Many hardcore estimator users might consider themselves above learning new tricks, but there are always new ways to acuminate your skills on the PC and we bet that you will notice at least ane useful thing hither that y'all didn't know earlier.

We've compiled some of the well-nigh handy computer tricks you should be taking advantage of. The ultimate goal is to help y'all become more productive by shaving valuable seconds off your workflow. Of course, you can always laissez passer along these tips to your non-so-savvy friends and family members to assistance them become amend PC users as well.

The original tips & tricks guide was published back in 2013. We've since revised the article, pulled some tips that are no longer relevant, and added many more than that we find to exist must-haves on this listing. The original guide was also very Windows-centric, and it continues to be however we've added a lot of macOS equivalents and information relating to shortcuts generally used past desktop ability users.

General Tricks

Bring back a airtight tab We accept defended a section to web browsing further down below, but this one is too useful to be missed. Accidentally closed a tab? But press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen the most recently closed tab and get back to what you were doing (Cmd + Shift + T on Macs).

Window snapping and multiple monitor control Pressing the Windows Key + Arrow Keys will cause a window to quickly snap to each side of either monitor. Alternatively, hit Shift + Windows Key + Arrows volition cause the window to jump to the other monitor. While pressing Windows + P will allow you to quickly fix a 2nd brandish or projector.

As mentioned before, in macOS we favor leveraging the power of Mission Control to handle virtual desktops, switching between apps, and peaking at your desktop beautifully. Though Macs don't back up window snapping out of the box, a $0.99 app chosen Magnet comes highly recommended.

Password-protect files A simple way to lock down access to certain files is to create an encrypted archive. Odds are you already take installed a copy of 7-Aught, WinRAR, or The Unarchiver (Mac) or some equivalent. Create a new archive, select to encrypt its contents and countersign protect them.

Undo everywhere to fix those picayune mistakes Did you know you can undo almost whatsoever action? Ctrl + Z is the ultimate hot key, and for sure you knew well-nigh it already, all the same notation that undo doesn't just apply to typing. If y'all accidentally delete or movement a file, y'all can hit Ctrl + Z to bring it right back to where it was (Ctrl + Y will redo whatever you undid).

YouTube keyboard shortcuts If y'all thought using the spacebar to suspension a YouTube video was constructive (except when focus is elsewhere and information technology doesn't work), instead try using Chiliad for pausing, while J and L will stride backward/forrard x seconds. One thousand works for mute. Super handy.

Find your Wi-Fi password In Windows, become to the "Network and Sharing Heart." Right click on the Wi-Fi network connection icon > Wireless Properties. Click on Bear witness Characters box to show your Wi-Fi password.

  • In macOS all passwords are stored in the Keychain app. Use Spotlight to find "Keychain Access." Open the app and find your Wi-Fi network name in the listing of saved credentials. Double click it and so click the box to show your password (it volition require your OS level password).

Adopt a Clipboard director Once you're used to relying on a clipboard manager, the productivity boost works out similarly as how yous go more efficient with multiple monitors or virtual desktops. We have an commodity dedicated to this, just in curt, for Windows try ClipClip. For macOS use Flycut.

Screenshot similar you mean it Only hitting impress screen on your keyboard is the easiest manner to capture a screenshot. But Windows and macOS provide several other means to screenshot, many of which are amend options. But then, in that location'due south grabbing a screenshot and annotating. We beloved Monosnap for doing simply that cheers to its simplicity, speed, and cross-platform back up.

Grab a photograph from your phone How often have y'all found yourself wanting to take a picture and move that immediately to your workflow in your PC.

  • Mac users Apple simplified this for macOS/iPhone owners with Continuity Photographic camera. In any supported app, simply get to the tiptop menu: select Edit > Insert From Your iPhone or iPad > "Take Photograph" or "Scan Certificate." This will activate the camera on your iPhone, take a photo and it will automatically show upwardly on your desktop.
  • Windows Microsoft developed a side projection to practice the same with iOS and Android phones, though it'south unfortunately non well maintained. Two good alternatives are AirDroid and Portal, or simply sync with Dropbox or Google Photos.

