25 shortcuts that make using your PC a breeze

Most people feel that their PC is slowing them down, but do you ever feel that the opposite is true? You may be going the long way round to accomplish tasks, but by learning some of the following shortcuts, you’ll be using Windows Vista faster than ever – leaving your PC to catch up with you.

1 Use keyboard shortcuts
Get into the habit of using keyboard shortcuts for any task you do regularly, and the time you save will soon add up.

Ctrl and C Copy the selected item
Ctrl and X Cut the selected item
Ctrl and V Paste the selected item
Ctrl and Z Undo
Ctrl and Y Redo
Ctrl and A Select everything

2 Access Computer or Documents quickly
Do you often need to access your Computer, Documents or Network folder? To add their icons to your desktop, right-click the desktop, select Personalize, then click on Change desktop icons, and select which icons you want. By right-clicking on them you can navigate to their advanced features.

QUICK ACCESS Get access to your Computer and Documents folders from your desktop

3 Get familiar with the Windows key

The Windows key can be used with others to quickly access applications

Windows key and D Display the desktop

Windows key and E Open Windows Explorer

Windows key and F Open a search window

Windows key and G Scroll through the gadgets on your Sidebar

Windows key and L Lock your computer

Windows key and R Open the Run dialogue box

Windows key and T Scroll through the applications on your taskbar

Windows key and U Open the Ease of Access Center

Windows key and X Open the Windows Mobility Center

Windows key and Tab Bring up Flip 3D

Ctrl and Windows key and Tab Make Flip 3D remain on the desktop, so you can switch between apps using arrow keys or mouse

4 Use the Windows key to open up programs

When the Windows key is used with a number you open up the corresponding program in your Quick Launch menu. For example, if Internet Explorer is the third icon in the Quick Launch area, press Windows key and 3 to open it up.

5 Skip to the end

When working on a document, you can send your cursor to the end of the line using the End button. Ctrl and End take you to the end of the document. If you are viewing a web site, pressing the End key takes you to the bottom.

6 Bringing it all back home

In a text document, pressing the Home button takes you to the beginning of the line, while Ctrl and Home take you to the top of the document.

7 System info in a flash

Pressing the Windows key and holding down Pause brings up the System Properties of your computer.

8 O Task Manager, where art thou?

In previous versions of Windows, holding Ctrl, Alt and Delete opened up the Task Manager. In Windows Vista that takes you to a different screen, so if you want to go to the Task Manager, hold down Ctrl, Shift and Esc.

9 Master the art of desktop shortcuts

Having too many desktop shortcuts can be confusing, so only keep shortcuts for regularly-used programs. The quickest way to create a shortcut is to find the program, right-click it and select Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).

10 Check network connection status

To quickly check your net connection, go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Manage network connections. Right-click on the connection and select Create Shortcut.

11 Know Internet Explorer shortcuts

The following shortcuts will help you browse the web faster than ever:
Ctrl and F Find something on a page

Alt and Home Go to home page

Alt and Left cursor Go back

Alt and Right cursor Go forward

Ctrl and D Add page to Favorites

Ctrl and H Open History

Middle mouse button or Ctrl and Left mouse button Open link in new tab

Ctrl and W Close tab

Ctrl and T Open new tabAlt and D Select Address bar

Ctrl and Enter Add http://www. to the start of text in the Address bar and .com to the end

12 Lock your PC from the desktop

If you want to lock your PC quickly, create a desktop shortcut so all you need do is click on it. Create a shortcut, and type in %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation as the location. Give the shortcut a name and click Finish.

13 Assign hotkeys to your shortcuts

To make using shortcuts even faster, right-click on a shortcut, select Properties and in Shortcut key: hold down the keys you want to use. Now press those keys to launch the shortcut.

14 Pin frequently used programs

Pin programs to the Start menu so they are always within easy reach: hold Shift whilst right-clicking the file or program and select Pin to Start menu. With a registry tweak you can enable this for folders, but be careful as incorrectly editing the registry can cause problems. Type regedit into Start Search and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers. Right-click ContextMenuHandlers and select New > Key and name it {a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8}

HANDLE WITH CARE Be careful if editing the registry; get it wrong and it could mess things up

15 Send an email from your desktop
Make a new shortcut and type in mailto: followed by your recipient’semail, for example mailto:windowsvista@futurenet.co.uk. Click Next, give the shortcut a meaningful name and then click Finish. Double-clicking the shortcut will open up a blank email with the address already filled in.

