Lesser-Known Computer Tricks for Enhanced Efficiency

Numerous lesser-known computer tricks can be quite handy. Here are a few that might prove useful:

Virtual Desktops: On Windows 10 and macOS, you can create and manage multiple virtual desktops. This can help you organize your work by separating different tasks or projects onto different desktops.

Clipboard History: Windows 10 has a clipboard history feature that allows you to store multiple items in your clipboard. Press Windows key + V to access it.

Hidden Game in Microsoft Excel: In Excel 2000, there’s a hidden flight simulator game. Open a new Excel sheet, press F5, type “X97:L97” and press Enter, then press the Tab key, hold Ctrl + Shift, and click the chart wizard button. Enjoy the flight simulator!

Quick Calculator: On macOS, Spotlight (Cmd + Space) can be used as a quick calculator. Type in a simple math equation and get the result without opening a separate calculator app.

lesser-known computer tricks
photo: Pixabay

Middle-Click Scrolling: If you have a three-button mouse, you can often use the middle button to scroll by clicking it and then moving your mouse up or down. This can be much faster than using the scroll wheel.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Web Browsing: In most web browsers, you can use Ctrl + Tab to cycle through open tabs, and Ctrl + Shift + Tab to cycle in reverse. Also, pressing Ctrl + Enter automatically adds “www.” and “.com” to the text in the address bar.

Rename Multiple Files at Once: On Windows, you can select multiple files, press F2 to rename the first one, and the rest will follow with a sequential numbering.

Hidden Chrome Dinosaur Game: When you’re offline and try to visit a webpage in Google Chrome, you can press the spacebar to start a hidden dinosaur-themed game.

Screenshots with Annotations: On macOS, pressing Shift + Command + 4 followed by the Spacebar allows you to take screenshots of individual windows. You can also hold the Control key while taking a screenshot to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file.

YouTube Keyboard Shortcuts: While watching a YouTube video, you can use “K” to pause/play, “J” to rewind 10 seconds, and “L” to fast-forward 10 seconds.

Search Within a Website: On Google Chrome, you can type the website’s name followed by a space in the address bar, then your search term, and it will perform a Google search within that website.

Hidden Context Menu Items: Holding down the Shift key while right-clicking on a file or folder in Windows can reveal additional context menu options.

Emojis on Windows: Press Win + period (.) or Win + semicolon (;) to bring up the emoji picker on Windows.

Calculator Conversations: On some versions of Windows, you can type “4 + 4” or similar calculations into the search bar to see a little calculator widget.

Swiftly minimize all windows: Pressing the Windows key + M simultaneously will instantly minimize all open windows.

Capture a specific screen area: Use the Windows key + Shift + S combination to launch the Snipping Tool, enabling you to select and capture a precise region of your screen.

Launch a fresh program instance: Hold down the Shift key while clicking the program’s icon on the taskbar to initiate a new instance of the program.

Effortlessly switch between open windows: By pressing and holding the Alt key while tapping the Tab key, you can smoothly cycle through your open windows.

Zoom in and out of web pages: Employ the Ctrl key along with your mouse wheel to seamlessly zoom in or out of web pages.

Rename multiple files in one go: Simply select the desired files, right-click, and choose “Rename.” Input the new name, press Enter, and watch as all selected files adopt the new name along with consecutive numbers.

Utilize keyboard shortcuts for efficient navigation: An array of keyboard shortcuts can significantly expedite computer navigation. For instance, Ctrl + C for copying, Ctrl + V for pasting, and Ctrl + Z for undoing actions.

Remember, the availability of these computer tricks might vary depending on your operating system and software versions. Always exercise caution and ensure that any tricks you try won’t harm your system or data. I trust you’ll discover these tricks to be beneficial!