Best Windows Shortcuts and Tips

6 February 2013 by

I use keyboard shortcuts whenever possible, so I’m going to keep my favourite ones here for reference.

Shortcuts

  • WIN + E = Opens Explorer window – details view is my fave.
  • CTRL + [ ‘+’ key on number pad] = Auto expands Explorer window columns to fit contents.
  • WIN + L = Locks computer.
  • WIN + D = Shows desktop. Another press maximises windows as they were previously.
  • WIN + R = Shows Run command box.
  • WIN + P = Shows options for multiple screens and projector.
  • WIN + X = Shows Windows Mobility Center.

Window Movement

  • Win + [Left Arrow] = Snaps window to left half of screen.
  • Win + [Right Arrow] = Snaps window to right half of screen.
  • Win + [Up Arrow] = Maximises window to full screen.
  • Win + Shift + [Left Arrow] = Moves window to the monitor on the left.
  • Win + Shift + [Right Arrow] = Moves window to the monitor on the right.

Tips

Jump into the commandline from a deep path in Explorer
Type ‘cmd’ into the address bar, or shift + right-click the folder and choose ‘open command window here’.

Make pinned Explorer shortcut open My Computer instead of Libraries

 

  1. Right-click the pinned Windows Explorer icon on your taskbar:
    Windows-Explorer-Shortcut
  2. Right-click the Windows Explorer again in the list, then select Properties:
    Windows-Explorer_002
  3. Change target to %windir%\explorer.exe Shell:MyComputerFolder
Filed Under: Microsoft Tagged With:

Notepad++ Text Editor Tips

5 November 2012 by

I recently read some great tips for my favourite text editor, Notepad++:

http://techbrij.com/518/10-notepad-tips-tricks-fast-development

There really isn’t much Notepad++ can’t do, and just when you think you’ve found one, there’s probably a plugin for it.

One example of this is JumpLists. I use them as much as possible, as I find it helps me work faster. With this in mind, I was always disappointed that Notepad++ didn’t have this feature built-in, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a plugin for this last week.

To install the plugin, open Notepad++ and navigate to Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager.
You then simply select NppJumpList and click Install:

After installing the plugin, you will be able to use JumpLists with Notepad++:

Filed Under: Misc, Productivity, Programming Tagged With: ,

Useful Windows commands and variables

23 February 2012 by

I’ve got loads of commands and variables that I use periodically, but I forget them often.

I only have a few that spring to mind now, but I’ll add to this when I remember more!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Microsoft, Programming Tagged With: ,

Cisco Command Line Shortcuts

7 February 2012 by

I’m a sucker for shortcuts, so I try and use them whenever I can to increase my productivity.

I’ll add to this list as and when I find useful Cisco command line shortcuts.

  • Move cursor to start of line: 
    CTRL + A
  • Move cursor to end of line: 
    CTRL + E
  • Erase current line: 
    CTRL + U
  • Erase a word: 
    CTRL + W
  • Run command and exit config mode: 
    CTRL + Z
  • Just exit config mode: 
    CTRL + C
  • Break: 
    CTRL + SHIFT + 6
  • Suspend telnet/ssh session: 
    CTRL + SHIFT + 6, x
Filed Under: Cisco Tagged With: ,