PAPERmaking! g! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY ® Volume 9, Number 3, 2023
Keyboard shortcuts! Continuing with that theme, keyboard shortcuts are wonderful for performing tasks much quicker than you can by clicking around menus with a mouse. If you’re a keyboard shortcut novice, here’s a sampling of some of the more useful ones:
Crtl + C: Copy Ctrl + X: Cut Crtl + V: Paste
x x x
x Crtl + Z: Undo last action (these Crtl tips work with most software) x Alt + Tab: Cycle through open programs x Win + Tab: See all open program on a per-monitor basis, summon Windows Timeline x Windows key: Open search x Windows + E: Open File Explorer x Windows + Print Screen: Takes a screenshot and saves it to your Pictures folder x Windows + I: Open Windows Settings x Crtl + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager x F5: Refresh the active window If you want to see a full list of all Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts, check out this cheat sheet on Microsoft’s support site. Most — but not all — of them should work with older versions of Windows, too. DIY keyboard shortcuts You don’t have to stop with Windows 10’s native keyboard shortcuts. You can create custom keyboard shortcuts to open programs quickly, too. To do so, right- click the app and select Create shortcut. You’ll see a new icon appear with the same name as the program, but with “shortcut” at the end. Right -click the shortcut for the program and select Properties. In the pop-up menu that appears, select the Shortcut tab, click the Shortcut Key field, and press the alphanumerical key you’d like to associate with the program. Click OK to save the change. Windows will assign Crtl + Alt + <key of your choice> as the keyboard shortcut to open that program. This trick can be seriously useful for wrangling programs that you use often, but not often enough to pin to your taskbar. I like using it for the myriad game launchers installed on my PC, associating the keyboard shortcut’s letter with the first letter of the game launcher’s name. Shut it all down If you’re opening programs and files willy -nilly, you may find yourself drowning in open windows. Fear not: Windows provides several ways to clear the deck near-instantly, returning your focus to the task at hand. My favorite? Click and hold the title bar at the top of the program you’re working in, then give it a vigorous shake. All other windows will be minimized to the taskbar. Pressing Windows + Home accomplishes the same thing. Alternatively, if you want to minimize everything and reveal your desktop, simply press Windows + D on your keyboard, or click the barely-visible sliver all the way to the very right of your taskbar, beyond the system tray and notification center. Poof. Supercharge the Send To menu Staying organized is key to working efficiently. You can use the right- click context menu’s Send To option to keep your virtual house clean, though doing so will require altering the menu to fit your particular needs. Doing so is fast, and well worth the trouble. Start by creating shortcuts to your most-used folders. (I like creating a shortcut for my PCWorld work folder, for instance.) Once that’s done, open File Explorer and type shell:sendto into the location bar at the top. File Explorer will reveal a list of the options that appear in the Send To menu. Simply drag your previously created shortcuts into this folder. Next time you right-click an item and summon the Send To menu, those folders will be listed as options. Happy sorting!
Article 11 – Windows Hacks
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