Reopen Last Browsing Session

Did you know that Internet Explorer version 8 remembers the last webpage (or open tabs) that you were viewing when you closed your browser?  So if you accidentally close your browsing session, you can quickly return to it when you reopen Internet Explorer by following the steps below:

1. Open Internet Explorer (version 8).
2. From the Menu bar or Toolbar, click Tools> Reopen last browsing session.

Easily Switch Between Web Pages Using Tabs

If you’d like to keep a web page open while viewing a different webpage, just open each web page in a separate tab using Internet Explorer.

1. First, open a webpage you wish to view (using Internet Explorer).

2.  Next, click on the blank tab (to the right of the tab you are currently viewing.)
3. A new tab appears. In the address bar, type the address for the next website you wish to view and press ENTER.

4.  Now you will see two tabs displaying the name of each website.  Click the tab for the website you wish to view.
5.  Repeat steps 2 & 3 to open additional tabs.
6.  To close a single tab, click the tab and then click the "X" on the tab.

Use Print Preview to Shrink a Microsoft Word Document

If your Word document is just a few lines too long to fit onto one page, you can use a command on the Print Preview window to quickly shrink the document to 1 page. This command is available in Word 2002, 2003, and 2007. In 2010 the option is not available in the new Print Preview (on the File tab); however, you can customize the ribbon and add the command “Preview and Print” to a new or existing group.

1. To shrink your Word document to 1 page, open Print Preview.

    Shortcut: press & release the following keys simultaneously: Alt+Ctrl+I (for Word 2010 you will have to select the Preview and Print command after you add it to the ribbon.)

 2. Click the command:

•  Shrink to Fit (Word 2002 -2003)
• Shrink One Page (Word 2007 – 2010)

 Note: If your document is too long for Word to shrink it, a message will display:

Windows Key Shortcuts for Windows 7, Vista and XP

Have you ever wondered about that funny looking key on your keyboard (next to the ALT key) that looks like a  4-pane window? 

It's called the Windows (Logo) key!

Press the Windows key and it opens or closes the Start Menu.  The Windows key allows you to use your keyboard to perform actions where you would otherwise use your mouse.
To use the Windows key in combination with another key, press and hold the Windows key while you tap the second key.  Release all keys immediately.

Some of the popular Windows key shortcuts are listed below.  The first group of shortcuts works in all 3 operating systems - Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

PRESS:                              RESULT:

Windows key                   Open or close the Start menu
Windows key +D             Display the desktop
Windows key +M             Minimize all windows
Windows key +Shift+M  Restore minimized windows to the desktop
Windows key +E             Open Computer  or My Computer
Windows key +F             Search for a file or folder
Windows key +L             Lock your computer or switch users

The next group of shortcuts works in Windows 7 & Vista only:

Windows key +T  - Cycle through programs on the taskbar

Windows key +number - Start the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the program is already running, switch to that program. For example: press Window key+1 to open the first program on the Taskbar.

Shift+Windows key +number  - Start a new instance of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows logo key +Tab - Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D

Ctrl+Windows key +Tab  - Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D

Windows key +X - Open Windows Mobility Center

This final group of shortcuts is for Windows 7 only:

Windows key +Spacebar            Preview the desktop
Windows key +Up Arrow            Maximize the window
Windows key +Left Arrow          Maximize the window to the left
Windows key +Right Arrow       Maximize the window to the right
Windows key +P                        Choose a presentation display mode

Click & Drag: Move or Copy?

When you click & drag a file from one location to another, have you noticed that sometimes the file “moves” to the new location and sometimes a “copy” is created and the original stays in place?

It’s really not a mystery why this happens…it depends on where you drag the file.

• If you drag the file to a location on the same drive, the file moves.
• If you drag the file to a different drive, a copy is created.

For example, if you drag a file from your computer’s hard drive (C:) to a USB flash drive, a copy is created. But if you drag that same file on your hard drive to a different folder on your hard drive, the file moves to the new location.

But what if you want to create a copy when the computer wants to move the file, or you want to move a file when the computer wants to copy the file? Remember to do 1 thing before you drag, and you will have complete control over the outcome:

RIGHT-CLICK & DRAG THE FILE (instead of left-click & drag).  When you release the mouse, a menu displays for you to select MOVE HERE or COPY HERE.

Windows 7 - The secret of the "Snap"

Windows 7 has a new feature called “Snap” where you drag 1 open window to the right side of the screen another open window to the left and each window “Snaps” in place equally sharing the full screen. Many people who have tried the “snap” feature have had minimal success because they don’t know the trigger for making each window “snap”.

The trigger is the mouse pointer. Click and drag the title bar of each window to the right or left and when your mouse pointer touches the edge of your computer screen, release the mouse and the window "snaps" in place.

Windows XP Users
For those of you who are still using Windows XP there is a similar feature called “tile windows vertically”.  Open 2 windows that you want to view side by side.  Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar and select "Tile Windows Vertically" from the context menu. The windows are automatically arranged side-by-side, equally sharing the screen.

This Helpful Hint on Windows 7 “Snap,” generated the following question from a reader:

“I’ve run into an issue w/ Windows 7 that I’m sure many others have. I cannot figure out how to have two Excel files up on the screen at one time. Quite often, I need to copy and paste data from one spreadsheet into another, and I would like to use the SNAP feature to read them side by side and manually copy and paste data. But I cannot figure that out.”

ANSWER: There are a couple of options to use with Excel (which doesn’t automatically open a second window when you open a second file, as Word does.)

Option 1: (Windows 7) Open the first Excel file, then open the Excel program again (right-click on the Excel icon on the task bar and select Microsoft Excel) and then open the next file using the “Open” command. This creates 2 instances of the program and allows you to SNAP the 2 windows following the instructions above.

Option 2: Open the 2 Excel files you wish to view side-by-side. The next step varies based on the version of Excel you are using. In Excel 2007 or 2010, click the View tab on the ribbon. In the Window grouping click Arrange All. Select Vertical from the provided options and click OK. For Excel 2003 or older, click the Window menu and select Arrange… Select Vertical from the provided options and click OK.

Remove Incorrectly Typed Addresses in Outlook or Internet Explorer

Have you ever mistyped a web address in Internet Explorer or an email address in Outlook?

Microsoft’s AutoComplete feature remembers both the correct and the incorrect addresses that you type.

To remove those unwanted addresses, follow the steps below:

Outlook

1. Create a new email message.
2. Start typing the name or email address you want to remove.
3. When the unwanted name or address appears, use the down arrow key on your keyboard to highlight the entry you wish to remove.
4. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Internet Explorer

1. Begin typing the internet address in the address bar. (see screenshot below)
2. When the unwanted address appears, use the down arrow key on your keyboard to highlight the entry you wish to remove.
3. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Using the Thesaurus in Microsoft Word

1. Use your mouse to right-click on a word in your document for which you want to find a similar word.
2. Select Look Up... on the context menu.
3. The Research task pane opens on the right.
4. A list of similar words is displayed.
5. Do ONE of the following
• To replace the current word in your document, right-click on a word in the Thesaurus and click Insert.
• To lookup a word in the list of the Thesaurus, right-click on the word and select Look Up.

NOTE: If you want to also see a dictionary definition or pronunciation choose All Reference Books in the search location drop-down option.

Shortcuts Everyone Should Know

Keyboard shortcuts save you time – no need to use your mouse!

To use the following key combinations, press and hold the Control key on your keyboard while you press the letter key & then release all keys immediately. Do not hold down the letter key.

5 Microsoft Windows Shortcuts:

• Ctrl+a – selects all
• Ctrl+c – copies what you have selected
• Ctrl+v – pastes what you have copied
• Ctrl+p – opens the printer window
• Ctrl+s – saves your changes

10 Microsoft Word & Excel Shortcuts:  

• Ctrl+n - creates a new document or workbook
• Ctrl+Home (key) - moves the cursor/cell selection to the the beginning of the document or spreadsheet
• Ctrl+End (key) - moves the cursor/cell selection to the end of the document or spreadsheet
• Ctrl+f - opens the Find window to find data within the document or spreadsheet
• F7 (function key) - opens Spell Check
• Ctrl+e - centers the selected paragraph (Word only)
• Ctrl+enter (key)- creates a page break (Word only)
• Shift+enter (key)- moves cursor to next line without creating a new paragraph (Word only)
• Ctrl+; (semi-colon) - inserts today's date (Excel only)
• Ctrl+1 (number one) - opens the Format Cells window in Excel; changes line spacing of selection to single spacing in Word.

Change your Folder View for Pictures

When you are trying to find a specific picture on your computer, among many pictures in a folder, it is helpful to see a miniature of the picture along with its file name. You can change the View options to allow you to see a miniature of each picture. Here’s how:

 Windows XP
1. Open the folder containing your pictures (usually My Pictures).


2. Click the View menu or the Views icon on the toolbar and select Thumbnails to see your pictures.

Windows VISTA

1. Open the folder containing your pictures (usually Pictures).

2. Click the arrow next to the Views option on the top bar and select Tiles, Medium Icons, Large Icons, or Extra Large Icons to see different size miniatures of each picture.

Windows 7

1. Open the folder containing your pictures (usually Pictures Library).


2. Click the arrow next to the Views option on the top bar and select Tiles, Medium Icons, Large Icons, Extra Large Icons, or Content to see different size miniatures of each picture.

Get Rid of the "Enable Macros" Notice

Have you ever opened an Excel Workbook that no longer contains macros but it still prompts you to "Enable or Disable Macros"? 

Here's why:
When a macro is created, Excel adds a module to the workbook to store the macro.  When you delete all the macros in the workbook the module does not get deleted.
Note: A macro is a recording of a set of commands. Once a macro is recorded you can simply type the macro's name instead of typing the complicated sequence of commands, and all the commands automatically run that you have recorded.

How to delete the Module:

1. Open the Excel file that no longer contains the macro.
2. Press Alt+F11 (function key at top of keyboard) to display the Visual Basic Editor.
3. Near the upper-left side of the editor is the Project Explorer. This contains a hierarchical tree that shows the workbook name and the different modules in your workbook. If the Project Explorer is not visible on your screen, press Ctrl+R to display it.
4. Within the Project Explorer should be a folder called Modules. If it is not already open, double-click on the Modules folder to display its contents.
5. Right-click on a module in the folder. A menu is displayed. (See picture below.)
6. Choose the Remove option from the menu. You are asked if you want to export the module before removing it.
7. Click on the No button. The module is removed.
8. Repeat  steps 5 through 7 for each module in the Modules folder under your workbook name.
9. Close the Visual Basic Editor.
10. Save your workbook.

At this point your workbook contains no modules, and you will not get any notification when you subsequently open it.

Having difficulty reading the small print on the Internet?

If you are using a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can quickly zoom in on any web page to make it easier to read. 

Here's how:

• While viewing any web page, press and hold the Ctrl key (on your keyboard) while pushing the scroll wheel (on your mouse) away from you.  Pull the wheel towards you to zoom out.

If you don't have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the Zoom option under the View menu of Internet Explorer.

Another helpful hint submitted by Cook Manwiller:


Use
Control and "+", (plus) to increase size
Control and " - " (minus) to decrease size
and
Control and " 0 " (zero) to return to normal size.