tectips
Latest Tips
One Window, Many Shortcuts!
May 7, 2013
Press CTRL ALT and DELETE at the same time to open the Windows Security Table quickly. From there you can access shortcuts to functions like Task Manager, Log Off and Shut Down.
Traveling Back
April 30, 2013
While in most Internet browsers, you can press the Backspace key on your keyboard to go back to your last page.
Search in Windows 8
April 23, 2013
To search for something on your PC while in Windows 8, press the Windows key and simultaneously start typing the name of what you are looking for.
New Browser Window
April 16, 2013
To open a link in a new browser Window: hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and click on the link.
Selecting "R"ead in Gmail
April 9, 2013
Press * and “R” simultaneously to select only read conversations in Gmail. Also, press * and “U” at the same time to select only unread conversations in Gmail.
Text Sizing
April 2, 2013
Press Ctrl and the + or – keys to increase or decrease the size of text on an Internet browser.
Windows 8 Apps
March 26, 2013
While in Windows 8, press the Alt button and the Tab button to easily cycle through open apps.
Chrome History
March 12, 2013
While in Google Chrome, press Ctrl + H at any time to have a new tab appear with your browser History.
Clear Formatting
March 5, 2013
While in Microsoft Word, remove the formatting of any text (perhaps copied and pasted from another location) by highlighting it and pressing 'Ctrl' and the spacebar.
Locate Your Edit
February 26, 2013
While in Microsoft Word, press Shift and F5 at the same time to locate the position of your last edit.
iPhone Email Feature
February 19, 2013
To easily insert a video or photo while writing an email on your iPhone, press any blank space in the message body until a small box appears. Then press the arrow to the right and select 'Insert Photo or Video.'
Shortcut to Shutdown
February 12, 2013
Install a one-click shutdown technique in Windows XP by: Right clicking on your desktop and chosing 'New.' Then, click 'Shortcut' and when prompted, type in "shutdown -s -t 00." Click 'Finish' and then you have installed a shortcut icon to shutdown your computer.
Pinning to Taskbar
February 5, 2013
Any program can be pinned to the Taskbar for easier access.To pin a program to the Taskbar, right-click on the program or shortcut icon and choose the 'Pin to Taskbar' option. Alternatively, you can also drag the icon to the Taskbar.
Zooming With Your Mouse
January 29, 2013
To zoom in and out on a web page, word document, excel spreadsheet, etc. hold down the Ctrl key while scrolling your mouse wheel up (to zoom in) and down (to zoom out).
Internet Keyboard Navigation
January 22, 2013
When browsing the Internet, press the space bar to move the page down one page at a time. To move back up the page(s), press Shift and the Space bar at the same time.
Close Out Of Apps Completely
January 15, 2013
To close out a running app on your iPhone, double click the home button to reveal a tray of running apps at the bottom of the screen. Hold down on an app until it begins to 'shake,' then press the small "X" to close out of the app completely.
Working Quickly While In Excel
January 8, 2013
While in Microsoft Excel, press Ctrl + PgUp and Ctrl + PgDown to quickly move from one worksheet to another using the keyboard. You use Ctrl + PgUp to move toward the first worksheet in the workbook, and Ctrl + PgDown to move toward the last.
Make An Appointment Quicker
December 18, 2012
While in Microsoft Office, press CTRL, SHIFT and the letter 'A' as a shortcut to making an appointment.
Add A Watermark To A Word Doc.
December 11, 2012
While in Microsoft Word 2007/2010, select the "Page Layout" Tab from the top menu. In the "Page Background" group, select "Watermark." Now you can now select a pre-defined watermark, or customize your own by selecting "Custom Watermark" at the bottom.
Print Screen
December 4, 2012
To have a picture of your current screen while on a desk top, press the Print Screen button on your keyboard to save the image to your Clipboard.
"S"tarring Messages in Gmail
November 27, 2012
In Gmail, press “S” to star a specific conversation. Press * and “S” simultaneously to select only starred conversations or press * and “T” at the same time to select only unstarred conversations.
Have Siri Get To Know You
November 19, 2012
If you have the iPhone 4S or 5: Tell Siri about who is who in your life, such as “Erin is my wife” or “Rick is my dad.” Then you can say “Text my wife” or “Call dad” and Siri knows who you mean. Also, be sure to enter your home and work addresses in Contacts. That way, Siri can remind you to do things when you leave or arrive at either place.
Moving Windows From Monitor to Monitor
November 13, 2012
If working with multiple monitors in Windows 7, press the Windows button along with the Shift button and either the Left or Right arrow key to move your selected Window to the other monitor. The Window will remain in the same relative location, but on the other monitor!
