In case anyone is wondering which key I am talking about, it’s the one seen at the right.  So without any more delay, here is the list of windows key shortcuts that will make your Windows browsing experience a little better.  In case anyone doesn’t know, to perform these shortcuts you need to hold the Windows key and then press any of the letters shown below.

• Windows Key + E - Opens the Windows Explorer window.  This will allow you to find that folder you are looking for faster than double clicking your way through My Computer and the C: drive.
• Windows Key + R – Opens the Run: command window.  This is useful if you run certain programs like msconfig or sysedit.  This is mainly for advanced PC users
• Windows Key + D – Instantly brings you to the desktop.  This can be a lifesaver if you are surfing the internet and you see your boss walk by and you need to be back at the desktop screen fast.  It also helps if you load something that takes a while to load, as this will allow you to get to the desktop and cancel the program that is freezing.
• Windows Key + F - This will open the Window Search window.  This can be helpful if you are looking for files on your computer that you can’t seem to remember where you left them.
• Windows Key + M – This command will minimize all of your windows to the Taskbar.  This is similar to the Windows Key + D shortcut.
• Windows Key – Pressing just the Windows Key will open the start menu.

So there you have it, all the Windows Key shortcuts you need to know to help you be more productive at work, or in the case of Windows Key + D, a little more sly about your web surfing Similar Posts:

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Well I recently helped a client fix a problem with their computer that had nothing to do with Windows but we did try something that most people hear about but don’t know a lot about, and that is System Restore.

System Restore, for those of you who don’t know (or for you Mac users out there) is a system utility that Microsoft Windows comes with that can essentially take your computer back in time to fix certain problems that come up. Most people will tell you that if you have a problem that you can just use system restore to fix it but this isn’t the case.

You see when Windows performs an automatic update or you install a new program, Windows will make a System Restore point and save it to your hard drive, so long as System Restore is enabled. This can come in really handy if you install a new piece of hardware and the drivers cause your system to mess up. And if for some reason a Microsoft Windows update ruins your settings you can use System Restore to go back before the update and wait for a proper fix to come through.

But as great as System Restore sounds the problem lies in the actual programs you use on a daily basis. Windows System Restore only affects system files which means anything that Windows installs and uses can be turned back but if your resume or Quickbooks account files get messed up and corrupted, System Restore won’t fix them.

So let this be a warning to those of you who don’t back up your data. Windows System Restore will go back in time and make your computer work like it did a week ago but it won’t fix your personal files, so get yourself an external hard drives and back up your data yourself. This way if your file is corrupt you can grab the backup copy and only lose a few days of work instead of a years worth.

External Hard Drives are pretty cheap now-a-days and you can get them at any computer retailer or save yourself some money and buy one from Amazon.com

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First off, check your system tray, the area near your clock on the bottom right of your screen.  There are several programs that, once they’re installed, put an icon in the system tray so that they can start faster when you need them.  But honestly, how often do you actually open Quicktime?  If you right click the Q icon that Quicktime puts down there and select preferences, then click on the advanced tab, you’ll notice at the bottom there is a box that says Tray Icon.  Make sure that check box is unchecked and hit ok, and that will stop Quicktime from starting every time you boot your computer.

Now what about programs that start but don’t have an obvious icon or setting like this you ask?  Simple, all you need to do is click on the Start bar, go to All Programs, and move your mouse cursor to Startup.  Once you’ve got your mouse there you’ll see a number of programs.  Just move your mouse over the program and right click, then hit delete.  This will remove that program from the star up routine of your computer and you’ll see your desktop a little faster next time you boot up.

A word of caution though, be sure to check what program you are removing before you do.  Certain programs like your anti virus or some peripheral software needs to start when your computer does.  Logitech is one of these programs that need to start when windows does, that way your mouse and keyboard settings are loaded before you use them.  Finding out what program definitely need to run is as simple as asking your local IT guy at work or a tech savvy friend.

After you’ve removed the offending software from your startup folder, it might be a good idea to run a registry cleaner / optimizer to make sure any left over registry entries are cleaned.

Stay tuned for a follow up post that will go more in depth and help you remove startup processes that can cause windows to run slowly during its startup process.

Update: Michael from Pro Blog Design recently informed me of an excellent Windows application known as Autoruns that will allow you to see everything that is set for startup in your computer.  Now although it is advanced, it is easy to use to remove certain start up programs.  I wouldn’t suggest using it to remove registry key entries unless you are an advanced user.  Here is a direct download link for Autoruns.Similar Posts:

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And yet, upgrading can be one of the best or worse things you do to your computer.   Take for example Apple’s OS X Leopard.  This software touts to be the best Mac OS X to date, yet for some, upgrading caused nothing but headaches.  The infamous blue screen of death (BSOD)  showed up on several Mac users after they installed their new software.  Numerous other problems popped up during the installation of this new operating system as well.  A quick scan of any Mac user populated forum will surely have some complaints in it.  Now to be fair, the virus world has yet to infect Mac users, unlike Microsoft and its every virus / bug ridden Windows operating system.

Speaking of Windows, this brings up Windows Vista, Microsoft’s new operating system.  I don’t really know where to start with this one, Vista is garbage.  The new OS was supposed to be fast and easy to use, and yet almost everyone has had problems even installing the software on their computers.  Incompatibility with certain software packages, bugs galore, and errors that tell you that the system that reports errors has errors, make Windows Vista one of the worst Windows releases since Windows ME, and I think we all remember that one.

The problem with both of these operating systems is that upgrading to them is supposed to benefit the user, and yet all they have done is cause heartache and trips to the computer repair shop for help getting past their install problems.

So the next time you’re thinking of upgrading, make sure you do a little research on any issues people are having with whatever it is you are upgrading to, and also make sure you don’t believe everything the commercial or sales rep tells you.

Any thoughts? I’d love to hear from some Mac and Windows users who have or haven’t had any problems with either Mac OS X Leopard or Windows Vista.

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Standby mode will cut the power to any hardware or peripherals your computer or laptop is not using at the time you select this option.  This will conserve battery power in laptops, and can be useful in desktops if you need to step away from the computer for an extended period of time.  Your programs and applications are stored in RAM, but your computer is still drawing power.  This method will allow a quick “wake up” because data can be read from RAM very quickly.

Hibernate on the other hand, will take a snapshot of your current configuration and save it to the hard drive, then it will power down your computer.  When you bring your computer out of hibernate mode, which will take a little longer than a regular start-up because the computer actually shuts down, any programs and documents you had open will reappear on your desktop, just the way you left them.

You may need to enable hibernate mode if you want to use it.  To do this, go to your control panel, select power options, click on the hibernate tab at the top of the window, and make sure the Enable Hibernate mode check box is filled in.  Hibernate mode uses hard drive space so be sure you have enough space to use this option.

Using either of these methods can save laptop battery life when you’re not using it.  It can also be used if you need to leave programs or documents open but have to leave your computer and don’t want to leave it on and using electricity.

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