Computer tricks everyone should know. Part I

Many computer users might consider themselves too advanced to learn new skills. However, there are always fresh ways to refine your expertise on a PC, and we're confident that you'll discover at least one handy trick here that you didn't know before.

We've compiled some of the most convenient computer hacks that you should definitely try. The ultimate goal is to boost your productivity, saving precious seconds of your workflow in the process. Indeed, you can always share these tips with your less tech-savvy friends and family members to help them become more proficient users.

 

Main Tips

• *Returning a closed tab.**If you accidentally close a tab in your browser, simply press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + T to open the last closed tab and return to what you were doing (Cmd + Shift + T on Mac).

Mounting and managing multiple windows. Pressing the Windows + arrow keys combination will quickly snap a window to one side of the monitor. In addition, pressing Shift + Windows + arrow keys will force the window to the other monitor. Pressing Windows + P will quickly set up a second display or projector. As mentioned earlier, in macOS we prefer to use Mission Control's features to manage virtual desktops, switch between applications, and get a better view of the desktop.

Protect files with a password. A simple way to block access to certain files is to create an encrypted archive. You probably already have 7-Zip, WinRAR, or The Unarchiver (Mac) installed on your computer. Create a new archive and select the option to encrypt the contents and password protect it.

Cancel actions. Did you know that you have the ability to undo almost any action? Ctrl + Z is the perfect keyboard shortcut, and you probably already knew that, but note that undo doesn't just apply to typing characters on the keyboard. If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can press Ctrl + Z to return it to where it was originally (Ctrl + Y, in turn, is responsible for repeating actions).

YouTube Key Combinations. If you thought using the spacebar to pause a YouTube video was maximizing efficiency, try using K to pause, and J and L to fast-forward/fast-forward 10 seconds. M works for mute.

Finding the Wi-Fi password. In Windows, go to the "Network and Sharing Center" menu. Right-click on the Wi-Fi network connection icon → "Wireless Network Properties". Click on the "Show Characters" box to show the Wi-Fi network password. In macOS, all passwords are stored in the Keychain app. Use Spotlight to find "Keychain Access." Open the app and find the Wi-Fi network name in the list of saved credentials. Double-click it, and then click on the field to see the password (this will require you to enter the OS password).

Windows Power Menu. You can open the list to quickly navigate to Windows system settings by right-clicking on the bottom left corner of the screen - the Start button - in Windows 8 and 10. This menu is also accessible by pressing Windows + X.

Easy to extract pictures from a Word file. Change the file name from .docx to .zip and open the file. The pictures will be in one of the directories.

• *Enable "Night Mode" on all devices.**If you often work at night or just like to read before bed, we recommend using F.lux on both Mac and Windows, although both operating systems already have built-in support. The same goes for your mobile devices.

Find and delete large files that take up a lot of space. A handy tool called Space Sniffer makes it easy to identify which files and folders are taking up the most space on your disk. From there, you can delete them and free up tons of storage space. Other free alternatives for Windows are WinDirStat and TreeSize. On macOS, you can use Finder or Siri to find large files without a third-party app, but we like to use GrandPerspective.

 

Quickly invoke the command prompt. In Windows Explorer, type "cmd" into the address bar and it will open a command prompt in that directory.Reduce the number of programs that run at OS startup.If your computer takes too long to boot, it may be because you have too many programs that automatically load at startup. This is easy to change, which will make your computer start up much faster. Be sure to examine what you disable, as some processes may need third-party programs that you have installed.

• **Windows:***open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and click on the "Autoload" tab to customize which programs you want to run when the OS boots.
• **Windows 7 and earlier:***open run (Windows + R keys) and type msconfig to open a window with a similar structure.
• macOS: Go to System Preferences → Users and Groups → Select User and click on the Login Items tab. Here you can remove or hide the applications you run.

Hidden Windows folder with "god mode". Windows offers a centralized control panel for all OS settings, allowing users to easily configure everything from desktop background to VPN settings. To enter this mode, create a new folder with the exact name (copy and paste it): God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. The folder icon will change to a control panel icon where you can change all kinds of settings.

 

Browser Tips

Go to the address bar. There are several ways to go directly to the address bar from anywhere in the browser. Ctrl + L, F6, and Alt + D work.

Automatically add www. and .com to a URL. You can save a couple seconds typing a URL by simply pressing Ctrl + Enter after typing the site name. Need a .net instead of a .com? Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

Cyclic switching between open tabs. Pressing Ctrl + Tab in the browser triggers switching between them (Ctrl + Shift + Tab in reverse). This can be much faster than moving the mouse and clicking on a tab. Ctrl + Num (1, 2, 3, 4, n ...) will also take you to a specific tab. The Ctrl + 9 key combination always takes you to the most recent tab, even if it is beyond the ninth tab.

Spacebar scrolling. Pressing the spacebar on a web site will cause you to scroll down, and pressing Shift + spacebar will take you back up.

Instant image search (Chrome only). If you hold down the "S" key while right-clicking on an image, it opens the image search in a new tab.

• Incognito Mode. Pressing Ctrl + Shift + N will launch a new window in incognito mode in Chrome, and Ctrl + Shift + P will do so in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

 

Turn your browser into a notepad. Type dаta:text/html, <html contenteditable> in the address bar and you can write notes. Alternatively, but not as fast.

Bookmarks as icons on your toolbar. You can remove the name of your bookmarks, leaving just the icon, so they take up less space on your toolbar. In Chrome: right-click on the bookmark → Edit → Delete Name and Save.

Edit a web page. Open the console in Chrome or Firefox (PCM → View Code). In the console, type the command document.designMode = "on" which will allow you to edit any text on the screen.

• Zoom in/out. The Ctrl/Cmd +/- keys do the trick. To restore the default zoom degree, use Ctrl + 0.