Windows
Windows 7 & Windows XP Tips and Tricks
Windows 7 & Windows XP - A quick way to run
the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Right click on the Start button and select Explore from the popup box.
as below
XP only - To disable automatic starting of a CD-ROM
Insert your CD-ROM and hold down the Shift key until the drive light goes
out.
Windows 7 & Windows XP -To quickly reset the time or date
Double click on the clock displayed in the Windows Taskbar and change
options as required.
as below
Windows 7 & Windows XP -
To create a folder on the Desktop
Right click on the Desktop background, from the popup menu displayed select New, and from the sub-menu displayed select Folder.
win7
XP
Enter the name for the folder and press Enter.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To delete an item without sending
it to the Recycle Bin
Depress the Shift key while deleting an item.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To rename
a file or folder in Windows Explorer
Select the file you want to rename.
Press the F2 key
as below
Enter the new name for the file and press the Enter key.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - On win7 it already shows the time and
date - To quickly display today's date
Leave the mouse pointer over the clock (displayed within the Window
Taskbar) for a few seconds.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To quickly display
the Start Menu
Press Control+Esc.
To empty the Documents folder on the Start menu
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select Properties from the popup
menu.
Click on the Start Menu's Programs tab.
Click on the Clear button.Windows 7 gives slightly different options.
To quickly refresh the Windows Explorer window
Press the F5 key. This occurs automatically with win7.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To quickly copy
a file to a memory stick or other copier using the Microsoft Windows
Explorer
Right click on the file and select Send To USB drive or CD etc.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To make sure a
file or folder is displayed first within the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Change the first character of the file name to an underscore character.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To cycle between
currently running program windows
Press Alt+Tab.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To free up disk space
click start> programs> accessories>System tools>disk cleanup
let it delete what's recommended including recycle bin etc
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To create a Desktop
shortcut to an item displayed within the Microsoft Window Explorer
Start the Windows Explorer within a window.
Select the item for which you wish to create a Desktop shortcut.
Drag and drop the item to the Desktop while depressing the Ctrl and
Shift keys. Or just click the create shortcut - as below
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To copy an item
from one folder to another within the Microsoft Windows Explorer window
By default when using the Explorer dragging a file from one folder to
another moves it. If you wish to copy a file hold down the Ctrl key
while dragging.
Windows 7 & Windows XP -
To move a file from one disk to another
By default when using the Windows Explorer dragging a file from one
disk to another copies it. If you wish to move a file hold down the
Shift key while dragging.
Windows XP - To expand all subfolders within
the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Click on the folder you wish to expand and press the asterisk (*) key
on the numeric keypad.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To
format a memory stick ( formatting the memory stick completely erases
everything on it ) within the Microsoft Windows Explorer
Right click on the USB drive drive icon and select the Format command.
Or click on start - computer - right click on the USB drive ( usually
says removable disk) - select format - as below
Windows 7 & Windows XP -
To select more than one file within the Microsoft Window Explorer
Hold down the Ctrl and click on the files you wish to select.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To select a block
of files within the Windows Explorer
Select the first file in the block.
Hold down the Shift key and click on the last file in the block.
Windows 7 & Windows XP -
To find the file pointed to by a shortcut
Right click on the shortcut icon and select Properties.
Click on the Shortcut tab.
XP-Click on the Find Target button.
Win7- Click on the 'Open File Location' button. - as below
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To change the icon
used by a shortcut
Right click on the shortcut icon and select Properties.
Select the Shortcut tab.
Click on the Change Icon button and browse to find a new icon.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To select more
than one Desktop icon within a rectangle
On the Desktop, drag and drop across the icons you which to select with
the right hand mouse button depressed.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To select all items
within a folder
Press Ctrl-A. All the folder and files are highlighted - as below
Windows XP - To display file name extensions
within Microsoft Windows Explorer
Click on the View drop down menu and select Options.
Display the View tab. Make sure the Show all files button is ticked
and the button called Hide MS-DOS file extensions is not ticked.
Windows 7 - To display file name extensions - click start - type in the search box (bottom left) 'file extensions' hit enter on your keyboard and the file extensions details pop up in the top part of the box - as below
- click 'show or hide extensions' untick 'Hide extensions for known file types'
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To print more than
one file at a time directly from the Microsoft Windows Explorer
NOTE: You must select printable files, i.e. not executable or system
files!
Click on the first file that you wish to print and while depressing
the Ctrl key select the other files you which to print.
Right click over one of the selected files
and from the popup menu displayed select Print.
Windows 7 - To find a file containing a known
portion of text
Click on the Start button type into the bottom left search box any portion
of text or filename required. Then click on what it has found to open
it.
Windows XP - To tile two (or more) programs
on the screen
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select either Tile horizontally
or Tile vertically.
NOTE: Does not work for minimized programs, only those running in a
window, or full screen!
To simultaneously minimize all your windowed (or full screen) programs
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select Minimize all windows.
Windows 7 - To tile two (or more) programs on
the screen
Right click on the Windows Taskbar and select ' Start Task Manager'
Click 'Applications' Click 'Windows' . this now gives you the options
to: Tile Horizontally - Tile Vertically - Minimize - Cascade - or Bring
To Front. Try opening a few programs then try them out. Or Windows 7
has made and easier way - just try dragging one program from your task
ber to the right of the screen and the other on to the left (handy if
you want to edit two word document swapping paragraphs over etc.) -
the programs should appear as below
Windows XP - To
display the Windows Taskbar at the top (or the side) of the screen
Drag and drop the Taskbar to the top or side of the screen, as required.
To 'Autohide' the Taskbar
Right click on the Taskbar and select Properties.
Make sure the Taskbar Options tab is selected.
Select Autohide and click on the OK button. The Taskbar will then disappear.
To re-display the Taskbar, move the mouse pointer to the edge of the
screen.
Windows 7 & Windows XP - To set a default page for the Internet Explorer - Open the page that you want to use - select 'Tools' - 'Internet Options' - then press the 'Use current' button
Share files between Windows 7 and XP
One problem that many people run into is the new "homegroup"
in Windows 7. It makes for an easy way to share between multiple Win7
computers but XP (and Vista) systems cannot be part of a homegroup.
Instead, you need to set your Win7 computer to be part of a workgroup
- the same workgroup name that your XP computers belong to. You also
have to be sure network discovery is enabled on the Win7 computer, and
of course you need to set the Share settings on those folders you want
to share.
If you only want to access folders/files, not share printers, you can map a network drive from XP to Windows 7. To do that, you need to create a user account on the XP machine that is the same as the Windows 7 local account and make it part of the Administrator group on the XP machine. To access shared folders on the XP computer, right click My Computer and click Manage. Expand Local Users and Groups and click the Users folder, then right click an empty space and select New User. Add the user with the same user name and password as on the Windows 7 machine and uncheck "User must change password at next logon." Also check "Password never expires." Click Create. Reboot the XP computer. You should be able to access the shared folders and map them to a network drive.