Most average users know a few keyboard shortcuts such as ^C for Copy, ^X for Cut, and ^V for Paste, but here are three additional shortcuts that many folks under-utilize. If you spend a few moments learning them, you'll find them incredibly useful.
Note: When I write ^C it means to press down the Ctrl key and while holding it down, press the C key. You then release both together)
The first is ^A. This selects (highlights) everything in the current window or field. So for example you want to copy this entire article into an email, hit ^A to select everything then ^C to copy it to the clipboard. Open your email and then type ^V to insert it. Try ^A now, it should select this whole web page. Click anywhere to remove the highlighting. ^A is also really useful when you want to delete the contents of a form field or dialog box. Just hit ^A then Delete. I use it a lot to clear the address box in my browser.
The second handy shortcut is ^Home. This takes you to the top of a document or web page. Similarly ^End takes you to the bottom. It's much faster than scrolling. Try it now.
The third shortcut is probably the most useful of all. It involves using the Shift key when selecting long lists or text passages. Let's say you want to select a section of this page covering several paragraphs. The way most users would do this would be to left mouse click at the start, hold the mouse button down and then move the mouse cursor to the end of the text to be selected. That's fine but if the text covers more than one screen it can get tricky. Here's a much better way.
First, left click at the start of the text and release the mouse button. Then scroll down to the end of the text and left click again while holding down Shift key. All the text in between will be selected. Try it now on this page. Neat eh? The same technique works well when selecting items on a list. Incidentally, if you want to select or deselect individual items that aren't consecutive, you can do that by using the Ctrl key when left clicking. But hey, that's a fourth shortcut and I said I was only going to give you three :)
If you really want more, there's a complete list here:
Source: from my son and Microsoft
By Elaine from Belle Plaine, IA
This page contains the following solutions.
If you have difficulty seeing your monitor, rather than get your reading glasses, hold down the control key with your left hand and with hand on mouse scroll away from you to make the print larger. To make it normal again, scroll toward yourself. This makes life much easier.
Has your computer ever been frozen and your just frustrated? Well here is a new way to fix it! Do not, I repeat, do not get a computer dude.
I was sitting at my desk, writing an email to a friend. There were faint rumblings of thunder off in the distance. I said to myself, 'I will quickly wrap up this email and get off this computer'.
I have issues with sitting, as many of us do. Today it occurred to me I wanted to raise my keyboard so I had the option of standing to do my computer work. But what to use that I already had? I found a basket that now has all my computer paper and card stock in it, and a side basket for the mouse that has rocks in it so it won't tip over.
I keep a journal type notebook with me at the computer. I write down tips, valuable information, recipes, websites, etc. I have anything from what to include in a pet first-aid kit, the ASPCA poison control phone number and crafts I'd like to do with my grandaughter.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What is a really good hard copy book to buy that teaches you how to do shortcuts on the computer? Most of the books I have seen or either too basic or just deal with how to use email, internet, etc.
By the way, I have a PC with Windows operating system.
By V. K. Eagan
My daughter goes to the library and checks out several books at a time to see if she is interested in buying one for herself. If most of the books look like "older" manuals you may be able to get the library to order some newer ones.
I use a Mac now, but saved a lot of money by using the Internet to learn about my PC. When I bought my first home PC (2004), I looked at hard copies of books but was really shocked at the cost and how quickly they go out of date-the suggestion to use the library is a very good one!
After buying the PC and setting it up, I was frustrated because the thing didn't seem to have a hard copy owner's manual. What? Everything comes with a user guide, doesn't it?
However, after shopping the books stores, I quickly discovered it's actually not a good idea to buy a hard copy of a book to learn my way around the home PC because software and operating systems change so quickly I'd be buying a new book almost every year.
You'd learn more joining an online forum, using the free support info on MS website, and from a site with pages like:
search.about.com/
pcsupport.about.com/
I've also learned a lot about computer security from these about.com pages:
antivirus.about.com/
Good luck, and try to have fun. Learning your way around a computer that goes online can be daunting, I worried I would kill the 'Net when I first went out into cyberspace. LOL, the 'Net is still up, and I sold my first computer in 2010 to a college kid who was thrilled to get one in that clean a condition-I learned to defrag, debug, manage uploads, downloads, upgrade operating systems, and keep my hard drive clean, and all of it from reading online:)
If you mean shortcut keys, just google " Microsoft computer shortcut keys."
I have added all sort of shortcuts to my toolbars in Excel. Why can I not get shortcuts to stay in Word? Every time I open Word my shortcuts are gone from the toolbars. Is there a setting I need to change somewhere?
I don't know the answer to your problem, but I know of a wonderful site where you can get the answer. The site is
asktcl.com/
I have a computer and I want to upload a picture, but there is no option in the list for computer screen size.
By Itehad
Want a list of every software and hardware installed on your computer? This program will give you a file with a list, that you can save and/or print out for free.
Link: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Creating shortcuts to items you often use on your computer can be a great timesaver. This is a page about cut your mouse clicks in half.
