free space, making it less likely that new files will be fragmented.
- To open Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
- For information about using Disk Defragmenter, on the Action menu in Disk Defragmenter, click Help.
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You can use the Error-checking tool to check for errors and bad sectors on your hard disk.
- Open My Computer, and then select the local disk you want to check.
- On the File menu, click Properties.
- On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now.
- Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors checkbox.
Notes
- To open My Computer, double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop.
- All files must be closed for this process to run. If the volume is currently in use, a message box will appear, prompting you to indicate whether or not you want to reschedule the disk checking for the next time you restart your system. Then, the next time you restart your system, disk checking will run. Your volume will not be available to perform other tasks while this process is running.
- If your volume is formatted as NTFS, Windows automatically logs all file transactions, replaces bad clusters, and stores copies of crucial information for all NTFS volume files.
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With newer computers having the ability to run multiple displays, here is a ‘Geek Tip’ for those thinking about using two monitors on one computer. There are various scenarios; I am going to describe just a few. I currently have two systems here with dual monitor setups.
Of course, there is the side-by-side scenario, either horizontally or vertically, with the desktop expanded across the monitors. The first thing to consider is having two monitors precisely alike. It’s not necessary, but it is recommended. With this setup, you can work with a different program on each monitor. Makes copy and pasting a breeze. And you can also stretch a program across both monitors (left monitor has a work area; the right monitor has the tool palette).
This scenario also works well for those with visual impairments that require a magnification utility. You can use a larger monitor as the ‘main’ display and a smaller monitor as the ‘secondary’ display. Using the main display for all standard functions, the secondary display shows a magnified view of the main display. And without the need for matching monitors, you could pick up a cheap used one to run as secondary. Try your local Goodwill, Savers, thrift shop, etc.
Then there is what I like to call the back-to-back scenario, with the monitors on opposing faces of a wall or walls. The keyboard and mouse can be used wirelessly or through a USB cable. Yes, you can run more than one keyboard and mouse on a system, if this helps. In this case, cloning the display across both monitors is required, as the user can only view one monitor at a time.
With this scenario, you can have a presentation monitor (LCD or plasma TV works well) on one wall and a standard monitor at the workstation. The variations on these scenarios are vast, and I hope I have inspired you to look into using dual monitors.
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