Handy shortcuts and timesavers

[Nuclear Optimism]

I learned that instead of right-clicking and selecting "Open link in new tab", you can just hold Ctrl and click the link for the same effect. This has saved me 0.5 of a second every single time.

This pleases me.

Right, who has more? The more ridiculously minor the better.

[Slaaaaabs]

Middle mouse button does the same thing. If you got one.

[Consignia]

The Windows + L locks the machine instantly. I thought this was a boon years ago, which saved me valuable key-strokes. Sadly this has all been lost with the thin clients I have to use, as Windows + L screws them up, and have to use ctrl-alt-del equivalent.

[BlodwynPig]

type in Word

=rand(200,99)

and hit enter

[waste of chops]

Press Window+D to quickly display the desktop. Press it again to go back to whatever you had open.

Everyone knows you can press Prnt Scrn to take a screengrab, but if you want to get a screengrab of just the current window, press Alt+Prnt Scrn instead.

[Blumf]

At least in Firefox:

Highlight text that's a valid web address but, for whatever reason, isn't a link and drag it to the tab bar to open it.

try...

Code Select Expand

www.google.co.uk

Travel into the future; Press <shift>+<ctrl>+i then click on '3D View'. Hey-presto! You are now fighting evil faceless corps in a permanently raining night time megalopolis.

[Consignia]

Travel into the future; Press <shift>+<ctrl>+i then click on '3D View'. Hey-presto! You are now fighting evil faceless corps in a permanently raining night time megalopolis.

You need WebGL for that to work. It sucks because my computer's graphics adapter doesn't seem to support it.

[Zetetic]

At least in Firefox:

Highlight text that's a valid web address but, for whatever reason, isn't a link and drag it to the tab bar to open it.

Or right-click and select "Open Link".

[mcbpete]

CTRL-SHIFT-ESC, this decade's CTRL-ALT-DEL

[Dead kate moss]

This isn't a shortcut and might only work on Macs, and maybe you all already know, but you can make any folder into a picture by copying an appropriate pic - say 'Louie Series 3' off google, then press 'get info' from the folder you want to store whatever inside, click on the icon at the top and press paste, and the folder will then be the image.

[HappyTree]

Avoid Windows shutting down delays by switching it off at the plug.

[Dead kate moss]

Make internet masturbation last longer by deliberately choosing porn featuring actresses you don't find very attractive.

[Nuclear Optimism]

Simply rename "Firefox" to "Internet Explorer" on an elderly relative's computer. It'll save you a long and futile argument.

[biggytitbo]

Left alt plus back and forward arrow keys take you through your history.


Right alt (in W7) plus arrows make your screen revolve, which is incredibly usefull.


Holding shift whilst tabbing through form fields will take you backwards.


Alt plus print screen takes a screen grab just of the active window, not the whole screen.

[HappyTree]

Oh I just found something out by accident. Latest Firefox has a New Tab page with a grid of recent tabs as thumbnails. Not sure if they're from the history or recently closed tabs list.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I think they're just copying the Chrome look, which displays your most visited sites for quicker access.

[Hank Venture]

>>Ctrl and Tab makes you browse your windows.

or is it Alt Tab? Can't remember?

[SetToStun]

Arsing around just now, I found that [Alt Gr]+[arrow] rotates the display of my monitor in the direction of the arrow pressed; i.e. [Alt Gr]+[right arrow] rotates my display to portrait with the right-hand edge of the screen being the top. I don't know if it's a facility installed with my monitor (it's a wide one) or a general Windows thing, but I can imagine having some real fun if the boss goes out to lunch later on...

[mook]

Arsing around just now, I found that [Alt Gr]+[arrow] rotates the display of my monitor in the direction of the arrow pressed; i.e. [Alt Gr]+[right arrow] rotates my display to portrait with the right-hand edge of the screen being the top. I don't know if it's a facility installed with my monitor (it's a wide one) or a general Windows thing, but I can imagine having some real fun if the boss goes out to lunch later on...

makes me want to go and flip every display in pc world.

[Blumf]

Another Firefox one:

Press '/' and you'll get a quick search bar to look for stuff on the current page. <ctrl>+f gives you the normal search bar.

[lazarou]

At least in Firefox:

Highlight text that's a valid web address but, for whatever reason, isn't a link and drag it to the tab bar to open it.

try...

Code Select Expand

www.google.co.uk

Works in chrome too. Another variant on it I use all the time would be highlight text > right-click > "go to...". If you do it on something that isn't an address, you can jump right to a google search using the highlighted text instead.

[Obel]

Type in main part of web address in address bar, example:

google

Press CTRL+Enter

Automatically fills in www. and .com

[Don_Preston]

In GTA III, rather than do that impossible involving stealing cars for Kenji, just wait until the mission where you need to kill him. Saving you a lot of time and frustration.

[momatt]

Wow, a genuinely useful thread!  Surprising how many of these I don't know.
What annoys me is how these things only seem to be passed on by word of mouth.  All computers should come with a big laminated piece of card listing these shortcuts in order of usefulness.

My favourites are:
windows key + E = My Computer
ctrl+e = highlights search box
ctrl+l = highlights address bar
AltGr + any vowel = alternative vowel with an áccént on it
ctrl + w = close tab
ctrl + '+' key = subscript (in Word)
Type 'Google' into Google = Delete the internet

[mook]

^cheers. i didn't know any of them.

the only one i can think of is in photoshop. ctrl + j pastes your selection to a new layer. and that my old mates is the sum of my computer knowledge.

[SetToStun]

[Alt]+[Space] activates the system menu on the current application, so, for example [Alt]+[Space]+[n] = "Minimize window"; [Alt]+[Space]+[ x ] = "Maximize window"; [Alt]+[Space]+[r] = "Restore window", etc. etc.. In an MDI application, [Alt]+[-] activates the system menu for the current document for the same sort of functionality.

EDIT: If you type [ x ] without the spaces and save the message, it gets translated to

• when it's displayed, but reverts to [ x ] (without the spaces) when you edit. Odd.

[HappyTree]

I just realised that I have never pressed the Windows key in my life. I shall now type gingerly for fear of touching it accidentally and losing my place in history.

[Blumf]

AltGr + any vowel = alternative vowel with an áccént on it

A more general trick, if a bit more convoluted, if you happen to need to type a fancy char all the time:

Hold down the <Alt> key and type out a number on the num pad (make sure the num-lock is on)

For example: <Alt>+0176 = ° (deg. symbol)[nb]*nix types, type holding down <ctrl>+<shift> then typing u00B0 (176 in hex), although it doesn't work in these edit boxes as something catches the <ctrl>+<shift>+u[/nb]

You can use the Character Map util to find what exact code to type for whatever character, it shows you in the bottom right when you select a char.

[Uncle TechTip]

Try this one:

██████████████████████████████████

[mcbpete]

Shit me, it does as well !