EASY EMAIL You can send an email to a contact direct from your desktop.

16 Assign your Start programs
If you have a program you open as soon as you turn on your PC, get it to start automatically. Create a shortcut to the program and move it to Start > All Programs > Startup. Right-click, select Open and paste the shortcut here.

17 Quick email attachments
You can quickly add attachments to an email by clicking the file and dragging it to the main body of the email.

18 Create shortcuts to favourite web sites
You can save time by having shortcuts to frequently visited web sites on your desktop. Browse to the page that you want and then drag and drop the small icon in the address bar to your desktop.

19 Get the App Launcher gadget
A number of gadgets from gallery.live.com can speed up how you use your PC. The App Launcher gadget grants you fast access to files and folders by clicking on an icon that launches them.

LAUNCH PAD Use the App Launcher gadget to open programs with a click of a button

20 Get breaking news with RSS feeds
If you check a number of news web sites regularly, save time by subscribing to their news feed (by clicking on theorange RSS icon). You can then read all the latest headlines all from one RSS reader, such as the RSS Reader Sidebar gadget.

21 Put files in their place with Send To
Add applications you use to open files to the Send To menu. You can also add folders to the Send To list. Open up Windows Explorer and in the Address bar type %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo and add shortcuts to the programs.

22 Start Search
Use the Start Search to quickly launch programs. Below are handy phrases to bring up applications:

CMD Command prompt
DEV Device Manager
SYS System Restore
NETW Connect to Network Projector
UPD Windows Update
PROG Default Programs
EVE Event viewer

23 Dragging and dropping
To copy a file while using drag and drop hold down the Ctrl key, to move a file hold down Shift and to create a shortcut hold down the Alt key.

24 Launch programs from the Taskbar
Add toolbars to help access programs. Right-click on your taskbar and go to Toolbars > Address to add an addressbar. You can also add any folder.

25 Get organised with Magic Folder
The Magic Folder gadget (from gallery.live.com) sends files to a predetermined folder depending on their file type, soimage files such as JPEG and BMP are sent to the Pictures folder. Just drag and drop the file on to the gadget.

Eight ways to save time with Windows Vista

Windows Vista comes with loads of features that can help save you time, especially with tasks that you perform regularly. Try out these tips and see how much time you can save

By Matthew Hanson on 31 July 2008

1.Send an email straight from your desktop

If there’s someone you often send mail to, you can add a shortcut to your desktop to create a new email. Make a new shortcut and type in mailto: followed by your recipient’s email address, for example mailto:windowsvista@futurenet.co.uk. Click Next, give the shortcut a meaningful name and then click Finish. The new shortcut will appear on your desktop, and double-clicking it will open up a blank email in your default email editor with the recipient’s address already filled in.

2.Quickly check your network connection status from your desktop

You can create a shortcut to quickly check the status of your internet connection, saving you the effort of clicking through a number of windows and folders.

Go to Start >

Control Panel >

Network and Internet >

Network and Sharing Center >

Manage network connections.

Right-click on the connection you want to check the status of and select Create Shortcut. This will place a shortcut on your desktop, and when you double-click it you will be taken directly to the status page of your connection.

3.Create shortcuts to your favourite web sites

You can save time by having shortcuts to frequently visited web sites on your desktop. Browse to the page that you want quick access to, and then drag and drop the small icon on the left of the address bar to your desktop. Now all you need to do is double-click the shortcut to go straight to the page.

4.Get all your breaking news in one place with RSS feeds

If you have a number of news sites that you check regularly you can save time by subscribing to their RSS feed (click on the orange RSS icon on the web site). This sends their latest headlines directly to your RSS reader (such as Microsoft Outlook or Internet Explorer), allowing you to keep up to date with all your favourite sites in one place. The RSS feed for this web site is http://www.windowsvistamagazine.com/UK/rss/RssHandler2.axd?nodeId=0&list=&types

5.Use Start Search

Use the Start Search to quickly launch programs rather than trawling through your computer to get them. Below are some handy phrases to type into the search to bring up the application straight away. Depending on what you have installed on your computer you may be able to find other phrases to launch your programs with, so it is worth experimenting. CMD Command promptDEV Device ManagerSYS System RestoreNETW Connect to a Network ProjectorUPD Windows UpdatePROG Default ProgramsEVE Event viewer

