Boulder Computer Maven Newsletter - October 2009
Dear Friends,This is my customer newsletter, containing information that I hope you'll find interesting and helpful. This month's topic are Boulder Computer Maven Vacation Schedule, Free Antivirus Program from Microsoft, Windows 7 Release, and Keyboard Shortcuts.
Previous newsletters are available on the newsletters page of the Boulder Computer Maven web site.
If you change your E-mail address, please send me your new one. If you don't want to receive this newsletter, let me know, and I'll remove your name from my mailing list.
If you have questions or comments or want to schedule an appointment, please call me at 303-444-8247.
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd
Helping People Use Computers in Boulder for Over 25 Years
Boulder Computer Maven Vacation Schedule
Boulder Computer Maven will be closed for vacation from Wednesday, October 28 through Wednesday, November 11. I'll be happy to schedule appoinments with you before or after those dates.
Free Antivirus Program from Microsoft
Every computer needs an antivirus program, and Microsoft has just released a new one that's free for use on home computers. Microsoft Security Essentials is easy to install and use, updates itself automatically, and won't slow your computer down. A computer can only have one antivirus program, so un-install any other (Avast, AVG, Avira, McAfee, NOD32, Norton, Trend Micro, etc) first if you decide to install Microsoft Security Essentials.
Windows 7, the newest version of Microsoft Windows, will be available on new computers on October 22. If you've delayed buying a new computer because of what you've heard about Windows Vista, your wait will soon be over. Please see my July newsletter for more about Windows 7.
Keyboard shortcuts can make your computer easier to use. Many actions that you usually perform with the mouse can be done faster, with less effort, using keyboard shortcuts.
Most keyboard shortcuts involve pressing two keys at the same time. Here are some that work in Microsoft Word and many other programs:
Ctrl+A: select all
Ctrl+C: copy selected text
Ctrl+F: find text
Ctrl+P: print
Ctrl+S: save document
Ctrl+V: paste text
Ctrl+X: cut selected text
Ctrl+Z: undo an action
Ctrl+Left Arrow: move to start of previous word
Ctrl+Right Arrow: move to start of next word
Ctrl+HOME: move to top of document
Ctrl+END: move to bottom of document
These shortcuts make common Windows tasks easier:
Alt+F4: close current window
Alt+TAB: switch between open windows
Ctrl+ESC: open the Start menu
Ctrl+Shift+ESC: open Task Manager
Ctrl+R: refresh the active window
Shift+DEL: delete files permanently without moving them to Recycle Bin
Win+D: display the desktop
Win+E: open Windows Explorer
Here are some handy shortcuts for Internet Explorer:
Alt+HOME: go to home page
Alt+Left Arrow or Backspace: go to previous page
Alt+Right Arrow: go to next page
Ctrlt+Minus Sign: make text smaller
Ctrl+Plus Sign: make text larger
Ctrl+H: open History
Ctrl+I: open Favorites
Ctrl+N: open new window
Ctrl+Q: view thumbnails of all tabs
Ctrl+T: open new tab
Ctrl+W: close current tab
Ctrl+ENTER: add "www." to beginning and ".com" to end of text in Address bar
For details of these and many other keyboard shortcuts, see the Microsoft web pages for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Internet Explorer, Excel, and Word.