Editing Your Droid's Dictionary
November 6, 2012
Edit Android's custom dictionary to include your name and other proper nouns. That way, they'll pop up in the auto-complete list as you type. Look under Language and keyboard settings in System Settings to get started.
Uses for 'Home'
October 30, 2012
While in a document, press 'Home' to go to the beginning of the current line. Press Ctrl and 'Home' at the same time to go to the beginning of the document.
A Trick for Dual Viewing
October 23, 2012
While in Windows 7, snap an active window to the side of the desktop using the keyboard by pressing either Windows logo key +Left Arrow or Windows logo key +Right Arrow. Apply the same process with another active Window for dual viewing.
Passcode Lock
October 16, 2012
For the latest iPhones and iPads, there is a trick to further secure your information. You can enable a feature that'll erase all the data on the device if someone inputs the incorrect passcode 10 times. Navigate to Settings > General > Passcode Lock > Erase Data.
Selecting All
October 2, 2012
While in Gmail, press * and “A” simultaneously to select all conversations. Then, press * and “N” at the same time to deselect all conversations in Gmail.While in Gmail, press * and “A” simultaneously to select all conversations. Then, press * and “N” at the same time to deselect all conversations in Gmail.
Droid One-Touch Dialing
September 25, 2012
To set-up one-touch dialing on your Droid: Hold your finger on an open space and select Shortcuts. Then, touch Direct dial and pick the person from your contact list. If one-touch texting is what you prefer, use the Direct message option instead.
Losing Battery?
September 18, 2012
If you experience bad battery performance, try turning off selected Location Services for specific apps on your smartphone. You don’t need to disable the apps all together, but having Location Services on will drain your battery faster.
Screenshot on iPhones
September 11, 2012
To take a picture of your screen on an iPhone, press and hold the Home button (circular button on the face of the phone) and press the Sleep/Wake button (at the top of the phone) at the same time. Your screen will flash and then the picture will appear in your Camera Roll.
Shortcut to Sub-folders View
September 4, 2012
Under My Documents (when in Folders View), press Num Lock and the Asterisk key on the numeric keypad (*) simultaneously to see all subfolders under the selected folder.
Shortcut to System Properties
August 27, 2012`
While in Windows, press the Windows key and Break at the same time to see the System Properties dialog box.
All Mail In Gmail
August 20, 2012
Press “G” and “A” at the same time to open All Mail while in Gmail.
Seeing the Properties
August 13, 2012
While within a folder, press Alt and Enter simultaneously to see the properties of the selected file.
Highlighting Data In Excel
August 6, 2012
While in Microsoft Excel, press Ctrl and Shift along with the relevant arrow key to highlight multiple cells quickly.
"L"abeling Your Email
July 30, 2012
Press “L” after you open an email in Gmail, to open the Labels dropdown list so you can apply a label to the conversation.
Quicker Editing While In Word
July 23, 2012
While in Microsoft Word, tap the left or right arrow keys while pressing the Ctrl key to jump to the beginning of the previous word (left arrow) or next word (right arrow) when editing text.
Clearing Browser History
July 16, 2012
While in Chrome or Internet Explorer, pressing CTRL SHIFT DEL simultaneously brings up a quick Delete History Window for quick clearing of Browser History and Data.
Contacts in Gmail
July 9, 2012
Press “G” and “C” simultaneously to open Contacts while in Gmail.
2 Scroll Bars In 1 Word Doc
July 2, 2012
Click on the small tab directly above the up scroll arrow in the top right corner of Microsoft Word to split your screen in half, with each section having its own scroll bar.
Trash That Email In Gmail
June 25, 2012
Press “#” to move the selected conversation to the Trash in Gmail.
To Maximize or To Minimize
June 18, 2012
Press F11 to maximize or minimize your web browser.
Top To Bottom In A Window
June 11, 2012
Press Home to get to the top of the active window. Press End to get to the bottom of the active window.
Searching For Something
June 4, 2012
Press Ctrl, the Windows key, and “F” all together to search for computers.
New Email In Gmail
May 29, 2012
After having turned on the keyboard shortcuts in Gmail (under general settings), press “C” to open a new message in Gmail.
Help In Windows
May 21, 2012
Press the Windows key and F1 simultaneously for help with Windows.
Refreshing Your Window in a Web Browser
May 14, 2012
Press F5 to refresh the current window.
Navigating in Microsoft Word
May 8, 2012
Press Ctrl and up arrow or down arrow simultaneously to get to the beginning or end of a paragraph in Microsoft Word.