6.Get the App Launcher sidebar gadget

There are a number of gadgets available from http://gallery.live.com/ that can help you speed up your computer use. The App Launcher gadget grants you fast access to files and folders by clicking on an icon that instantly launches them. It helps keep your desktop and Quick Launch free from clutter. ]

7.Install Launchy

Launchy is a powerful keystroke launcher, which is accessed by pressing Alt and Space bar. You can then type in the name of the application, file or web site you want to launch and press Enter. Launchy is intelligent enough to guess pretty accurately what you are looking for whilst you type, so by just typing goo then pressing Enter will open Google. You can download it for free at http://www.launchy.net/

8.Use Task Scheduler to automate tasks

Save yourself a lot of time by using Task Scheduler to make Windows Vista automatically perform certain tasks. Type ‘Task Scheduler’ into Start Search and select what you want it to do, from defragmenting your hard drive to backing up your files, and when.

Do you have any time-saving tips for Windows Vista? If so, let us know!

Disk defragmentation on a schedule

Infrequent disk defragmentation leads to an inefficient layout of files on the hard disk, which can slow PC performance. Windows Vista includes a new disk defragmenter that runs in the background and automatically defragments the hard disk as need arises. The new disk defragmenter no longer needs to complete its work in a single session—it can defragment incrementally, whenever the computer is idle.
Faster access to DVDs and musicWindows Vista includes a new feature called Windows HotStart, which is ideal for use with media and entertainment on mobile PCs. Mobile PC manufacturers can now include a separate button for media playback that starts up right to Windows Media Player 11 or Windows Media Center. So when you use your mobile PC on a long flight, HotStart zips you right to DVDs or music, saving both time and battery life.
Diagnosing performance issuesBuilt-in performance diagnostics can detect and self-correct many performance issues. Performance diagnostics provide instrumentation and services for both user-driven and tool-driven diagnoses of common problems, including glitchy media playback, slow system or program starts, and network-related delays. Built-in performance diagnostic tools track how long it takes to execute common activities, analyze performance declines, and display results in the Performance Center, where users can then take action to remedy the problem.
Performance gains from Windows Vista and new hardwareToday's PC marketplace has an extraordinarily wide range of PC hardware. To take advantage of the varied landscape, Windows Vista scales its features in a way that makes the best use of available hardware. For example, if a Windows Driver Display Model graphics card is present, Windows Vista shows the Windows Aero interface. If a compliant graphics card is not present, Windows Vista will run but will not show the Aero interface.
The same is true of other performance features in Windows Vista, too. Having the right hardware unlocks some of the most innovative performance features in Windows Vista: Windows ReadyBoost and Windows ReadyDrive.

Windows ReadyBoost

Windows ReadyBoost introduces a new concept in add-on system memory. You can use nonvolatile flash memory devices, such as universal serial bus (USB) flash drives, to improve performance without having to add memory "under the hood." The flash memory device serves as an additional memory cache—that is, memory that the computer can access much more quickly than it can access data on the hard disk drive.
Windows ReadyDriveWindows ReadyDrive is a new feature in Windows Vista that enables PCs equipped with a hybrid hard disk—a new kind of hard disk that adds flash memory to a standard mobile PC hard disk drive—to enjoy better performance, greater reliability, and longer battery life.

How to automatically repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html

Where is the Vista Run Command?

When I failed to find the Vista Run command, the fact that I was attempting this task on Friday the 13th, should have rung alarm bells. The root cause was Guy being a Luddite and trying do something the old way.

What I should have done was simply use Vista's new Start Search dialog box, in the same way I used the old 'Run' command in XP. All that you need is to type the name of the executable, e.g. cmd, in the Start Search dialog box. See screenshots opposite.

As you configure Vista so you will come to love the way that the new Start Search subtly combines the best of the old XP 'Run box', with the improved Vista Quick Search. What I particularly liked was the way the interface displayed all the matching programs as I typed just the first few letters.

You will also find Quick Search (a sister of Start Search), in the new Windows Explorer. A case of learn a tool in one area and then apply that knowledge to another interface.

