Do Common Tasks Faster in Windows 7
This article aims at improving your productivity on windows7 by doing common tasks faster in Windows 7 which will help save your time and work more efficiently.
Steps
- Use shortcuts: Windows key + left /right arrow: to move the current windows to the half left/right of the screen. Alt key + up / left / right arrow: to move forward / backward in the Windows Explorer. Windows key + Spacebar: to temporarily hide the current windows and go back to the desktop. Windows key + T: display the open windows as thumbnails on each application in the Taskbar.
- Display the Jump list quickly: To display the Jump list of the application on the Taskbar, left-click on them and drag them up instead of the usual right-click.
- Add any folders to Favorites: On Windows Explorer you can put them in Favorites at any location. To add, open the folder you need and then right-click on the Favorites folder and select Add current location to your Favorites
- Pin frequently used folders: At Jump list, usually they only contain 10 categories in the list of regular. If you want to pin the folders, files or frequently used browser windows, you just click on the pin shaped icon on the group of regular folders, then the folder that you selected will be put on the top pinned yet unhidden list.
- Open Command Prompt fast: To be able to quickly open the Command Prompt, you simply hold down the Shift key and right-click on any folder. The words Open Command Window Here will appear on the context menu for your option.
- Reveal a number of folders on the Send to menu: Usually when you right-click on a file or a folder and select Send to, it only shows a mere 6 or 7 destination selection of the sending files. But if you hold down the Shift key and click to select them, then Windows will show 15 destination items. In case you want to personalize this context menu, you can do it by clicking on the address bar in Windows Explorer and enter the texts shell: send to. The Send to Category then appears and you just need to add the next destination points by dragging and dropping folders.
- Clarify texts on the screen: For the current LCD screens, sometimes you might feel like the texts looks blurry, it may be because the resolution is not proper to the screen standard one. However, if you want to keep that resolution yet still can read the text clearly, you can use the Clear Type Tuner function that Windows 7 support. First you click on the icon in the Windows taskbar and type in the search box the words: cttune.exe. Then click and customize the program so the texts can be shown clearer.
- Adjust color and contrast: Windows 7 offers a very convenient feature to adjust color, contrast and brightness for your computer. To use this feature you type in the search box of the Start menu the words: dccw.exe and select the corresponding program.
- Show and hide the windows status: By default in Windows XP or Vista, when you open an application or a window, the display status is located below the Taskbar including the programs icons and a part of program names. With Windows 7 operating system will default to combine the Icons on the Taskbar into groups and only display as icon format for the whole group. This saves the maximum area of your Taskbar when you use it but it is inconvenient for you in case there are too many components are grouped. Windows 7 offers the option for this task. First you right-click on the Taskbar then select Properties. Taskbar and Start Menu Properties box will appear. In the Taskbar Buttons option you change to: Combine when taskbar is full in case you want to display a full range of components such as common. But the system will merge the program with the same function when the Taskbar has no more space to display the next program. You can choose never combine in case you do not want them to be grouped. Afterwards, click Apply and then OK.
- Change the Power button: By default, Windows 7 will first display the Shutdown button on the Start menu, but if you want to change them into Log Off, Restart or Sleep mode etc. you can right-click on the Taskbar, select Properties and then click the Start Menu and select your customize tab in the Power button action.
- Put the Search function on the Start Menu: To put this function into the Start menu, you press Windows + R then enter the line: gpedit.msc. In the left menu, you select User Configuration-> Administrative Templates-> Start Menu and Taskbar.
- Add the Copy To and Move To on the shortcut menu: In order to be more convenient to copy and move files in Windows 7, you can add the Copy To and Move To option on the shortcut menu. First you press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box and type in: regedit. In the Regedit window you follow this path: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ AllFilesystemObjects \ ShellEx \ ContextMenuHandlers, then right-click on ContextMenuHandlers key and choose New \ Key and enter a name for the key. On the left Regedit window, you double-click Default and enter the key value for this: {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}. Similarly, you create a key like this: {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13} to add Move To function.
- Add Quick Launch on the Taskbar: To create Quick Launch on the Taskbar in Windows 7 you first right-click on the Taskbar then select Toolbars \ New Toolbar. In the new appearing window, enter the code: % appdata% \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Quick Launch on the address box and put the necessary folders or program icons in this section. Finally, click Select Folder to set. However when you've done this, the Quick Launch section will appear on the Taskbar. You right-click on the taskbar and uncheck Lock the Taskbar. Next you drag the icon to the left that is close to Windows 7 icon. If you want to drop the word Quick Launch, right-click on this text and uncheck Show Title, Show Text.
