Calling all experts: Windows Tips and Tricks

[bartonc]

I've decide to compile a bunch of your favorite tips and tricks for the Articles section. I found a post yesterday by Chrisjc that is a perfect example. I copied his post over to create Dealing with USB flash drive issues.

Post your favorite tips and tricks here, in this thread, and I'll copy the best ones to a Tips and Tricks article (to be created soon).

I'll kick things off:

[ShadowLocke]

A must for every admin.

Unstopable combo: batch file/vbscript + psexec + nircmd = pwned.

You can do every administration task imaginable with the combination of these three tools.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896649.aspx

I dont know how I got by without nircmd!

[deric]

How about capturing a display (using printscreen) with the mouse cursor/pointer on it? c",)

[Colloid Snake]

Another fun one is when you are attempting to send a screenshot to someone, and don't want to send the whole desktop, you can capture the specific window by using Alt+Print Screen. That will capture only the window in focus, and useful when sending only an error message

@Ali - I did not say 'Ctrl + d' I said 'Windows key + d' . I'm not sure what Ctrl+d will do. ;-)

[MoodyCelt]

In addition, if, like me currently, you cannot get to the menu (start, etc), then to run a program, you can also do:
WIN key + R to get to the Start/Run command
or
WIN key + E to get to the My Computer Screen

Thanks

Larry

Hi everyone!

WIN key + D - To show the desktop and back.
WIN key + M - To minimise all the open windows
SHIFT + WIN key + M - To restore all the minimised windows

Then to change the name of folder, you can use ALT + 0160, where the 0160 are to typed on the NUM PAD not on the key pad. You can also type ALT + 0172, etc. to show several special characters in the folder/filename.
Here, You can use 0000 to 0255 (ASCII values).

PRNSCREEN - to copy the desktop or a window on it to the clipboard.
ALT + PRNSCREEN - to copy ONLY the active window on it to the clipboard.

This may help, to my knowledge!

[SilverHawk]

Hello every body

have you notised that theres a underlined key in every active button on a window which means a shortcut key for that button.As an example see the "FIle" button, letter F is underlined. In some windows you dont see this,so press Alt tab it will appears. By pressing underlined key + Alt tab you can select the specific button without using the mouse.

Excuse for mistakes.

[AmberJain]

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK 
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END 
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked 
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%== your password goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" 
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully 
goto End
:End

Well, this is a very bad choice for folder locker.
Because you don't even need password (in the batch file) to unlock folder. Simply right click the locked folder and select [rename] and then remove the text .{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} from the locked folder's name. Now you can access the contents of folder.

[gaurav92K]

Heres a neat one I found on accident:

FLIP YOUR SCREEN SIDEWAYS (Windows Vista)

CTRL + ALT + Right Arrow (or a different arrow)

But some Motherboards do not allow this tip.

[themadjester]

If you don't use the hibernate feature and it is enabled disabling it can free up significant space.To free up this space (equivilant to your memory) control panel -->power options --> hibernate ---> uncheck enable hibernate. The file were the hibernate data is stored is removed next startup I believe.

Was an easy 3 GB for me

Edit: for terrible grammar

[vikraminside]

Yep, it works. However, it wasn't absolutely clear, that the "Alt" button was meant. I guess, some people created folders called "Alt+0160". ^^

By the way, the ANSI symbol #160 (which is exactly what this command creates) is a protected Space (so if you write something like "800 km", the line can't be broken between the "800" and the "km").

Greetings,
Nepomuk

************************************************** ********
The standard even Microsoft follows for special shorcut keys combination is
"SplKey+alphanumericKey". eg: "Ctrl+c" means Press control key in combination with 'C' character key. Therefore it is assumed for non-beginners.

Question:
Can anyone please say how to search these folders? Difficult right? Is it possible to search in command prompt?

TIP:
Years before while I was attending a brainbench examination a question was asked "How to Copy the active windows contents?". The solution is "Alt+Prtsrc" combination keys. Press Alt button along with Printscreen button. This works even now. :)

[myusernotyours]

Hi , here is a tricks

you can make your folder without a name,
here it is ,
creat a new folder, now write in the folder name "Alt + 0160". If you want to make another folder write it twice, "Alt+0160" then again "Alt + 0160 ". If you make another folder write it down thrice .
In this way you can make a folder without a name, Thats it
now try it

monirul

This doesn't work on my laptop. I figured that even on my desktop, it only works if I use the num pad. and a laptop doesnt have a num pad. Any one knows why???

Regards,

Alex.

[Plater]

This doesn't work on my laptop. I figured that even on my desktop, it only works if I use the num pad. and a laptop doesnt have a num pad. Any one knows why???

Regards,

Alex.

Why a laptop doesn't have a numpad? It's not really needed and its valuable space for when they want to make laptops smaller.

[Nepomuk]

...and a laptop doesnt have a num pad. Any one knows why???

A lot of (most of?) Laptops don't have a actual numpad, but they do have a "Special-Function-Button" (on my acer it's called Fn), with which you can use other buttons (in my case: Fn+m => 0, Fn+j => 1, Fn+u => u, Fn+p => *,...) as a numpad. Of course, you can always buy a separate numpad.

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[Studlyami]

If you don't have a num pad you can use the character map program (in xp go to start->all programs->accessories->system tools->character map). In the character map find the space character and click on it then click the copy button. Now go to the folder you want to be blank and when you go to rename it just paste the blank character as the name.

[myusernotyours]

Why a laptop doesn't have a numpad? It's not really needed and its valuable space for when they want to make laptops smaller.

No. Not why a laptop doesn't have a num pad -thats pretty clear, but why the protected space thing doesn't work with the other keys (0-9).

Rgds

Alex.

[Plater]

I think they don't actually show up like a numpad, i think they just show up the same as your regular 0-9 keys on the top row, they just "put them in a different place"

[epots9]

for those who like to use the hibernate feature but hate having to press the shift key

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\shutdown]
"showHibernateButton"=dword:00000001
 

[thelonelyghost]

Heres a neat one I found on accident:

FLIP YOUR SCREEN SIDEWAYS (Windows Vista)

CTRL + ALT + Right Arrow (or a different arrow)

Are you sure that is not just a feature of your video card? (ATI is pretty fond of that behavior)

I have an Intel machine and it seems to work just fine with this. For those who get stuck, "Ctrl + Alt + Up" is the way to get your screen back to normal.

@Ali - I did not say 'Ctrl + d' I said 'Windows key + d' . I'm not sure what Ctrl+d will do. ;-)

"Ctrl + D" is the hotkey to save the page as a bookmark/favorite (terminology depends on if you use firefox or IE)

I think they don't actually show up like a numpad, i think they just show up the same as your regular 0-9 keys on the top row, they just "put them in a different place"

No, it isn't that they put them in a different place. I've thought that too. I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop and it only works if I hold Alt+Fn+<numbers>. The numbers are in a specific area, i.e. 1, 2, and 3 replace the "J", "K", and "L" keys respectively.

[matheussousuke]

I wonder when Microsoft is going to make a Windows Version that is not full of bugs.

[Sankung]

Recently I recovered my lost password,so excited.
https://www.winpwd.com/
And found other Windows tips,such as.
Always On Top Maker allows you to set windows as always on top.
Ultra PDF Editor allows you to view and annotate PDF files and all Windows devices.
http://www.compuclever.com/products/ultra-pdf-viewer/
Microsoft Office Online allows you to create and edit files using lightweight Microsoft Office web apps
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/office.aspx