User Account Control explained

User Account Control (UAC) is one of the most controversial components of Windows Vista. Its job is to lock down the operating system, stopping rogue programs installing themselves on your PC, and warning you before you make any changes that could compromise security.
It’s annoyed some users who find the interruption of the UAC message irritating, However, before you decide turn it off, it’s important to understand what UAC does and what the consequences of disabling it could be.
UAC came about after concerns over security in Windows XP. Back then, all users were given administrative rights by default, meaning that anyone could make changes to the system, even if they didn’t know what they were doing.
When it came to designing Windows Vista, Microsoft decided to lock down security so that the integrity couldn’t be compromised. Secondary accounts are now assigned ‘standard user’ status, which means they’re not allowed to make changes to the system that may affect security. When they try to do this, UAC will ask for an administrator password before it continues.
In theory, this is the way all systems should be run, and while surfing the internet and performing day-to-day tasks, Microsoft advises you to use a standard account and leave your admin account untouched. If something requires admin privileges, you’ll simply be prompted for a password. This is all very well, but few people actually run their computer this way.

Resize a Partition for Free in Windows Vista

Windows Vista includes a built-in functionality in Disk Management to shrink and expand partitions. No more 3rd party utilities needed!
To get to this utility, open up Control Panel, and type in partition into the search box.. you'll immediately see the link show up:

Shrink a Partition

In the Disk Management screen, just right-click on the partition that you want to shrink, and select "Shrink Volume" from the menu.
In the Shrink dialog, you will want to enter the amount you want to shrink by, not the new size. For example, if you want to shrink your 50gb partition by roughly 10gb so that it will now be roughly 40gb, enter 10000 into the box:

Extend a Partition

In the Disk Management screen, just right-click on the partition that you want to shrink, and select "Extend Volume" from the menu.

On this screen, you can specify the amount that you want to increase the partition by. In this case, I'm going to extend it back to the roughly 50GB size that it was before.
Note that the extend partition feature only works with contiguous space.

Remove Old Drivers After Upgrading to New Hardware

If you are experiencing weird issues after upgrading your hardware, or you've just upgraded to the latest hardware device and aren't seeing the performance you'd like, you might want to remove the old drivers which are still installed for the old hardware, even though you can't normally see them in device manager.
What you have to do is set a less-known flag to allow you to see non-present devices, and then launch device manager. You'll then see the old devices in the list, and can uninstall the drivers for them.
In Windows Vista, the first thing you'll need to do is open a command prompt in administrator mode. Type cmd into the start menu search box, and then use Ctrl+Shift+Enter to open in administrator mode. (You can also right-click on the command prompt and choose Run as Administrator)
Now paste in the following line:

SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1

Then type in devmgmt.msc to start up Device Manager from the administrator command prompt:

Once you are in Device Manager, go to the View menu and choose Show Hidden Devices, which will show all the device drivers including things that aren't currently installed in your computer.
Notice how I have 6 mice in the list, even though I only have two installed (and my drawing tablet). The other 3 mice are old mice that I've used until they died…. the Geek tends to wear through input devices very quickly since he never leaves the computer…

You can right-click on the driver and then choose Uninstall from the menu to remove the drivers for that old hardware.
I've found that this can resolve a lot of weird issues, and even increase performance on some machines where you've upgraded a ton of times. This isn't necessarily going to increase performance, but it's nice to have a tidy computer nonetheless.
This tip also works the same in Windows XP.

Turn on Remote Desktop in Windows Vista

Remote Desktop is disabled by default in Windows Vista, but it's easy enough to turn it back on. If you need to access your Vista PC from another box, it's an essential thing to turn on.

To get to the configuration page, you can either right-click the Computer icon and choose properties, or you can type in system into the start menu search box. It'll be the 4th item in the list, as you can see here:

Now you'll want to click the Remote Settings link on the left hand side:

Now you can finally turn it on:

To connect from another Vista PC on the same network, click the bottom radio button. If you need to connect from an XP/2k machine, click the "Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop" radio button.
Don't worry about setting up firewall rules, Vista does that for you automatically.
Note: This will not work for Home editions of Windows Vista.

Change Monitor Timeout From Command Line

It drives me crazy when my monitors turn off while I'm watching a movie. If you want to quickly change the monitor timeout using the command line, it's actually pretty simple.
The powercfg utility can be used on the command line to change power configuration settings, including the monitor timeout, which is what we'll use here.
The command syntax:
powercfg -Change -monitor-timeout-ac 120

Test Drive Windows Vista

http://www.microsoft.com/midsizebusiness/products/WindowsVista/try.mspx?WT.mc_id=31274CE6-7ADC-4C2B-A3C8-7C7847DC18DE

Test drive Windows vista before you choose the edition

Windows Side Show

Windows Vista Sideshow


Overview of Windows SideShow
Windows SideShow is a new technology in Windows Vista. With Windows SideShow, developers can write gadgets to send data from a computer to devices connected to that computer.

