The Network Bible

Chapter 3: Windows Tips and Tricks

Home Page Logging on Start bar Search tool Creating your own Jumplist Windows Gadgets Windows Key shortcuts Adding a folder to Favourites Docking Windows Pinning a program to the taskbar Customising your desktop

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1. Logging on
The process of logging on to a Windows 7 staff laptop has changed. On XP it was necessary to change the drop-down box to log in to This Computer when working at home, now the process is the same, whether you are at work or at home; it is simply a case of entering your username and password. This new process relies on you using your laptop in school regularly. Files that you have created on your laptop are transparently copied to the server and can be included in our backup. Files that are created on the school PCs should be quietly synchronized to your laptop with no interaction on your behalf.

2. Start bar Search tool

If you click on the start button icon:

This screen appears. This is the start bar and allows you to search for programs / files. The programs that your computer is loaded up with can be found on the menu, e.g. Calculator. You will also find shortcuts to your Documents, Pictures, etc. along the right hand menu.

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However, a really important tip is the Search programs and files function. This search function allows you to find any files you may have created / saved and programs you want to use. For example:

I want to revise waves with the Year 10s and have information saved somewhere but I cant remember where. All I do is type waves into the search function and this appears:

Anything that matches waves in my documents, pictures, e-mail and files appears. I can then select what I want. This tip is both useful but also time saving!

3. Creating your own Jumplist

The Jumplist is a feature that groups your recently/regularly accessed files by application.

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Generally, regularly accessed applications are added automatically to the start bar, but you may wish to customise what applications are featured in the Start menu. To add a program to the Start menu: a. Open the Start menu, go to All programs. Locate and right click on the application that you wish to add to the Jumplist.

b. c.

Highlight and select Pin to Start Menu. Thats it! The application is now pinned to the Jumplist and by hovering over it you can see a list of all recently opened files related to that application.

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4. Windows Gadgets
Then the names of all the other things on board a ship! I dont know half of them yet; even the sailors forget at times, and if the exact name of anything they want happens to slip from their memory, they call it a chicken-fixing, or a gadjet, or a gill-guy, or a timmey-noggy, or a wim-wom.
Robert Brown: Spunyarn and Spindrift, A sailor boys log of a voyage out and home in a China tea-clipper, 1886

Windows Gadgets are designed to be small, lightweight tools that extend the functionality of the desktop. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can perform a plethora of tasks. The example below demonstrates how to add a specific Gadget, but it may prove fruitful to look into other gadgets more suited towards your individual needs.

a.

Right click on an available area of the desktop. In the menu that appears, select Gadgets.

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b. c.

Click on Get more gadgets online On the website that opens, click on Get more desktop gadgets

d.

Here you can peruse a huge selection of user created Gadgets. In this instance we are going to install a Wikipedia Gadget. In the search box at the top of the page, enter wiki and press return.

e.

Find the Wikipedia by Orange Gadget, and click Download, then Install and then Open on the dialogue boxes that follow.

f.

More dialogue boxes Run then Install.

g.

Voila!

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h.

Another nice gadget is the Stickynotes that come with Windows 7. To create a

Stickynote go to Start, and in the text box type stikynot (without the quotation marks).

5. Using the Windows key shortcuts and tricks available on Windows 7

a. Windows logo / Tab
This trick allows you to scroll through all the windows you have opened to allow a seamless (and pretty funky!) transition between programs in lessons. It looks like this:

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By holding the Windows logo button between all programs you have open.

and the Tab button

you can scroll

b. Windows logo and G button

By holding the Windows logo button and the G button on your computer, the gadgets you have will appear in front of the other windows you have open. For example:

I was working on this document, wanted to check it was still sunny outside (!) and brought my gadgets to the front of the windows.

c. Windows Logo and the plus key (+)

This allows you to zoom into something you may want to get closer to. For example:
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By zooming in, I can magnify using the + and button

