Although Windows 8 Release Preview is out, there may still be users who may be happy to upgrade to Windows 7. If you prefer to enjoy the awesome features that Windows 7 has to offer, you may as well take advantage of these simple Windows 7 tips and tricks to get the best experience from the operating system. For users already familiar with Windows 7, check out if there is a tip or trick you are not familiar with!
Windows 7 Tips and Tricks You Gotta Know
1. Alternate Between Open Windows of a Program
The brilliant thing about Windows 7 is that you can open umpteen number of windows of a program and multi task effortlessly. If you have 5 open Excel sheets on your desktop, finding a particular sheet can be a little annoying. You can use the thumbnail preview to find the sheet you want, but did you know that you can hold down the CTRL key and click on the Excel icon in the taskbar to switch between open windows of a program? Try this the next time you are working on multiple open windows of a program.
2. Dock Open Windows to the Left of Right of the Screen
One of the cool features of Windows is some of the Aero effects that you can use to shake up the open windows on your desktop. My favorite feature is the ability to view 2 open windows by docking them to the left or right of the screen. You can use the mouse to drag them this way or that but a simple keyboard trick will be to use the Windows Logo key with the Arrow buttons. Here are the shortcuts.
- Windows Logo Key + Left Arrow – Docks the open window to the left of the screen
- Windows Logo Key + Right Arrow – Docks the open window to the right of the screen
- Windows Logo Key + Up Arrow – Maximizes the open window
- Windows Logo Key + Down Arrow – Minimizes the open window
- Windows Logo Key + Shift+ Up Arrow – Maximizes the open window vertically
- Windows Logo Key + Shift+ Down Arrow – Restores the open window vertically
3. Toggling Between Multiple Monitors
If you work with multiple monitors toggling between them is as easy as hitting the Windows Logo Key + Shift+ Left Arrow and Windows Logo Key + Shift+ Right Arrow.
4. Minimize All Inactive Windows
If you’ve got multiple open windows and have a hard time finding the one you need to do your current job, just minimize all inactive windows with this simple shortcut. Windows Logo Key +Home. Click this button again to restore them again.
5. Do Smart Calculations
The much improved Windows 7 calculator can now be used to do more just just basic math. Make sure you do your scientific and statistical calculations, and unit conversion related to the temperature, weight, area, and much more with this multi-computing tool.
6. Pin Your Favorite Folders
You probably pin your favorite programs to the taskbar, but what about folders? It doesn’t make much sense if you have to navigate the long way to find folders you frequently work with. Simply right-click a folder and drag it to Windows Explorer to pin it. The next time you want to access that folder, just right-click Explorer and select the folder.
7. Open a New Instance of a Program
A quick way t open another instance of a program is to hold Shift and click the icon on the taskbar.
8. Reorder Taskbar Items
If you are more comfortable accessing items from the taskbar, you can rearrange the order in which they appear. Just drag and move the icon to the desired position.
9. Navigate the Taskbar with Your Keyboard
One way to navigate to items in the taskbar is to press the Windows Logo Key+T. This will activate the first program icon on the taskbar. Then use the left and right arrows to navigate the taskbar. Once you find the program you want to open press Enter.
10. Get Help from the Help Desk
Most issues related to your Windows OS are easily resolved. But if you got one that stubbornly refuses to go away, the Problem Steps Recorder will help you screenshot your issue and get it to Help Desk for a quicker resolution.
If you’ve got a few Windows 7 Tips and Tricks up your sleeve, share them with us using the comments form.
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