Windows tips & tricks

[Darren S]

As many of us use Windows based PCs on a daily basis, just thought it might be useful to create a thread on some usage tips that people might not know about.


- One for multiple screen users when you want to just screenshot one screen. (I use this a LOT having three monitors at work)

Click on the screen you want capturing and press Ctrl+Alt+PrtScn. When you Paste into Paint/XnView,etc - it will just Paste the one screen.


- If you want to capture a singular window such as an email, click on its header to select focus and then tap Alt+PrtScn. This will copy just that singular item to the Clipboard.

- Similarly, if you want to see what the Alt+(shortcut) keys are for any menu item, simply hold down the Alt key on its own to see them.

- Enabling Clipboard history is a life-saver when you're a heavy user of the Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V combination. By default, you can only copy and paste one item - but in Windows 10, you can enable history for the Clipboard too.

Go into Settings -> System -> Clipboard and enable the slider.

This will then allow you to Ctrl+V to Paste the previous item as always, but it now gives you the option to press the Windows Key + V - which brings up the Clipboard history. I've found this particularly useful when doing a lot of copying across in different Excel spreadsheets and Word too.

Just a few for now!

 

[mace¬]

Windows+Shift+S is shortcut to snipping tool.

Also if you've got something like the start menu open as you are trying to get a grab to show someone where something is for example it doesn't close it like snipping tool does

 

[Matt Cup]

Completely forgot about clipboard history. Used it all the time in my last job on when we had Win-7.

 

[boultonn]

If you hit Win+X then U twice you can shut down from almost anywhere nice a quick.
If you do Win+X, U, R, you can restart instead.

 

[Darren S]

Win+D is another one I use regularly - especially on multiple monitors.

Just minimises everything and takes you to the desktop view.

 

[Kingpin]

in Excel you can populate
- the date with CTRL + ;
- the time with CRTL + SHIFT + ;

 

[adamlstr]

Windows+Shift+S is shortcut to snipping tool.

Also if you've got something like the start menu open as you are trying to get a grab to show someone where something is for example it doesn't close it like snipping tool does

If, like me, you regret upgrading to Win11 - you can grab the 'SnippingTool.exe' out of another Win10 machine, and drop it into the Win11 system32 folder and you have the old version back again. On Win11 with 3x 4K monitors, the new snipping tool would only cover half of the first monitor. (Useless)

 

[Kingpin]

Steps recorder is an app with Windows - quick way to build user guide of how to do stuff.

 

[Darren S]

Steps recorder is an app with Windows - quick way to build user guide of how to do stuff.

Never used that before - will come in handy at work. Cheers!

 

[R3k1355]

My Windows tip is:

Format the hard drive and install Linux. Move into your parents spare room and gain 10 stone in weight.

Perfection

 

[R3k1355]

Also Ctrl+shift+Esc brings up the task manager

 

[P-Co]

Mouse Without Borders is a handy windows tool to use two laptops seperately but using only one laptops mouse and keyboard, you can drag and drop files too.

I use it so I can run a Windows 7 laptop with certain software on and a windows 10 laptop with just one of the keyboards.

This isn't like using TeamViewer.

Also PowerTools is great for swapping keyboard shorcuts or even keys to what you want it to be.

 

[CrippsCorner]

Love Snipping Tool, it's awesome. One I only learnt recently was Ctrl, Shift & Esc takes you straight to Task Manager, rather than having to do Ctrl, Alt & Del which I'm sure everyone knows. Even though the Task Manager 'kill' is coming directly to right click soon.

 

[Louis]

Love Snipping Tool, it's awesome. One I only learnt recently was Ctrl, Shift & Esc takes you straight to Task Manager, rather than having to do Ctrl, Alt & Del which I'm sure everyone knows. Even though the Task Manager 'kill' is coming directly to right click soon.

Task manager right click task bar is much easier

 

[CrippsCorner]

Using keyboard shortcuts makes you look like more of a pro.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I've been using a remote desktop application called Parsec for a few weeks now and it's brilliant.

4k, 60fps remote desktop experience loads better than windows remote. It's made it possible to place a powerful desktop at the office with fast access to the data servers while I can then access it using anything (iPad) from anywhere.

 

[JamesBryan]

Turning the PC off at the wall shuts it down faster.

Tune in next week for more quick tips.

 

[Krarl]

My Windows tip is:

Format the hard drive and install Linux. Move into your parents spare room and gain 10 stone in weight.

Perfection

15 stone if it's anything Debian

 

[Daz...]

My Windows tip is:

Format the hard drive and install Linux. Move into your parents spare room and gain 10 stone in weight.

Perfection

The IT support guy I spotted at the Uni we were visiting yesterday has quite obviously followed this advice.

 

[Kingpin]

Windows Key + . = 😍👌😘🌹🤞(●'◡'●)¯\_(ツ)_/¯ etc.....

 

[Kingpin]

Ok this one has blown my mind.

In word or outlook. Select some text and press shift + F3.

This cycles from uppercase to lower case to title case each time you do it.