Windows Tips and Tricks

Windows XP - Speed Up Windows Via Keyboard Shortcut Keys

Using Keyboard shortcuts is a great way to make Windows operate faster for you. Try these out.

Action	Shortcut
Minimize a window to your taskbar	ALT, SPACEBAR, N
Maximize a window so it takes up your whole desktop	ALT, SPACEBAR, X
Restore a window so it's visible but doesn't take up your whole desktop	ALT, SPACEBAR, R
Close a window	ALT+F4
Switch to the last window you had open	ALT+TAB
Switch to any window	Hold down the ALT key, and press TAB until the window you want is active

Windows XP - Group Rename (Renaming Several Files At Once)

When you download photos from your digital camera, they often have unrecognizable names. You can rename several similar files at once with the following procedure. This also works for renaming other types of files.

1.Open the My Pictures folder. (Click Start, and then click My Pictures.) Or open another folder containing files that you want to rename.
2.Select the files you want to rename. If the files you want are not adjacent in the file list, press and hold CTRL, and then click each item to select it.
3.On the File menu, click Rename.
4.Type the new name, and then press ENTER.

Note: All of the files in the series will be named in sequence using the new name you type. For example, if you type Birthday, the first will be named Birthday and subsequent files in the series will be named Birthday (1), Birthday (2), and so on. To specify the starting number for the series, type the starting number in parentheses after the new file name. The files in the series will be numbered in sequence starting with the number you type. For example, if you type Birthday (10), the other files will be named Birthday (11), Birthday (12), and so on.

Windows XP - How to Search for a File or Folder

How to Search for a File or Folder

To search for a file or folder: 1. Click Start, and then click Search.
2. In the Search Companion dialog box, click All files and folders.
3. Type part or all of the name of the file or folder, or type a word or phrase that is in the file.
4. In the Look in box, click the drive or drives, folder, or network location that you want to search.
5. Choose one of the following options:a. Click When was it modified to look for files that were created or modified on or between specific dates. b. Click What size is it to look for files that are specific size. c. Click More advanced options to specify additional search criteria.
6. Click Search.