Windows Tips and Tricks The Windows Keyboard... 1 Keyboard Shortcuts List... 1 Shortcuts... 2 Creating Shortcuts for Folders or Files.... 2 Creating Shortcuts for Links... 2 Creating Keyboard Shortcuts for Shortcuts... 3 Copying file pathnames... 3 Example 1 - Word.... 3 Example 2 - email.... 6 The Windows Keyboard Ever wonder what the Windows button Here are a few common shortcuts; was for on the Keyboard? Display or hide the Start menu. + D Show the desktop and returns you back. + M Minimize all windows. + Shift+M Restores minimized windows. + E Opens My Computer or in the new IT Desktop Environment it will have a coded name like UWS0002BOR02B. + F Find or more correctly Search for Files or Folders. + L Lock your computer. If you are connected to a network you will need to logon again. Keyboard Shortcuts List Do you want a list of ALL the Keyboard shortcut keys, open this Macro and see them. Open Word. From the Tools menu, choose Macro, and then Macros. In the Macros in: box, select Word commands. In the Macro name: box, select ListCommands. Click Run. Note the List Commands dialog box opens. Choose Current menu and keyboard settings and click OK. Windows XP Tips & Tricks.doc Apr-2010 Page 1/6
Shortcuts Creating Shortcuts for Folders or Files. You can create a shortcut for a file or a folder. The folder shortcut can be used to open it or if you want to put a file into the Folder just drag it to the shortcut. Right mouse click the Folder (or file) Icon. Choose Create Shortcut. Note the shortcut will appear in the same folder. Drag or Cut & Copy the Shortcut Icon to where you want it located (for example the Desktop) You can use another drag method to create the shortcut. In this example to the Desktop. Minimise any open windows until you have a clear Desktop. Open the folder that holds the file/folder you want to shortcut to, making sure you can see the Desktop behind the folder. Locate the file or folder. Use this sequence... Click and Hold the Icon of the file or Folder. Hold down both the Shift key and the Ctrl key down (on the keyboard) Drag the Icon to the Desktop. Release the mouse. Release Shift and Ctrl keys. This will create a shortcut to file/folder. You can then move the shortcut to any where you like, including another folder and no matter where it is, it will always open the file/folder. Creating Shortcuts for Links You can create a link to open anything that you can create a path for, or even an Internet link. This is a 2 part operation done at once, i.e. create the shortcut and insert the link/path To create the Shortcut Right mouse click the desktop. Choose New, then Shortcut. The Create Shortcut dialog box will open. In the Type location. box, Choose Browse or Paste your link (Ctrl V) See below Click Next. Give the shortcut a name Click Finish To obtain a link. Web address. Find a site using a browser. Select and Copy the Address (URL / link) e.g. http://www.uws.edu.au Paste into the Type the location box Folder or File Windows XP Tips & Tricks.doc Apr-2010 Page 2/6
Use the Browse button to locate the Folder or File Screensaver Use the Browse button to locate the following folder: C:\Windows\System32 Locate the files that start with ss and have a.scr extension Program Use the Browse button to locate the folder that contains the program which starts with a file with an.exe extension. This is a bit more advanced and sometimes not as obvious for example this path for Paint Shop Pro X: "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel Paint Shop Pro X\Paint Shop Pro X.exe" Creating Keyboard Shortcuts for Shortcuts You can create a Keyboard Shortcut for an existing shortcut to open it. To do this Locate the Shortcut Icon. Right mouser click the Icon and choose Properties (The Shortcut tab should be open) Click into the Shortcut Key box. Select your shortcut e.g. Ctrl +Alt + Q (Its best to use 2 function keys e.g. Ctrl +Alt, to avoid overwriting existing keyboard shortcuts) Click OK. Copying file pathnames These are the instructions for copying file pathnames into a word document or an email and then turning them into a link. This is handy if you want the recipient to open the file quickly without searching. This will only work if recipients have access the files location. Settings check There is a setting you need to check before you set up your link; Open any folder. From the Tools menu, choose Folder Options and select the View tab. Under the Files And Folders group, make sure; Display the full path in the address bar is selected. Click OK Example 1 - Word. Open both the Word document where the link will be inserted and folder where the file exists. In the folder, select the path in the Address bar and Copy it. (Ctrl C) Windows XP Tips & Tricks.doc Apr-2010 Page 3/6
Open the Word document to where you want the link and Paste it. (Ctrl V) Example: (shown in bold) G:\Test Folder This gives us the folder location but not the file. In the folder, click once on the file name to select it. *Important step: Click once again on the name to select only the name of the file (the text). Copy this name. (Ctrl C) At this stage you will add this to the original address but you need to make sure it is the correct syntax. The next part uses keyboard shortcut keys for expediency. Return to Word. After the text G:\Test Folder type a backslash. G:\Test Folder\ Press Ctrl V (to paste) G:\Test Folder\ Timesheet 2009.xls *Important step: make sure there is no space after the last backslash. If there is, remove it. G:\Test Folder\Timesheet 2009.xls Select all the text. This will be the completed link. Press Ctrl C (to Copy) Press Ctrl K (or Insert/Hyperlink) to open the Hyperlink window. See following diagram The curser will appear in the Address box with two possibilities: If the link is already inserted into the address bar, simply click OK. If the link is not inserted into the address bar, press Ctrl V (to paste it) an click OK The link will be inserted and the text will turn blue and underlined. G:\Test Folder\Timesheet 2009.xls Test Link. Windows XP Tips & Tricks.doc Apr-2010 Page 4/6
You can text the link in Word by holding the Ctrl key (on the Keyboard) and clicking the link. Windows XP Tips & Tricks.doc Apr-2010 Page 5/6
Example 2 - email. To Insert a link Open the folder that the file is in. Copy the text in the address bar. (Ctrl C) Open the email, click in the message section and Paste (Ctrl V) Add a backslash at the end \ (no spaces) rts\2008 Reports\May 2008 Reports\ Add the file name (or you can copy and paste the file name too) rts\2008 Reports\May 2008 Reports\Gordon May 08.doc Highlight the whole address and Copy (Ctrl C) With the address still highlighted, from the Insert menu, choose Hyperlink. The Hyperlink dialog box will open with the URL box contents highlighted. Simply paste (Ctrl V) This will be inserted as the URL. Click OK The link is inserted Test Link. In email you have to send the email before the link will work, so simply send a test message to yourself. Windows XP Tips & Tricks.doc Apr-2010 Page 6/6