KEY BOARD TRICKS

there are little tips and tricks that you've probably never heard of,we begin with Windows keyboard shortcuts!

Back when Windows Vista was all the rage, it debuted a feature called Flip 3D. It's a neat window switcher that displays the currently open windows as a 3-dimensional stack of windows that you sort through, one by one. Well, it's still with us on Windows 7: Try it now by hitting Win+Tab.

• Windows Key+L -- locks the computer! BLAM! It's really fast and probably the best (and most secure) way to quickly clear your screen of anything offensive.
• Windows Key+D -- shows your desktop. Hit Windows Key+D again to bring the windows back! Another great way to hide whatever you're up to -- or maybe you just want to declutter your workspace.
• Windows Key -- pops up the Start Menu. It also focuses the 'instant search/run' box, so you can start typing immediately. Type the name of an application and press enter! Windows Key+R is the same thing but without the as-you-type search.
• Windows Key+Number (0 through 9) -- opens the program pinned to your Superbar/taskbar as indicated by the number. Windows Key+1 would be the first icon on your taskbar... +5 the fifth, and so on. If the program is already open, you switch focus to that window. Shift+Windows Key+Number opens a new instance of the pinned program.
• Windows Key+Tab -- a pretty, Aero Flip version of Alt+Tab. Cycle through your open applications in 3D! This can be quite slow on laptops or older PCs.
• Windows Key+Shift+Left Arrow -- on multi-monitor setups, this moves your current window to the left-hand screen. +Right Arrow would move it to the right. If you only have two screens it doesn't matter which combo you use.

Note: these shortcuts all work with Windows 7; most of them work with Vista -- and only some work with XP and earlier.

Kinda Cool Keyboard Shortcuts
This last section is dedicated to the shortcuts that no one really knows about. These are fairly obscure, and in some cases completely useless, but who knows: maybe you'll find something useful!

• Ctrl+Shift+Left Click -- use this on a Superbar or Start Menu item to run it as an administrator. One of the many ways to combat UAC annoyances...!
• Hold Shift -- if you hold Shift after putting a CD into your computer it will stop it from Auto Running (this one goes way back to Windows 95!)
• Ctrl+Shift -- switches between keyboard layouts. Usually you'll change keyboard layout without noticing... now you know the shortcut to change it back! (Or just uninstall the other keyboard layouts -- that's what I do)
• Left Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen (PrtScrn) -- changes Windows to 'high contrast' settings. Good for Web sites that all 'fade into grey' -- or for older people with weaker eyes!
• Ctrl+Shift+Esc -- opens the Task Manager. No, you don't have to access it via Ctrl+Alt+Del!
• Ctrl+Alt+Del -- yes... this one reboots your computer. Surprising how rarely you have to hit it nowadays, eh?
• Windows Key, Right, Right -- no, not a cheat code! This brings you to the Log Off/Shut Down/Sleep menu.
• Ctrl+Right Arrow (or Left Arrow) -- when word processing, this moves the cursor one word to the left or right. Much faster than simply 'holding down the arrow key'. If you hold down Shift you also select the text as you go; very cool.
• Home and End (Page Up, Page Down, etc.) -- the whole 'block' to the right of the Enter key are actually used for moving around documents and pages. Home takes you to the start of a line; End... to the end. Hold Shift to select text as you go.