Windows Ability User Menu You can open up a quick list of common power user destinations in Windows by right clicking the bottom left of the outset button on Windows 8 and 10 which opens a context menu with shortcuts to power options, the event viewer, device manager and then on. This menu is likewise attainable past pressing the Windows fundamental + Ten.

Easily extract images from a Word (.docx) file Change the file proper noun from .docx to .zip and open the file. The pictures will be in ane of the directories.

Enable 'Night Style' on all your devices If you ofttimes work at night or simply like to read on a screen before going to sleep, this tin can be a game changer. Nosotros recommend using F.lux on both Mac and Windows, although both operating systems have some back up for this already built-in. Same goes for your mobile devices.

Find/delete big files wasting space A handy tool called Space Sniffer tin be used to easily find which files and folders are taking upward the well-nigh space on your bulldoze. From at that place, you tin delete them and open a ton of storage space. Other Windows alternatives (free) include WinDirStat and TreeSize. On macOS you tin use Finder or Siri to find large files with no tertiary party app, only we like to employ GrandPerspective.

Delete the Windows.quondam folder. If y'all have plenty of complimentary space and don't mind the untidiness, you can only ignore the folder and information technology should exist deleted automatically xxx days after the update. But if you are strapped for storage infinite, you tin use Windows' own tools to remove information technology with ease.

Control prompt here In the Windows File Explorer, type "cmd" into the address bar and it will open the control prompt in that directory.

Reduce the number of programs running at startup If your PC is taking also long to kicking, it'south probably because you have far too many programs running at startup. It's easy to reduce these and it will make your PC launch noticeably faster. Make sure you research what you are turning off as some processes might be needed past third party programs you accept installed.

  • Windows: Open the task manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and head to the startup tab to configure what programs you want to launch with your system.
  • Windows 7 and prior: Open run (Windows key + R) and enter msconfig to access a window with a similar startup section.
  • macOS: Become to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Select your user and click on the Login Items tab. You can remove or hide startup applications from here.

Windows subconscious "god mode" folder Windows offers a centralized Control Panel for all of the OS settings, making information technology like shooting fish in a barrel for users to tweak everything from desktop groundwork to setting upward a VPN. To enter this mode, create a new binder with this exact name (copy and paste information technology): God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. The folder icon will change to a Control Panel-fashion icon, and you will exist able to bound in and change all kinds of settings.

Typing Tricks

Paste the plain text of what was copied When you re-create text from whatsoever source, programs will unremarkably include any formatting that comes with it. To paste this every bit plain text, printing Ctrl + Shift + 5 instead of the standard Ctrl + Five, and the system will paste unformatted text. This likewise works on Mac: Cmd + Shift + 5.

Note that many but non all programs follow this parameter, peculiarly Microsoft programs like Discussion or Outlook don't, which is abrasive. There are a few alternatives that go beyond copying and pasting in Notepad: 1) Ctrl + Alt + V volition show a 'paste special' dialog box. ii) Ctrl + Spacebar will remove formatting in already pasted text. three) Download Puretext and choose a hotkey to always paste manifestly text with it.

Delete an entire discussion Instead of deleting a single letter of the alphabet, pressing Ctrl + Backspace will delete the entire discussion backside the cursor. This makes deleting text quicker if you lot screw up a whole give-and-take.

Motion cursor to beginning of the adjacent or previous word Moving the cursor around manually while typing is a dandy mode to make your work take longer than it needs to. To speed upwardly the process, move the cursor around with keyboard shortcuts. To motility it to the kickoff of the previous word, use Ctrl + Left Arrow. To move it to the showtime of the next word, utilise Ctrl + Right Arrow. In macOS yous tin can accomplish the same using the Option key. To select words/paragraphs as you lot're going, hold Shift + Ctrl + Pointer (upwards or down will select entire bodies of text).