"S"ave Your Work
April 30, 2012
Press Ctrl and “S” at the same time to save your work in Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, and PowerPoint.
"C" A New Message in Gmail
April 23, 2012
Press “Shift” and “C” simultaneously to open a new Gmail message in a new window.
My Computer "E"asy Access
April 16, 2012
Press the Windows key and “E” at the same time to open My Computer.
Text Selection From Middle to Beginning
December 5, 2011
When your cursor is in the middle of text, press Shift and Home simultaneously to select text from the cursor to the beginning of the line in Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Quick Scroll
November 28, 2011
Tap the Space bar to scroll down a web page one screen-length.
Application Key for Shortcuts
November 16, 2011
Press the Application key (key with picture of a cursor over a file) for shortcut menu options for the selected item.
F10 = Menu Bar
November 14, 2011
Press F10 to activate the Menu bar and select the option you want in whatever program you are currently in.
A Fast Start
November 9, 2011
Press Ctrl and Esc at the same time to open the Start menu.
One Step Screen Shot
November 7, 2011
If you want to capture exactly what is on your current screen, press the Print Screen key (top right corner on most keyboards). You can then paste this image by pressing Ctrl and “V” simultaneously or right-click "Paste" wherever you want.
Shortcut Options
November 2, 2011
Press Shift and F10 simultaneously for shortcut menu options for the selected item.
Fast Navigation Through Open Tabs
October 31, 2011
Press Alt and Esc at the same time to go through items in the order they were opened.
F4 = Address List
October 26, 2011
Press F4 in My Computer or Internet Explorer to display the address bar list.
Retrieve & Rename
October 24, 2011
Press F3 to search for a file or folder. Press F2 to rename the selected item.
Save Time Searching
October 19, 2011
When using search engines, put quotes around phrases that must be searched together to keep the engines from wasting your time with results based on individual words.
Easy Exit
October 17, 2011
Press Ctrl and “W” at the same time to close your active tab.
One Step Font Adjustment
October 11, 2011
Press Ctrl and the Plus or Minus key to increase or decrease font size on any web page (Command key + plus or minus key on Macs).
"T" for Tab
October 3, 2011
Press Ctrl and “T” at the same time to open a new online browsing tab in Internet Explorer.
Text Selection Made Easy
September 29, 2011
Press Shift and End simultaneously to select text from the cursor to the end of the line in Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Help is One Key Away
September 26, 2011
Press F1 if you need help in the program you are in.
"F"ind a File Fast
September 22, 2011
Press the Windows key and “F” at the same time to search for a file, regardless of the program you are currently in.
"B" is for Bookmark
September 19, 2011
Press Ctrl and “B” at the same time in Internet Explorer and Firefox Web browsers to access and organize your bookmarks and favorites.
One Step Repeat
September 15, 2011
Press Ctrl and “Y” at the same time to repeat the last action in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
A Faster "Alt"ernative
September 12, 2011
Press Alt and Tab simultaneously to switch from one open program to another. Press Alt and F4 simultaneously to close any program you are in.
A Faster "Alt"ernative
Search Faster!
September 8, 2011
Press Alt and “D” at the same time to highlight the web address bar and search a new site, instead of wasting time using your mouse.
Irene take down your Internet & Phones?
August 29, 2011
We have an option! Remote Call Forward (RCF) your main number to a cell phone by calling your Provider or CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier). Place a trouble ticket for the RCF request and tell them it is causing business interruption. If you can’t wait for Internet Services to be up, try to purchase a Clear.Com wireless router from a local Cell Phone Store and call TCG to walk your through the install. Other options exist if you have the right equipment on hand. Any questions or assistance, call TCG's Help Desk for outstanding support.
Improve your browsing techniques
August 18, 2011
Press Ctrl and “K” at the same time in Google Chrome to navigate your cursor to the Google search bar, so you can type in searches without taking your hands off the keyboard. Hitting the same sequence of keys in Internet Explorer will open another tab of the exact same website you are currently on. If you have numerous tabs open, the most recent site is the one that will be duplicated.
The Perfect Capitalization Combination
August 10, 2011
Press F3 and Shift simultaneously to capitalize the first letter of a lowercase word in Microsoft Word. The same combination capitalizes every letter of a word whose first letter is already capitalized. If the word is completely capitalized when F3 and Shift are pressed, then all letters change to lowercase.
