Windows and PC shortcuts and tricks

Windows and PC shortcuts and tricks

1. ALT TAB keyboard shortcut.

2. Use CTRL ENTER keyboard shortcut to complete a DNS or URL.

3. How to ping a website.

4. How to close the last active window without using the mouse.

5. How to convert a Word file to Excel.

6. How to convert an Excel file to Word.

7. Other keyboard shortcuts.

1. How to switch windows faster when using Windows environment in your personal computer (PC), without using the mouse:

Please utilize the widely-used, well-known Alt Tab keyboard shortcut.

The Alt key reads thus: “Alt”, while the Tab key has two arrows, the upper arrow pointing left, and the lower arrow pointing right: ↹

Please, firstly press the Alt key, and while holding it down, press the Tab key.

This shortcut is used for switching between top-level Windows without using the mouse; hence it was named Task Switcher (in Windows Vista, its name is Flip). You may press the keys Alt Tab to alternate between the two most recent tasks or windows.

2. Use CTRL ENTER keyboard shortcut to complete a DNS* or URL**.

*domain name server     **uniform resource locator.

Let’s say you are at your favorite browser, and want to open http://www.birmingham.com

Well, you need to type only: birmingham then press the CTRL ENTER keys.

A note: this keyboard shortcut works only if the URL ends with “.com”, I think that if it ends with “.net” or “.org” or any other extension, it will not work.

3. How to ping a website.

A useful tip about how to ping a website:

a) Go to Start menu (on the lower left of your screen).

b) Click on "Start".

c) Click on “Run”.

d) Once the Run command window or dialog box has opened, type in the following word: command, OR simply type in three letters: cmd

e) Click OK.

f) An old D.O.S.* black window will appear.

         *Disk Operating System.

g) Now you are on the CMD.exe. Usually you will see the following: C:\Documents and Settings\admin>

h) In the last line (after the “>” symbol), type the following: ping www.anycompany.com

(Replace “anycompany” with the name of the website you want to ping; if needed, replace “.com” with “.net”, “.org”, et cetera.)

i) Press the “Enter” key.

j) The IP* address (in numerical form) of the website will appear. You are done.

*Internet Protocol. 

k) The sequence of digits is an IP address, and it is the equivalent to a URL.* You can type those numbers in the address line of your browser.

*Uniform Resource Locator.

l) For example, if you have typed after the last > symbol in the last line of your CMD.exe the following: ping www.m-w.com you will see/get something like this: 64.124.231.250 which is one of the number sequences belonging to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary websites.

m) If you type those numbers in the address line of your browser and press ENTER, the webpage corresponding to that IP address will open. It is as if you had typed www.m-w.com

n) Knowing the IP address (Internet Protocol address, which is a series of numbers in which each group between dots is always less than 256) and not just the DNS or URL can be useful for certain tasks; for example, to know the geographic location of the owner or guest of such IP address (in order to do this, you must go to Google and ask the following, for example: where is the owner of  64.124.231.250?, and open one or more ot the first links that will appear), or to block a website or a hacker so it/he/she no longer attacks your website, with virus, malware, et cetera.

What has been described in the last two lines of the above paragraph is something that only programmers, “good” hackers, geeks, and nerds can do... charging you an amount of money, of course.

4. How to close the last active window without using the mouse.

Just press the ALT  F4 keys.

5. How to convert a Word file to Excel.

Please go to:
http://www.timeatlas.com/5_minute_tips/general/converting_word_docs_to_excel#.UaD4aqJFDSs

Or perform a similar search in Google by typing the following in the search box: How to convert a Word file to Excel (or similar phrases), and follow/open the links.

6. How to convert an Excel file to Word.

Please go to:

http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Excel-to-Word

Or perform a similar search in Google by typing the following in the search box: How to convert an Excel file to Word (or similar phrases), and follow/open the links.

7. Other keyboard shortcuts.

In the Google search box, please type any of the following phrases, and voilà!:

you saved fifteen strokes other keyboard shortcuts

you saved strokes other shortcuts keyboard shortcuts.