Windows XP (and Vista) Tips and Tricks: Shortcuts

Quit chasing your mouse!  Use keyboard shortcuts

(WORKS WITH VISTA TOO!)

While the mouse is one of the greatest advances in computing history, depending on the type of work you’re doing, sometimes using a mouse actually slows you down.  If you type fast, taking your hands away from the keyboard to move the mouse can be distracting.  It is believed that over the course of a day, you could save several minutes by using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse.

You can use keyboard shortcuts to start a program, navigate  menus, minimize, maximize, and close windows.  Lets start with

Start a Program

The start menu is good for finding and opening programs, but when you have many programs and folders, it can be time consuming to navigate.  I suggest using this tip for programs you start frequently, this way you have a keyboard shortcut so that you can start the program without taking your hands off of the keyboard.

Heres how:

1.  Click the START menu, and then click ALL PROGRAMS.  Right-click the program you want to start with a keyboard shortcut, then click PROPERTIES

2.  Click in the Shortcut key box.  Now press the letter on your keyboard that you want to use to start the program.  Make it easy to remember.

-You can use uppercase or lowercase letters when creating shortcuts.  In the shortcut box, Windows automatically adds CTRL + ALT + before the key you pressed.  When you want to start the program, hold down both the CTRL and ALT keys simultaneously, while pressing the letter you chose.  This way, your program won’t start each time you type that letter.

3.  Click OK

4.  Test your shortcut.  Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, and then press the letter you chose.  Your program should start.

Navigate Menus Using the Keyboard

You can speed up tasks in almost any program by choosing menu items using your keyboard instead of your mouse.  This is very handy when you are performing repetitive tasks.

To control menus using your keyboard

1.  With your program open, press the ALT key.  One letter on each menu is now underlined.  To open the menu, press the underlined key.

2.  Each menu item will show one letter underlined.  To access the menu itme you want, simply press the underlined key.  Now that was easy enough, right!

and for our final segment of this shortcut tutorial:

Control Windows using your keyboard

 If you’re like me and keep four or five windows open at a time, you’ll appreciate knowing these shortcuts.  You can quickly switch between your browser, email, instant messaging windows, and other programs without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Minimize a window to your taskbar – ALT, SPACEBAR, N

Fully Maximize a window – ALT, SPACEBAR, X

Close a window – ALT + F4

Switch to the last window you had open – ALT + TAB

Switch to any window – Hold down ALT, press TAB until the window you want is active

Now, we know that it’s hard to pull away from the mouse.  But, using shortcuts will feel natural after you do it a few times, and you will be a much more efficient user.  Show your friends and family what you’ve learned on MyTechTeam.net

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