Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:

Windows key + R = Run menu

This is usually followed by:

cmd = Command Prompt

iexplore + "web address" = Internet Explorer

compmgmt.msc = Computer Management

dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management

dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management

services.msc = Services

eventvwr = Event Viewer

dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers

dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services

Windows key + E = Explorer

ALT + Tab = Switch between windows

ALT, Space, X = Maximize window

CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Windows key + Break = System properties

Windows key + F = Search

Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows

CTRL + C = copy

CTRL + X = cut

CTRL + V = paste

Also don't forget about the "Right-click" key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you've opened up any program.

Keyboard Shortcuts

[Alt] and [Esc] Switch between running applications

[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter

[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu

[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)

[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window

[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document

Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word

Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph

[F1] Open Help for active application

Windows+M Minimize all open windows

Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows

Windows+F1 Open Windows Help

Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons

Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box

acessability shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.

explorer shortcuts

END....... Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME....... Display the top of the active window.

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.

LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.

Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run

devmgmt.msc = Device Manager

msinfo32 = System Information

cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup

ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)

mmc = Microsoft Management Console

excel = Microsoft Excel (If Installed)

msaccess = Microsoft Access (If Installed)

powerpnt = Microsoft PowerPoint (If Installed)

winword = Microsoft Word (If Installed)

frontpg = Microsoft FrontPage (If Installed)

notepad = Notepad

wordpad = WordPad

calc = Calculator

msmsgs = Windows Messenger

mspaint = Microsoft Paint

wmplayer = Windows Media Player

rstrui = System Restore

netscp6 = Netscape 6.x

netscp = Netscape 7.x

netscape = Netscape 4.x

waol = America Online

control = Opens the Control Panel

control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog

internetbrowser

type in u're adress "google", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]

add www. and .com to word and go to it

Is it disturbing to you when every other Web page you visit has a different font size?. One web page's font is too small, and another web page's fonts are too big.

Well here's a way to fix that and set each web page's fonts to just the size you want.

In Internet Explorer, select: Tools-Internet Options, choose the General tab, click the Accessibility button, and check Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages (the wording varies depending on your IE version).

In Netscape 6 and 7, choose Edit-Preferences, select Fonts (double-click Appearance if you don't see 'Fonts' listed), and then either check Use my default fonts or uncheck Allow documents to use other fonts, depending on your version (the wording of these choices also varies).

Now all Web page fonts should be of uniform size on all pages.

To disable the stupid feature in WinXP which tries to send a report to microsoft every time a program crashes you will have to do this:

*************************************************************************

Open Control Panel

Click on Preformance and Maintenance.

Click on System.

Then click on the Advanced tab

Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.

Select Disable error reporting.

Click OK

Click OK

*************************************************************************

Windows keeps a Device Manager entry for every piece of

hardware that's ever been recognized by the system, regardless

of whether it is currently present in the machine or was even

set up correctly in the first place. The "View Hidden Devices"

option in Device Manager won't show you these "residual"

drivers. You can force it to show you everything by going to

My Computer Properties, the Advanced tab, Environment

Variables, and adding a new system variable with the name

"DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES" and a value of 1. Now opening

Device Manager and choosing "Show Hidden Devices" really will

show you everything. Standard practice at the factory is to

use a single image and just move it from model to model,

letting it plug and play all the new hardware along the way.

This leaves you with an impressive list of hardware still in

the Device Manager, but no longer in the system. You also see

this to a lesser degree when you restore a system from an

image you created for backup purposes. These "residual"

drivers can sometimes cause all kinds of weirdness and are

best removed by right-clicking on their entry in the Device

Manager and choosing "uninstall".

This works on Windows 2000/XP (and I assume Server 2003,

though I haven't tried it). Anyone running a factory loaded

Compaq or Dell will be amazed at the amount of junk left over

from this process.

Jon Pickle

Thanks, Jon. Indeed, Windows has a thing about hanging on to ghost

entries in Device Manager and also in the Registry. (This is one of the

reasons why Registries inflate so much over time.) A little judicious

ghostbusting lets your PC run cleaner and leaner!