Hints to Make Your Computing Life a Little Less Work.

(by using Shortcuts and changing to a screen you can actually see)

Beginner’s SIG – October 12, 2006 – Barbara Resnick

Definitions:

· An application you use frequently or a file you open often is usually more conveniently accessible by a shortcut icon on the desktop.(All programs or applications are files but not all files are applications)

· Shortcut icons have little arrows in the bottom left corner.

· If a shortcut icon is deleted, the original file or program remains intact.

· A keyboard shortcut to a shortcut bypasses the use of the mouse.

Part 1 EASY ON THE HANDS

Shortcut #1 - ADDING A SHORTCUT ICON TO THE DESKTOP

1. Go to START , PROGRAMS (XP users go to ALL PROGRAMS) or use MyComputer or Explorer to locate your PROGRAM or FILE.

2. Navigate through the folders and files to find the program or file that you want.

3. Right-click on the program/file icon in order to activate the special pull down menu.

4. Left-click on “Send to”. Left-click on “Desktop (create shortcut)”.

(Plan B. Right Click on the program/file and left click Create Shortcut. This creates a shortcut in the same folder. Drag and drop it on the desktop.

5. A shortcut for the program/file now appears on your Desktop.

Shortcut # 2 CREATE KEYSTROKE SHORTCUTS AND YOUR HANDS WILL NEVER LEAVE THE KEYBOARD

It is very straightforward to create your own keystroke shortcuts to open programs that you use frequently. Here’s how. This allows for faster typing and input of commands. Windows also has many keyboard shortcuts for common (and some uncommon) tasks.

To make your own keyboard shortcut -

1. Right click a program icon in the Start menu

or a desktop shortcut icon to the program or a file.

2. .Left click on “Properties.”

3. Left click the Shortcut Tab if there is one . Left click in the “Shortcut Key” box to set the Insertion point. The insertion point will pulsate immediately to the right of the word “none.”

4. Hold down on the CTRL key and as you do so note that “CTRL + ALT” has replaced “none.” Or hold down the CTRL key and simultaneously hold down the SHIFT key. “CTRL + SHIFT” will replace “none”.

5. While continuing to hold down on the CTRL key, type any single character of your choice from the keyboard. For example, you may wish to use “W” for Word, “S” for Solitaire, “F” for a family update letter. Any single character may be used, but used only once.

6. Click OK

7. Test your new shortcut.

a) Return to desktop.

b) The plus sign means to hold down all three keys at once. Do not type the plus sign.

c) Press CTRL + ALT + your selected key or CTRL + SHIFT + your selected key and see what happens!

OTHER KEYBOARD SHORTCUT COMMANDS

For the Anti-Mouse User

Although there are literally hundreds of keyboard shortcuts that will take the place of mouse clicks and, thus, save you time, the following are among the most popular and are easy to commit to memory. You may find it to be advantageous to make several of these a part of your everyday computing repertoire. Recall, the plus sign means hold down all keys at once.

When shortcuts are available, they will be indicated in drop down menus in applications just to the right of the menu option.

CONTROL SHORTCUTS

CONTROL + A = to select the entire text (for editing and formatting)

CONTROL + B = to toggle boldface on/off (frequently used in word processing or e-mail)

CONTROL + C = to copy a selection to the clipboard

CONTROL + I = to toggle italics on/off (frequently used in word processing or e-mail)

CONTROL + P = to send a file to the printer

CONTROL + S = to save a document or file

CONTROL + U = to toggle underline on/off (used in word processing or e-mail)

CONTROL + V = to paste a selection from the clipboard to a file

CONTROL + W = close window

CONTROL + X = to cut a selection from a file and place it on the clipboard

CONTROL + Z = to undo (a mistake) your most recent keystroke (in word processing)

CONTROL + Home = to the beginning of a document

CONTROL + End = to the end of a document

CONTROL + D = Add current Internet Page to Favorites

WINDOWS SHORTCUTS

WINDOWS key (located on both sides of the SPACEBAR) = opens the START MENU

WINDOWS + D = WINDOWS + M = minimizes all windows and shows Desktop

WINDOWS + F = opens FIND (in Windows 95/98) or SEARCH (in Windows Me and XP)

ALT/SHIFT SHORTCUTS

ALT + TAB= switch between open windows	ALT + H = opens the Help Menu
ALT + F4= Quit program ALT + O = opens the Format Menu	ALT + W = opens the Windows Menu (not available in Wordpad)
ALT + F = opens the File Menu ALT + E = opens the Edit Menu	TAB = moves insertion bar forward from one field to another
ALT + V = opens the View Menu ALT + I = opens the Insert Menu	SHIFT + TAB + moves insertion bar backward from one field to another
F1 key = Help	SHIFT + DELETE = delete items permanently without sending to the Recycle Bin

Part 2 - EASY ON THE EYES

A. The location of these buttons may vary slightly with a different system but keep looking for them.

Right Click on an empty space on the desktop.
Click Properties
Select the Appearance Tab.

Changes are made in several ways but in all cases, watch the picture examples to see how your fonts will change. Reverse Change if necessary.
General Rule of Thumb. If you like the change you see but want to make more changes, select Apply and continue making changes. When you are finished, click OK to complete and finalize all your changes. Menu will now close.
All changes below begin with Steps 1,2,3 above.

First Possible Change – Simple font size change

Bottom left of Appearance Dialog Box. There is a box for Font Size. Click drop down button and select Normal, Large, or Extra Large.
See picture above. If you think you like it, click OK.
If it turns out you do not like it, come back to the same place and change it back.

Second Possible Change – Change Icon size –

Caution – this will rearrange the icons on the desktop.
On the Appearance Dialog Box, click Effects.
Put a check in Large Icons. You can preview the effect of the change after clicking OK and then Apply.
Go back and uncheck box if you do not like the larger icon display.

Third Possible Change –More Options for font size - most helpful but watch as you go.

Changes here are not finalized until you click OK and then Apply.
On the Appearance Dialog Box, click Advanced. Here you can change the fonts, the size of fonts, the colors of much of your Windows screens. All changes can be easily undone if you remember the original values. When you find a change you like, click OK and then Apply. If you make a change you do not like, click Cancel. Then go back into Advanced and try again.
Drop down a menu in the Color1 box. Select a color and watch what happens.
Drop down a menu in the Item box.
Select an item. See what choices are now available to you (not greyed out).
Make changes and see the effects in the window at the top of the box.
Example: Select the item Menu. Note the font style Tahoma shows up with a size and color. Select a size of 15, a color Red and Bold it. Notice what changes above. Change to another color and size. Then click Cancel.
Click Advanced again and notice all has returned back to its original state.

Make more selections. After you have made a few, click OK, click Apply, then OK on the Dialog Box labeled Display Properties and wait.
Try using your computer. Have fun.
Some changes you make may have effects you do not like. Keep track of your changes and return them to the original state if there you are unhappy.

Quick, down and dirty changes to text size using the mouse.

1. This may not work with all applications.

2. Some e-mail message with small print may work.

3. Word documents and Excel spreadsheets will work.

4. Internet pages may work

5. Always give this a try. It cannot hurt.

Hold the Control Button down and scroll the wheel on the mouse. In one direction, font size will increase. In the other direction, font size will decrease.