Emoji keyboard If yous're addicted to using emoji, know desktop OS support them natively just similar mobiles practice. On Windows press the Windows Key + . (period) and on macOS Cmd + Command + Spacebar. An Emoji panel will appear then you can comport on as usual using all the expressions you desire.

Making sub and superscript text If you lot demand to brand sub or superscript text (think exponents for superscript), press Ctrl + = for subscript and Ctrl + Shift + = for superscript.

Apply Windows' grapheme map to identify and create foreign symbols Search the Get-go menu for "grapheme map" and you should find a utility that lets you copy every character imaginable and even provides an Alt + Numpad code for afterward utilise. For example, the euro sign (€) can be made with Alt + 0128.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Open the chore manager direct If you want to featherbed the interrupt that happens when pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del and leap right to the task manager, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc will launch information technology directly.

Use Spotlight Windows built-in search is non useless, but it certainly is unreliable and wearisome. macOS' Spotlight on the other hand is brilliant. Hitting Cmd + Spacebar to open an app by typing just the first 2-iii letters of its name, search for files, or fifty-fifty practice calculations.

Interrupt all processes Ctrl + Alt + Delete used to exist a mutual PC shortcut, and one well-nigh all power users are familiar with. The important thing to annotation is that it interrupts all processes, including the one that is bogging downwardly your system, which tin can mean the difference between needing to restart or not. In macOS, you can also summon the Force Quit dialog box by using Cmd + Shift + Esc.

Cycle through open windows Pressing Alt + Tab allows you to cycle through currently open windows (Alt + Shift + Tab will cycle backwards). This makes switching back and forth betwixt running processes quick and painless. In macOS the shortcut is Cmd + Tab.

Launch programs with your own hotkeys Right click the shortcut to any application in Windows, head into the properties and in the shortcut tab you should see a "shortcut key" field where you can type your preferred launch philharmonic. Also of note, if you click the "avant-garde" options in the shortcut tab, y'all tin can ready it to run equally an Ambassador, which is specially useful for creating a shortcut to an elevated Command Prompt. This could exist gear up to launch with the keys Ctrl + Alt + Numpad 1 for case.

Close the current plan Typing Alt + F4 will close the programme that is running. This is useful equally it saves y'all time mousing over the "X" and clicking. People will frequently use this as a joke, telling you to printing Alt + F4 to fix a problem. Don't fall for it unless you want to close what you are doing.

Minimize all windows Sometimes yous have a bunch of stuff running, and you want it all to go away and so you can go to the desktop. Simply pressing Windows cardinal + D will minimize everything yous have up, which will save you some time pressing the minimize button for each window. It should exist noted that Windows + M offers like functionality, simply there is no undoing, so Windows + D is the more favorable approach. In macOS we favor leveraging the power of Mission Control to handle virtual desktops, switching between apps, and peaking at your desktop beautifully.

Yous can utilise the menu key on a keyboard to right click Non every keyboard has the key (shown above), but many practise. Pressing the push volition right click any you take in focus/selected in Windows.

Close the electric current window/tab Stick of moving all the way to that Ten push button? Printing Ctrl + W and the electric current window will close. (Don't do it now, or yous will miss the rest of the tricks!)

Bring up the system information window This is then much quicker than excavation this out the traditional way... But press Windows + Break/Interruption and the System Information panel will be ready to go. This might be the only use for the Break/Intermission key you lot will e'er find, and then enjoy information technology!

Apply your keyboard to launch programs on the Windows taskbar Tapping the Windows key + the number that corresponds to the position of the program is a quick mode to open up them. For instance if Chrome were the second icon on your taskbar and that'southward what you lot wanted to open, you'd hit Windows key + two.

Use your keyboard to navigate arrangement tray icons Tapping the Windows key + B will automatically select the system tray surface area at which point you just accept to highlight something with the pointer keys and hit enter to open it.

Enable copy and paste in the Windows command prompt While you're tinkering with the control prompt shortcut, if y'all right click it > head to Properties > Options > and check the box adjacent to "QuickEdit mode" you will be able to select text with left click, re-create with enter and paste with correct click.

Spider web Browsing Tricks

Jump to accost bar There are a number of ways to jump right to the address bar from anywhere in browser. Pressing Ctrl + L, F6, and Alt + D all attain this goal.

Automatically add www. and .com to a URL Y'all can shave off a couple of seconds typing in a URL past merely click Ctrl + Enter after yous type the name of the site. Need .net instead of .com? Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter instead.

Cycle through open tabs Pressing Ctrl + Tab while in a browser will flip between each i (Ctrl + Shift + Tab to go backwards). This can exist much faster than moving the mouse and clicking on a tab. Ctrl + Num (1, 2, iii, four, n..) will also have you to sure tab in that numeric guild. Ctrl + 9 always brings you to the very last tab, fifty-fifty if it's across the ninth one.

Scroll through pages with the spacebar Tapping the spacebar on a website will scroll downwards in total page chunks and striking shift + space volition take you support.

Instant image search (Chrome only) If you lot concord down the "S" key and right click on an image, it will open an paradigm search on a new tab.

Apply private browsing The uses for not having cookies and history saved are obvious for certain activities, you know, like shopping for gifts on a shared reckoner (of course!). Pressing Ctrl + Shift + Due north will launch a new private in Chrome, Ctrl + Shift + P will do it in Firefox and Net Explorer.

Convert your browser into a notepad Blazon this into the address bar and you lot can write notes. Alternatively, while not equally fast. Use Google Keep or Gmail's etch mail to write notes and have those saved on the cloud equally you type and go.

Icon-simply bookmarks on your toolbar You can delete the proper noun of your bookmarks leaving only the icon then they accept upwardly less space on the toolbar. In Chrome: right click the bookmark > edit > delete the proper name and save.

Employ the curl wheel Put your heart mouse push to apply by clicking on links to automatically open them in a new tab/window. Too if y'all use the curlicue wheel button on a tab, it will close information technology.

Copy links quicker Correct click the link like usual but tap East on your keyboard to copy the link.

Make content editable Bring up the panel on Chrome or Firefox (correct click, Inspect). On the console enter the command certificate.designMode = "on" that will let you edit any text on the screen.

Zoom In, Reset Zoom Employ the browser magnifier to adjust a website for more comfy reading. Ctrl/Cmd + (plus/minus sign) does the trick. To reset to the default zoom level utilize Ctrl + 0.

File Management Tricks

Rename a file quickly Right-clicking and selecting rename is not very efficient. Instead press F2 while a file is selected to alter its proper name. To modify the proper name of another file, type Tab without deselecting the current file. On Macs, striking Enter volition rename (which may sound counter-intuitive to Windows users) while Cmd + O is used to open.

Cloud backup important files If you're working on a critical project, make certain you aren't backing up locally only. Services similar Dropbox, Google Bulldoze, or any of the other pop cloud storage solutions volition do the legwork for yous in the groundwork. Of course, you can besides throw the files on a pollex drive or external HDD to exist extra safety, only backing up to the cloud tin be washed seamlessly.

Rename files sequentially in Windows or Mac You lot actually don't need to download any programs to perform a batch file rename. Instead, you can select all the files yous want to change, right-click the kickoff one in the list, select rename (or use F2), and type in the name. This will automatically modify all the other files with the same root name with a suffix: (1), (ii), and then on.

On Mac, you can practise something like. Select the files, and then right click and an choice to rename the whole batch as a series will testify up.