Platform Benefits
A gadget can make use of the Windows SideShow APIs available on Microsoft Windows to send data to devices. It is important to understand that a gadget runs on the Windows computer, and does not rely on special code running on the device. This architecture allows for interoperability between gadgets and devices without any built-in hardware dependencies. The following points describe certain key aspects about Windows SideShow:

Gadgets on Windows Vista communicate with the Windows SideShow APIs and are independent of the layers below them. This frees the gadget from having to manage device connection state and other mundane details. Device capabilities are exposed only if requested; otherwise, Windows SideShow handles them automatically.

Windows SideShow is not dependent on the type of connection used by the device. It does not matter whether a device is connected through a USB port, Bluetooth, TCP/IP, or other future protocols; as long as the device is compatible with Windows SideShow, a gadget can easily provide content to it without knowing how the device is connected.

This technology allows developers to create gadgets and extend existing applications specifically for devices with varying display and interaction models. The devices supported by the platform include, but are not limited to, displays attached to a laptop, front-panel computer displays, mobile phones, displays embedded in keyboards and digital picture frames, and other display devices. Some devices can be powered even when the computer is in a low-power mode, such as standby or hibernate, which allows users to access information in new settings and scenarios. The Windows SideShow SDK equips developers with the information to create a gadget for Windows SideShow.

Gadgets for Windows SideShow
A gadget for Windows SideShow is a mini-application or a piece of code running on the PC that sends data to devices using the Windows SideShow platform. The gadget retrieves data from a data source such as an application or web service, and sends this data to the Windows SideShow platform, which sends it to the appropriate devices. A gadget can communicate with the Windows SideShow platform using one of the following options:

Windows SideShow COM APIs from C++

Windows SideShow managed APIs using managed code

Windows SideShow object model in a Microsoft Sidebar gadget

Windows SideShow makes writing gadgets for devices easier by:

Enabling developers to write code that runs on Windows. Developers do not have to write device-specific code to run their gadgets on devices with different specifications.

Abstracting out the details of managing multiple devices (and their connection states) from the gadget developer. Developers need not worry about communicating with each device independently.

Examples of Windows SideShow gadgets:

A calendar gadget can periodically retrieve data from a calendar application like Microsoft Office Outlook, and send it to connected devices. Users can frequently view calendar information on their Windows SideShow-compatible devices to check for the meeting location.

A weather gadget can retrieve data from a web service and update all connected devices with the latest weather information in user-designated locations.

An instant messaging gadget can provide presence information for a user's buddies on their Windows SideShow-compatible devices. It can send notifications when buddies log on, log off, or initiate conversations.

A gadget provides a connection between a data source and the Windows SideShow platform. Developers can write a gadget that responds to updates from a specified data source, , converts it to a format that can be used by Windows SideShow, such as the Simple Content Format, and sends this formatted data to the platform.

Windows SideShow-compatible Devices
Windows SideShow provides a way to display a user’s information on devices with a wide variety of display, processing, and interaction capabilities. Microsoft has designed the Windows SideShow platform to be flexible and extensible by allowing hardware vendors and manufacturers to add Windows SideShow support to new and existing devices.

Users of PCs are not always able or interested in accessing the main display of their computer due to environmental, ergonomic, or power related issues. Most of these users also carry smaller devices with display capabilities more suitable for certain situations, usually for accessing important information quickly. The Windows SideShow platform adds value to mobile and desktop PCs and a user's devices by enabling the user to access information in more scenarios and settings. This platform solves the problem of unifying communication with these devices, enabling applications on the PC to provide secondary devices with relevant content in a simple and consistent manner. For example, low power displays built into laptop lids or bezels allow users to look at information in ergonomically or power constrained situations. Existing devices, such as cell phones, picture frames, or peripheral displays can also be designed to use Windows SideShow.

Windows 7 (Akan datang pada 2010)

Selamat Datang

Hi, Selamat datang ke Blog aku..blog nie di bina untuk berkongsi maklumat dan bantuan mengenai produk microsoft. So sesiapa ader masalah, cadangan dan pandangan amatlah di alu2kan.. Smoga kita dapat manfaatkan ilmu yang ada bersama :-)