The Perfect Capitalization Combination
Press F3 and Shift simultaneously to capitalize the first letter of a lowercase word in Microsoft Word. The same combination capitalizes every letter of a word whose first letter is already capitalized. If the word is completely capitalized when F3 and Shift are pressed, then all letters change to lowercase.
One Step Window Restore
August 8, 2011
Press the Windows key, Shift, and “M” all together to restore minimized windows.
Add a Favorite Fast
August 5, 2011
Press Ctrl and “D” at the same time to “add a favorite” or “bookmark” in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari Web browsers.
"M" is for Minimize
August 3, 2011
Press the Windows key and “M” simultaneously to minimize all windows.
Highlighting in Bulk
August 1, 2011
Press Ctrl and “A” at the same time to highlight an entire document or web page instead of using the mouse cursor to do so manually.
A Faster Way to Surf the Web
July 29, 2011
Press Ctrl and Enter simultaneously after typing a web address to add the “www.” and “.com.” Press Shift and Enter for “.net” and Ctrl, Shift, Enter for “.org.”
Google Search Made Easy
July 27, 2011
If you highlight a word or a phrase on a site in Firefox or Safari Web browsers and then right-click, you can search the selected text on Google without having to open a new window to type in the search.
One Click Faster
July 22, 2011
Sick of clicking twice to open files? Click Start then My Computer. Under the Tools menu, select Folder Options. Make sure you are under the General tab. You can then select the option to “single click to open an item (point to select).” After confirming the change by pressing OK you will be one click faster.
Your Desktop is Closer Than You Think
July 20, 2011
Hide all open windows, returning to the desktop, with one keystroke: hit the Windows key and “D” simultaneously in Windows or press F11 on Macs.
Web Navigation Made Easy
July 18, 2011
Press Alt and the left arrow at the same time to get back to a previous website when surfing the Web in Internet Explorer or Firefox. If you do this and then decide you want to return to your current site, press Alt and the right arrow simultaneously.
"L" is for Lock
July 15, 2011
Press the Windows key and “L” at the same time to lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.
Google > 411
July 12, 2011
Instead of paying for 411 listing information, text questions to Google at 466453. Google will text back with helpful answers. For example, if you text “pizza 01760” Google will text back a list of phone numbers and addresses for pizza restaurants in the Natick, Massachusetts area. This service can also be used to check stock quotes, sports scores, flight times, and business listings.
System Restore
February 22, 2011
Did you know the built in system restore feature can save you time and money? If you suddenly experience problems with your machine such as poor performance or an infection you should try to restore to a previous date before anything else. The process only takes about 15-30 minutes and might be able to get your PC back up and running properly without the time and expense of a full cleaning.
Contact TCG Today to find out how this works and what you can do to protect yourself and save money doing it...
Chris Ellis
Help Desk
Contact TCG Today to find out how this works and what you can do to protect yourself and save money doing it...
Chris Ellis
Help Desk
Over 1.2 million websites found to be infected by malware
January 14, 2011
Malicious websites that spread malware are growing in number, according to a new study by security research firm Dasient.
Dasient, a company specializing in combating malware on websites, has released a new report claiming that over 1.2 million websites were found to be infected by malware in the third quarter of 2009, more than double the number during same period last year.
These infected websites are especially dangerous since, unlike other forms of malware vectors, they don’t require the user to click on a link or open an attachment. They infect users through “drive-by-downloads” or by just visiting the infected website. Hackers take advantage of the dynamic and interactive features of today’s modern websites and social networking sites to deliver their payload.
URGENT: Anti-Virus Software Update
December 2, 2010
It’s just been reported that some computers are unable to reboot after the most recent AVG 2011 update, version 3292. We recommend NOT REBOOTING/ SHUTTING DOWN machines that have this anti-virus software installed on them as you might experience the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).
Why Should I Have a Disaster Recovery Plan?
December 1, 2010
IT disaster recovery isn’t one of the sexiest topics to talk about. But, if your hard drive has ever crashed you are painfully aware of the consequence of not having an up-to-date backup and disaster recovery system. Beyond these dramatic examples are numerousother factors to consider when assessing the safety of your most important corporate asset. Here are 3 lesser known reasons why you should establish an effective disaster recovery plan:
What if you lost everything?
Why Should I Have a Disaster Recovery Plan?
IT disaster recovery isn’t one of the sexiest topics to talk about. But, if your hard drive has ever crashed you are painfully aware of the consequence of not having an up-to-date backup and disaster recovery system. Beyond these dramatic examples are numerousother factors to consider when assessing the safety of your most important corporate asset. Here are 3 lesser known reasons why you should establish an effective disaster recovery plan:
