Whether you use PC/Mac at home or office, there are useful tips that can help boost your productivity.
Windows: Enhanced calculator
By
default, Windows 7 and Windows 8 shows you the basic version of the
Calculator app. Click on View from the menu bar to access the enhanced
version that can do unit conversions, data calculations and even
worksheets for calculating vehicle leases and mileage.
Windows: Check system reliability
In
case your computer is acting up, a good place to start is the
Reliability Monitor. In Control Panel > System and Security >
Action Center, you can view the reliability history of your system -- it
shows a graph with programs and services causing issues.
Windows: Problem steps recorder
Search
for 'Problem Steps Recorder' to access this tool. Instead of explaining
a computer problem to a customer care person or friend, use this tool
to record every action you perform on the desktop as screenshots with
captions. The person on other end can then see the recording, making it
easy to identify the issue.
Windows: The secret 'send to' menu
By
default, when you right click on a file and go to the 'Send To' menu,
there are limited options. However, press and hold the shift key before
you right click on a file -- this shows additional items in the Send To
dialogue box including all the special folders (My Music, My Videos
etc.)
Windows: Quick access menu
Windows
8 users can open a quick access menu to access system management
services like Disk Management, Device Manager and Control Panel by
taking the mouse pointer to left bottom corner in any screen and doing a
right click.
Windows: Easily select multiple files
Most
of us know that you can press and hold the control key down to select
certain files from a folder. However, there is simpler way -- open
Folder Options > View and in the advanced settings enable 'Use check
boxes to select items'.
Each file will now have a check box that you can click to select the file --- some may find it a lot easier than the Control button method.
Each file will now have a check box that you can click to select the file --- some may find it a lot easier than the Control button method.
Windows: Limit bandwidth usage of Live Tiles
If
you have multiple Live Tiles in Windows 8, chances are that they are
eating up some bandwidth with constant updates. You can right click on
your network connection name on the charms bar and select the 'Set as
metered connection' option.
This will restrict the amount of data live tiles use -- great if you are on slow connection or one with limited data usage.
This will restrict the amount of data live tiles use -- great if you are on slow connection or one with limited data usage.
Windows: Opening a program multiple times
If
you are running a program and want to open another instance of it, hold
the shift key and click on the icon in the taskbar. This will launch
the app again quickly - much easier than searching for the app shortcut
on the desktop or the Start Menu and clicking that.
Windows: Use compatibility mode
There
are a number of useful programs that may not work very well on Windows 7
or 8 (one of the main reasons is that development may have stopped).
For such programs, open their properties, select the compatibility tab and from there you can set the program to run in Windows 98, XP or Vista mode so that it runs without any issues.
For such programs, open their properties, select the compatibility tab and from there you can set the program to run in Windows 98, XP or Vista mode so that it runs without any issues.
