More Tips For Windows 7
So I been Messing Around With Windows 7 and Created a list of new things for people that don't know much about windows 7.
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<p><b>Minimize (Almost) All Windows:</b> <b>Win + Home</b><br />
<p>This combo lets you send all open windows packing--except the one that's currently active. Sure beats clicking Minimize on a bunch of individual windows. When you tap the shortcut a second time, it restores all previously open windows.<br />
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<p><b>Make Windows Transparent: Win + Space</b><br />
<p>This is the keyboard equivalent of mousing over the transparency tool in the right corner of the System Tray--great for those times when you need to something on the desktop (like a gadget) but don't want to minimize all your windows. After tapping <i>Win-Space</i>, your windows will stay see-through until you let go of the Windows key.<br />
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<p><b>Quick-Launch Taskbar Apps: Win + (1-9)</b><br />
<p>As you know, Windows 7 makes it a snap to "pin" frequently used programs to the taskbar. But did you also know that these programs are automatically assigned a number and corresponding Windows-key shortcut? Just press <i>Windows-1</i> to launch the first pinned program (the one closest to the Start button), <i>Windows-2</i> to launch the next one, and so on. Fastest app-launching known to man! Except, of course, for this...<br />
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<p><b>Quick-Launch Any App: Hotkey</b><br />
<p>Like Vista before it, Windows 7 lets you assign a quick-launch hotkey to any installed program. Just right-click the program's icon, choose <i>Properties</i>, and then click the <i>Shortcut</i> tab. Click once in the <i>Shortcut key field</i>, then press the hotkey combo you want to assign (<i>Ctrl-Shift-H</i>, for instance). Click <i>OK</i> and you're done! Assuming you have a good memory, app launching doesn't get any faster than this.<br />
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<p><b>Dock Active Windows: Win + Left or Right Arrow</b><br />
<p>A great shortcut for users with widescreen monitors, this combo docks the active window to the left or right half of the screen (depending on which arrow you tap), at the same time maximizing it top-to-bottom.<br />
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<p><b>Magnify Your View: Win + (+)</b><br />
<p>Windows 7's built-in magnifier lets you zoom in wherever you place your cursor. Just tap <i>Win-plus</i> (that's the Windows key and the plus key) to enable the magnifier and set a 200% zoom level. When you mouse to any edge of the screen, your view scrolls accordingly. The more you tap the keys, the higher the zoom. Of course, you can just as easily zoom out again with <i>Win-minus</i>.<br />
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<p><b>Open Presentation Settings: Win + P</b><br />
<p>Good news for business users constantly struggling to get Windows to cooperate with<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/products/home_theater/projectors.html">projectors</a>: A quick tap of <i>Win-P</i> activates a monitor-settings panel. Click <i>Duplicate</i> or <i>Projector only</i> to send your display to the big screen, or <i>Extend</i> if you've connected a second monitor and want extra screen real estate.<br />
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<p><b>Create a New Folder: Ctrl + Shift + N</b><br />
<p>Forget the old way of creating new folders. In Windows 7, all it takes is a tap of <i>Ctrl-Shift-N</i>. This works in any open Explorer window, but also on the desktop. After the new folder appears, just type in a name as usual and hit <i>Enter</i>.<br />
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<p><b>Bring Gadgets to the Fore: Win + G</b><br />
<p>Now that Windows' gadgets are no longer relegated to the Sidebar, they're free to sit anywhere on your desktop. Of course, that means they can get obscured by other windows. As you now know, a tap of <i>Win-Space</i> makes those windows temporarily see-through, but what if you want to put the gadgets on <i>top</i> of your windows? No problem: Just tap <i>Win-G</i>.<br /></span>
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