More Tricks and Treats (Issue 60) by Tiamari

More Tricks and Treats

I covered some of my favourite tips in Issue 56. Here’s a few more:

Delete an Entire word instantly

Instead of deleting a single letter, pressing CTRL + BACKSPACE will delete the entire word behind the cursor. This makes deleting text quicker while you are typing. You could also double-click a word to select it, and press DEL or BACKSPACE.

Sub and Superscript

To avoid using the mouse, press CTRL + = for subscript and CTRL + = for superscript before you type the character. Press it again afterwards to exit sub- or superscript mode before you continue typing.

System Information Window

To view the system information window, press Windows + Pause/Break. This is so much quicker than digging it out the traditional way, especially on Windows 8. (On certain laptop keyboards the Pause button is also the SHIFT button and has to be used together with the Function (Fn) button.)

Private Browsing

I am sure there is no need to expand on the benefits of occasionally not having cookies and history saved. Pressing CTRL + Shift + N will launch a new private in Chrome, CTRL + Shift + P will do it in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Rename a File

Right-clicking and selecting rename is not very efficient. Instead, simply press F2 while a file is selected to change its name. To alter the name of another file, type TAB without deselecting the current file.

Lock your Computer

Have you ever found a friend or colleague’s computer open on Facebook and posted things just for fun? Don’t let that happen to YOU! Windows + L will lock your system right away, requiring a password (if you've set one) to log in again.

VLC: Fix un-synced Audio and Subtitles

In the popular media player VLC, if the audio loses sync with the video or subtitles, there is an easy way to fix this. Simply pressing J or K will move the audio forward or backwards. Similarly, to sync the subtitles you can press H or G.

Print to PDF

If you need to save a copy of a web page and you have trouble doing so in the conventional way, “print” it to PDF. There are several programs that can do just that - PrimoPDF is a great option and can be downloaded free. It acts as a virtual printer and the PDF document will retain all the links. Any document can be changed to PDF this way. (Unlike Word and Excel, Browsers do not usually have the option to save as PDF)

I hope you enjoyed these tips! Drop me a mail anytime at tiamari.com@gmail.com

Happy Clicking!