The magnifying glass comes up and I can move around

By pressing the Windows Logo and minus key, I can zoom out where appropriate.

d. Windows Logo and Up (Maximize the current window) and Windows Logo and Down (Minimize the current window)
By pressing the Windows logo button and the Up and Down arrows, I can either maximize or minimize the current window open. Please note, the window must be open to use this trick. For example at the moment, the Word window is up, so if I now press the windows logo button and the down arrow, I can minimize this window. This screen appears:

The current window has been minimized

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If I now press the windows logo button and the up arrow, I can maximize the screen again. The current view reappears:

Back to full screen

e. Windows Logo and Left (Snap to the left hand side of the screen) and Windows Logo and Right (Snap to the right hand side of the screen)
By pressing the Windows logo button and the left and right arrows, you can snap your current window to the left and right of the screen. For example: Windows and left arrow looks like this:

Windows and right arrow looks like this:

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Both my daughters get their moment!! You may want to get to something on the desktop and this trick is a nice shortcut instead of minimizing / closing down your current programs.

f. Windows Logo and Home button

This trick allows you to minimize / restore everything you may have open except the current window. It cleans up any programs you may have opened and not minimized BEHIND the current program you are working on. It saves time minimizing any open programs.

g. Windows and the P button

This allows you to seamlessly hook up to a projector in your teaching base. This screen appears:

You can now choose your preference from the options on screen.

h. Shake!
Finally, time to shake your windows! If you have a few programs on screen that you havent minimized, all you need to do is click on the program you want to keep by left clicking on the

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mouse and shaking the tool bar of the current program the rest are minimized behind the shaking program!

6. Adding a folder to favorites

The favorites folder is a key function to utilize. It allows you to access folders / programs you use regularly and as a result saves time but also allows you to move around your computer easily. By accessing my documents, I get the following screen:

My Favorites feature can be found here

One folder I use a lot is my School folder. Instead of clicking through 3 or 4 screens to get to my School folder, I can just add it to the Favorites feature. All I have to do is click on School and drag it to the Favorites section an icon which says create link in Favorites comes up.

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I am now creating a shortcut in Favorites to the folder I want. Drop it here and I now have a link to the resources in my School folder. This can be done for any folder you use regularly.
I now have a handy link to a well-used folder..

7. Docking Windows.
Quick pro tip! Windows 7 allows you to quickly organise your workspace by grabbing and forcibly moving the application window. There are key areas of the screen that windows will intuitively snap to.

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a.

Seize your window by the top blue bar!

b. Drag the window to the left of the screen A blue transparent rectangle should appear

c.

Release! The window will snap to the right of the screen

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d. The same happens on the other side of the screen, allowing you to line up documents

e.

The top of the screen maximises a document.

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8). Pinning a program to the taskbar

If you have been using Windows 7 after using Windows XP you may have noticed the QuickLaunch area is missing. If you hadnt, it was the area next to the Start Button that allowed you to store frequently used applications. Microsoft have removed the QuickLaunch tray, and now allow you to pin items to the Taskbar. The concept (and process) is identical to the one used for pinning applications to the Start Menu (described in detail earlier in Chapter 3 Creating your own Jumplists). Should you wish to pin an application to the Taskbar:

a. Either open the application or locate the application in the Start Menu

b. Right click and select Pin to Taskbar

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c. Finished! Your application is now available on the Taskbar.

9). Customising your desktop.

You can now tweak your profile so that it reflects your individuality! You may choose to change the way your Start Menu is displayed, change your mouse pointers or change your wallpaper. To get started: a. Right click on the desktop and select Personalize

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b. The screen that opens will allow you to make all of the previously mentioned changes and more! To change your background: i) ii) iii) Click on Desktop Background Select a Windows wallpaper or browse to a folder with a picture of your choice. By clicking on the heading of a group of images, all will be selected, and you can even opt to change your wallpaper at configured intervals. Pretty!

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