Windows XP Shortcuts and Tips

Windows XP is an operating system introduced in 2001 by Microsoft. The "XP" in Windows XP stands for "eXPerience"

USE CTRL+ALT+DEL WITHOUT PUSHING ALL THE BUTTONS

For some people, pushing Ctrl, ALT and Delete (Ctrl+Alt+Del) at the same time can be an inconvenience, if not a complete impossibility. With Windows XP, there are two ways to get around this.First option: Configure the system so that you do not need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del at all during logon (assuming you're not using the Welcome screen, in which case this key combo is not required).

1. Open Control Panel then User Accounts.
2. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
3. Uncheck the Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Del checkbox under Secure Logon.

Second option: Configure XP's accessibility options so that "sticky keys" will be activated at the secure desktop: That way, you may "press" ALT, Ctrl, and DEL sequentially rather than simultaneously. You can turn that on via the Accessibility control panel. (Control Panel then Accessibility Options):

1. Bring up the Accessibility Control panel and navigate to the Keyboard tab.
2. Check Use Sticky keys.
3. Navigate to the General Tab.
4. Check Apply all settings to logon desktop.

USE THE MENU KEY TO INSTEAD OF RIGHT CLICKING:
Besides the Windows key, most keyboards have a Menu key, which mimics a right-click on your mouse. On most keyboards it is located on the right side of the keyboard between the windows key and the CTRL key.
1. Select My Computer on your desktop.
2. Press the Menu key on your keyboard. You will see a menu pop up, that is the same as if you right-clicked on My Computer.

MAKE FONTS SHARPER USING CLEARTYPE:
With Windows XP you can greatly improve their clarity, especially if you are using a LCD monitor. Microsoft's ClearType technology smooths all fonts of all sizes.

To enable ClearType:
1. Click Start, choose Control Panel, and then select Appearance and Themes.
2. Double-click the Display icon, then the Appearance tab, and then Effects.
3. Select ClearType from the list. Click under the Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts check box.
4. Click OK, and then click OK again. Your fonts should appear significantly sharper, smoother and clearer.

PLACE YOUR MOST USED PROGRAMS NEAR THE TOP OF THE START MENU:
You can place your favorite application that you frequently use at the top of the Start menu for easier access.

1. Right-click the link to your favorite program on the Start Menu and select Pin to Start Menu.
2. The program will be moved permanently to the top part of the list, just below your browser and e-mail programs.

CREATE A SHUTDOWN SHORTCUT:
You can create a desktop shortcut to quickly shutdown or restart your PC.
1. Right click an empty area of the desktop or folder where you wish to create the shortcut.
2. Click New then Shortcut.
3. For the location of the shortcut, enter
shutdown -s -t 01 for a shutdown command or
shutdown -r -t 01 for a restart
4. Click Next to and give your shortcut an appropriate name like Shutdown or Restart
5. Click Finish.

CAPTURE SCREENSHOTS:
Windows XP ships with a screen-capture utility that is attached to the PRINT SCREEN key on your keyboard. This is a handy utility if you want to take a picture of all or part of your screen.

Pressing the PRINT SCREEN key will capture the entire desktop to your clipboard, ready to be pasted int an application.

Pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN will grab only the currently active window on the desktop.

To use these captured images, you will need to open an image-editing program like Photoshop or MS Paint and paste the image into a new file using CTRL+V.

RENAME A SERIES OF FILES:
When you download photos from your digital camera, they often have unrecognizable names. You can rename several similar files at once with the following procedure. This also works for renaming other types of files.
1. Open the My Pictures folder. (Click Start, and then click My Pictures.) Or open another folder containing files that you want to rename.
2. Select the files you want to rename. If the files you want are not adjacent in the file list, press and hold CTRL, and then click each item to select it.
3. On the File menu, click Rename.
4. Type the new name, and then press ENTER.

All of the files in the series will be named in sequence using the new name you type. For example, if you type Birthday, the first will be named Birthday and subsequent files in the series will be named Birthday (1), Birthday (2), and so on. To specify the starting number for the series, type the starting number in parentheses after the new file name. The files in the series will be numbered in sequence starting with the number you type. For example, if you type Birthday (10), the other files will be named Birthday (11), Birthday (12), and so on.

ADD AN ITEM TO THE "SEND TO" MENU:
When you right-click on an item you will see the Send To menu. This menu allows you to send the item to a program, printer, or even e-mail it.
You can create a new shortcut on the Send To menu, for example, one that sends a file to a frequently-used folder. Here's how:
1. Open My Computer, and double-click the drive where Windows is installed, which is usually drive C.
2. Double-click the Documents and Settings folder, and then double-click the folder for a particular user, in this case it is probably your user name.
3. Double-click the Send To folder. The Send To folder is hidden by default. If it is hidden, click Tools, click Folder Options, and then click Show hidden files and folders.
4. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Shortcut.
5. Follow the instructions to create a shortcut to whatever application or folder you want to send the item to.

Now, when you right-click a file, and click Send To, the shortcut to the item you selected will be an option.

LOCK YOUR DESKTOP:

Press the Windows Key and the L key (WinKey+L) at the same time to lock the work station immediately.

Additionally, you can create a new shortcut with the following command line:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

Copy the new shortcut to your Quick Launch bar and you have one click access to locking the desktop.


HOW TO FIND MY IP ADDRESS:

Some time you need to know the IP address of your computer. This might happen if you are working with your Internet Service Provider troubleshooting a problem.

1. Click the Start menu and click Run.

2. Type cmd in the box and click OK. Another window appears.

3. Type "ipconfig /all" without the quotes. Your IP address is on the line labeled IP address.. in the listing.

4. Press Enter.

POINT EXPLORER TO ANY FOLDER/DRIVE YOU LIKE:

Create a shortcut for the Windows Explorer's properties, change the path and switches in the target:

C:\windows\explorer.exe /n,/e,c:\ to open Explorer in the root of c: drive

C:\windows\explorer.exe /n,/e,d:\ to open in the root of d: drive

C:\windows\explorer.exe /n,/e,c:\My Work\My Test\ to open Explorer in the root of c: drive

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