Good Computer Tricks That Are Not Commonly Known

What Are Some Good Computer Tricks That Are Not Commonly Known?

Computers are much smarter, cheaper, and significantly easier to use than they were in their early days. However, you can still learn new tricks and make your computer even easier to use. This is true for power users, too. Contrary to the popular adage, old dogs can learn new tricks. Even if you see yourself as one of the most proficient PC users in the world, there are plenty of tricks and shortcuts that you could be using to make your work easier.

In this article, we’ll let you in on some not commonly known computer tricks to help you sharpen your computer skills. These powerful tricks will not only make you look like a total wizard in front of your not-so-savvy friends, but they will also come in handy for you in numerous day-to-day scenarios.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Let’s start with the most powerful group of tricks for computer users, keyboard shortcuts. Being proficient with keyboard shortcuts will make you faster and more productive. So here are keyboard shortcuts to make a computer genius.

• Launch programs on the Windows taskbar. Press the Windows Key + the number corresponding to the app you want to open the taskbar. For instance, if Edge browser is the second icon on the taskbar, pressing Windows Key + the 2 key will open the Microsoft Edge browser.
• Close the current tab/window. You don’t need to drag your cursor all the way to the X button to close the tab or window that you are currently using. Instead, you can simply press Ctrl + W to close the current window on your PC from the keyboard.
• Minimize all windows. Press the Windows key + D to minimize everything on your screen. This method comes in handy when you have a lot of stuff open on your screen and want to get to the desktop as quickly as possible. Using this shortcut will save you some time by pressing the minimize button for each window.
• Cycle through open windows. Press Alt + tab to cycle through all the open windows on your screen. Add the Shift key to cycle backwards, which means you can go back and forth between tabs without touching your mouse or trackpad. You don’t need to click on each tab individually if you know this shortcut.
• Use the Menu Key to right-click. Instead of right-clicking with your mouse or the buttons on the trackpad, you can press the Menu key on your keyboard and it will right-click whatever you have highlighted on the computer. Note that not all keyboards have the Menu key, but most do.
• Open the task manager. Last but not least, you can open the task manager directly using the keyboard, and we don’t mean the classic Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut. Instead, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc to jump right to the task manager and sidestep the interrupt that occurs when you press Ctrl + Alt + Del.

Typing Tricks

The next category of computer tricks is typing tricks. If you do a lot of typing in your work, you’ll find that these tricks will make you more efficient.

• Paste in plain text. If you copy a piece of text from a given source and you want to paste it in plain text, hit Ctrl + Shift + V instead of the standard past command (Ctrl + V). Note that Microsoft apps, such as Word, don’t let you paste unformatted text this way. Many other programs do, though.
• Identify and create foreign symbols. Search “character map” on the search menu to identify and create foreign symbols on Windows. This feature lets you copy every character out there and even allows you to use Alt + Numpad code to enter symbols and characters.
• Emoji keyboard. Just like mobile operating systems, desktop OS’s such as Windows and macOS also support emoji. To bring up the emoji panel on Windows, type Windows Key + . (period) or Cmd + Control + Spacebar on macOS.

Other Useful Tricks

In addition to keyboard shortcuts and typing tricks, there’s a bunch of other tricks that you can take advantage of for a fast, smooth computer experience.

• Reduce start-up programs on PC. Is your computer taking too long to boot? You probably have too many programs running on start-up. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open task manager and click on the start-up tab to configure the apps you want to launch with your system.
• Windows Power User Menu. Right-click the bottom left of the start button on Windows 8 and 10 to open a quick list of typical power user destinations in Windows. Alternatively, you can hit the Windows key + X to access the power user menu, including options such as device manager, event viewer, et cetera.
• Multiple monitor control. When working with multiple monitors, hitting the Shift + Windows Key + Arrows will move the window to the other monitor. Alternatively, pressing Windows Key + Arrow Keys causes the window to snap to each side of either monitor quickly. If you want to set up a second display, press Windows + P.
• Bring back a closed tab. Closing a tab by accident is one of the most annoying things that can happen when you are working. But there’s no need to be frustrated; just press Ctrl + Shift + T (Cmd + Shift + T on macOS) to bring back the most recently closed tab.

Using these tricks makes your computer experience, whether you are a power user or the average user, a whole lot easier and more fun. In addition to sharpening your computer skills, you’ll also be able to shave valuable seconds off your workflow and become more productive at whatever you do. But learning these powerful computer tricks will only make you more efficient as an individual.

If you want a more sweeping transformation, it’s always a good idea to work with an IT services company such as Schilling IT to streamline your workflow and improve productivity across the entire organization. Call us today to learn more about how we can help.