Using the Magnifier in Windows 7

Windows 7 has a built-in Magnifier which you can use anytime you want to enlarge what you are viewing on your computer screen.  The magnifier is part of the “Ease of Access” tools. 

1.  To open the Ease of Access Center, click the Start Button and then open Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Ease of Access Center.  (Shortcut: Windows button+u)
3. Click Start Magnifier.  The magnifier opens, usually as a rectangular lens on your screen.  Move your mouse to move the magnifying lens.

 

• To turn off the Magnifier, point and click on the magnifier symbol (shown above).  This action displays the Magnifier toolbar.  Click the X at the top right of the Magnifier toolbar (shown below). 

 

• To magnify the whole screen instead of using the lens magnifier, click the Magnifying lens and then click Views on the Magnifier toolbar. Select Full Screen from the menu.
• To increase (+) or decrease (-) magnification, click the appropriate symbol on the Magnifier toolbar.

Customize the Quick Access Toolbar- Office 2007/2010

The Quick Access Toolbar is the place to keep the items that you not only need to access quickly but want to have immediately available regardless of which of the Ribbon's tabs you're working on.  If you put so many items on the Quick Access Toolbar that it becomes too big to fit on the title bar, you can move it onto its own line.

Example of Quick Access Toolbar

Add or Remove Items in the Quick Access Toolbar

1. Click the down arrow at the right of the Quick Access Toolbar.
2. On the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu, click to select any unchecked items that you want to add to the toolbar.
3. Click any checked items that you want to remove from the toolbar.

OR

1. Right-click any item anywhere on the Ribbon that you want to add to the toolbar, and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar from the shortcut menu.

If you don't see the command you want on the Ribbon, use this method for additional commands:

1. Click the down arrow at the right of the Quick Access Toolbar, and, on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu, click More Commands to display the program's Options dialog box with the Customize category selected in the left pane.
2. Specify the category of commands you want to select from.
3. Click a command from the list on the left that you want to add to the toolbar.
4. Click Add.
5. To remove a command you don't use, select it from the list on the right, and click Remove.
6. To change the order in which commands will appear on the toolbar, click a command, and use the up or down arrow to move the command.
7. Click OK when you've finished.

Move the Quick Access Toolbar
If the toolbar becomes too large to fit on the title bar or if you want easier access to it, click the down arrow at the right of the toolbar, and click Show Below the Ribbon on the menu.

How to "Preview" before you open a file

 Windows 7 & 8 allow you to "preview" a file BEFORE you open it from any folder.

Windows 7 Example

1. Open a folder that contains files you wish to preview.
2. Turn on the Preview Pane by selecting the icon as shown in the screenshot displayed above (for Windows 7). 
   Note: In Windows 8 or RT, the Preview option is available on the View tab of the Ribbon.
3. Click on a file name and the preview appears:

 

   4.  Continue clicking on each file name until you locate the desired file.
   5.  IMPORTANT: Turn off the Preview Pane, by deselecting the Preview icon, after locating the desired file. 



If you don't have Windows 7 or 8, but have Microsoft Office, you can use the Preview option from a specific application.  For example, open MS Word, click the "Open" command, and then click the Preview Pane icon (2007) or click the View icon and select "Preview" (2003).  Currently, this option does not work from Office 2010.