Jim Olsen's Basic Computer Hints, Tips, and Shortcuts
Computers are supposed to save time, increase productivity, and improve quality...but
it is the human's job to make sure! (about)
This page is under construction.
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This web site is broken up into the following seven areas:
| 1. Most Computer Programs |
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Keyboard
Short-
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ctrl+S is save. Do
this early and often. To check, look under the file menu to verify that
control+S is save. |
Select All = ctrl+A |
| Cut/Copy/Paste
= ctrl+X/ctrl+C/ctrl+V. A time-saver but also available when the Edit menu
is not available (e.g., when using dialog boxes). |
Help = F1 |
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Tips
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How-To's
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| 2. Windows |
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Keyboard
Short-
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Ctrl-N opens up a new window. This is
good when you wish to go off on a tangent, but not loose the page you are
on. (Similar, but not equal to, "open in new window" below. |
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Tips
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How-To's
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Open in new window. Right click the
link and click Open in new window. Useful if you don't want to loose the
page you are on. This if often preferable to using the "Back"
button. |
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| 3. Most Microsoft
(MS) Office programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel). |
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Keyboard
Short-
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Tips
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How-To's
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| 4. MS Word |
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Keyboard
Short-
Cuts
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New Page - Control+Enter. This creates
a "hard page break." |
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Tips
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How-To's
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get a sticky space
("non-breaking space"): control+shift+space. This gives you a
space between words, but the two words will stay together on the same line.
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| get a sticky
hyphen control+shift+- (the hyphen) for a sticky hyphen
(similar to the sticky space). |
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| Subdivide
a page - This is nice if you want a half-page handout (to save
paper!). Word sets all the margins and spacing for you. Access this with
File|Page Set up..|Margins tab|Multiple pages drop down. To make
your handout, type up the page; select all; copy; hit Control+Enter (new
page); paste. (The page margins apply to the top and bottom half
of the sheet.) |
| 5. Internet browsers
(MS Internet Explorer, Netscape). |
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Keyboard
Short-
Cuts
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Shift-click to open
link in a new window. |
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| Open a new
window (another version of the browser) ctrl-N |
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Tips
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View Full Screen. (Use F11 or View|full
screen) This is useful when your are, for example, |
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| If you have a page
with numerous links, rather than going to the links and using "Back,"
it is often better to Open a link in a New Window. Do this with shift-click
or by right-clicking the link and choose Open in New Window. |
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How-To's
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See the screen better:
- View Full Screen. (Use F11 or View|full screen) This
is useful when your are, for example, you cannot see all of an applet.
(To return to "regular screen," use F11 or restore
next to the close-X in the upper right.
- View Text Size - larger. This will make text larger.
This is useful when doing a presentation for a group. This does not
work on all web pages.
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| 6. MS PowerPoint |
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Keyboard
Short-
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Tips
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How-To's
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| 7. MS Excel |
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Keyboard
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Tips
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How-To's
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About This Web page/site
The purpose of this web site is to give hints, tips, and shortcuts that I (and
others) have found helpful to help me make sure that computers save time, increase
productivity, and improve quality. This is not intended to be rudimentary.
These are tips are labeled "basic" but are intended for users who
have some familiarity with computers and said software. That is, I will not
list elementary ideas (e.g., that New document and Print can be found under
the File menu).
Once you have mastered these basic tips, Click here
to go to Jim Olsen's Intermediate Computer
Hints, Tips, and Shortcuts.
Note on Keyboard Short-cuts: For operations that you do frequently (e.g.,
saving and using bold face) it is faster if you can keep your hands on the keyboard
(versus moving your hand to the mouse, then going up to a menu, clicking, and
going down to the menu item). For most programs, control+S is save and control+B
is bold face. I recommend learning keyboard short-cuts as the need/desire presents
itself. Usually you can just look at the menu to learn the short-cut. Next to
each menu item that has a short-cut is the short-cut (e.g., under File, next
to Save is Ctrl+S).
If you have suggestions for hints, tips, or shortcuts that you think would
be helpful for others, please e-mail me
your ideas (including ideas for the Mac).
Back to Jim Olsen's
homepage
Page URL: http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfjro1/wi/stub/comp hints/basic.htm
James R. Olsen, Western Illinois University
E-mail: jr-olsen@wiu.edu
updated
December 31, 2007 12:21 PM
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Keyboard
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How-To's
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