Select multiple files using the keyboard To select a bunch of files using your keyboard, you can press Shift + Downwardly Arrow to select a single file or Shift + Page Downwardly to select a big group of files at one time. Ctrl + A will select everything.

Right click elevate files and folders in Windows And y'all'll exist presented with a context menu containing options to move, re-create, zip or create a shortcut.

Security Tips

Lock your figurer if you become up Sick of your "friends" going onto your reckoner at work or home and posting things on your Facebook/Twitter page on your behalf? It'southward certainly an annoyance, but an easy ane to forbid.

Windows + L will lock your system correct abroad, requiring a password (if you've set up one) to log in once more.

On macOS use Cmd + Choice + Power to log off. On the latest revision of macOS (High Sierra) a quicker choice to but lock the screen was added which works using the shortcut Cmd + Ctrl + Q.

Scan suspicious files with VirusTotal If you're worried nearly a file being infected, you lot tin upload information technology to VirusTotal to have it checked by a few dozen antivirus engines from the cloud. Ofttimes times someone has already uploaded the same file, sparing you lot the expect.

Run across who is logged on to your router Software such every bit Wireless Network Watcher makes this particularly easy and even has alarms for when someone new appears. Yous tin can also do this by logging into your router (common router IP addresses) and checking for a list of wireless clients which should brandish the proper name of the device, its currently assigned IP address and its MAC accost.

Permanently remove deleted information so software such equally Recuva can't undelete files/folders Open a command prompt and enter cipher /w:C: to wipe deleted files from your C: drive (change the letter to target a different bulldoze or folder). If you need to become the extra mile and use a file shredder program, bank check out Eraser (Windows) and FileShredder (Mac).

Read installers Even major programs tin can install toolbars and other unwanted pieces of software during installation. Have a few seconds to read each step to make sure you are not like-minded to install something other than the program yous were actually seeking. Far too oft people just push next over and over, and end up with a browser covered in diverse search bars that just aren't needed. In the worst of scenarios, these can have nefarious intentions.

Run programs on an infected PC Malware may forbid a computer from running certain programs. Irresolute the name of the .exe file can frequently override this. If that doesn't work, irresolute the extension to .com is some other useful alternative, and the plan volition yet exist able to run despite the extension change.

Other Third-Party App Tricks

Steam: Motility games to some other drive or partition Software such every bit Steam Mover used to be required for this procedure and although these third party solutions should still work, Steam at present provides the ability to shop games on multiple drives:

Go to Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders, make a new Steam library folder on the new drive, then right click on an already installed game in your Steam library > Properties > Local Files tab > Move install binder... > Choose the directory > Move binder.

Repeat concluding command in Excel Pressing F4 in Excel repeats the last command. A great instance we found on Reddit: if you lot select a jail cell and highlight information technology yellow, you can so highlight any other selected cells yellow past pressing F4.

Utilize Windows' Trouble Steps Recorder This handy tool automatically records any mouse clicks and takes screenshots for yous. If y'all need tech assistance with your computer, become to Kickoff and search for "steps recorder". Employ the tool and by the time you are finished, you can send this data, neatly compiled automatically, to the person helping yous with the issue. It will make the procedure of finding the problem much easier for them, which ways you lot will be able to become your system upwards and running faster.

VLC: Prepare unsynced audio and subtitles In the pop media player VLC, if your sound loses sync with the video or subtitles, there is an easy manner to fix this. Simply pressing J or 1000 volition move the audio forward or backwards. Similarly, to sync the subtitles you can printing H or G.

Expand your text to full page width in Microsoft Give-and-take We don't come across this feature used quite plenty and by default Word leaves a lot of unused infinite toward the margins. Head to View > Zoom > and choose Text Width > OK. Now whatever y'all're writing should fill out virtually of the Discussion page.

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Using these tips and tricks on a daily ground will most certainly make your time on the computer more enjoyable, or at least more than applied.

Then, did y'all learn something that you didn't know earlier?