Top 20 shortcuts for taming Windows 7

Here's my top-20 list of must-know shortcuts; you'll never have to move your hands from the keyboard. I've included many keyboard shortcuts you might already be familiar with; skip down the list to see the ones you don't know.

Switch between open windows Alt + Tab
Minimize/restore all but active window Windows key + Home
Minimize all windows Windows key + M
Maximize window Windows key + up-arrow
Minimize/restore window Windows key + down-arrow
Make all windows transparent so you can see the desktop Windows key + spacebar
Dock window to left or right half of screen Windows key + left- or right-arrow
Zoom in/out
(In the default view, you must zoom in before zooming out.) Windows key + plus/minus sign
Lock screen Windows key + L
Open Run dialog Windows key + R
Open Search box Windows key + F
Open Windows Explorer to computer Windows key + E
Expand Folders view in Win Explorer to show where you are Control + Shift + E
Go up a level in Windows Explorer Alt + up-arrow
Choose display mode/switch monitors
(Especially useful for presenters or dual-monitor users) Windows key + P
Launch apps pinned to the Taskbar
(1 is the left-most app; Windows Key+T cycles through all apps.) Windows key + (number 1-9)
Cycle through Gadgets Windows key + G
Rotate a picture clockwise Control + period
Rotate a picture counterclockwise) Control + comma

iTunes - Tip to clean up missing songs

After consolidating your iTunes library you may find that many of the songs had the little exclamation mark icon that means "this file is not where it was when it was added to the library" because you'd made changes to your music folder for organization purposes. But iTunes offers no easy way to get rid of the files that have those errors.

To get rid of them edit all of the music files (select all in the music tab) in the Comment tag to "I exist." Then I made a custom playlist that found songs that did NOT have "I exist" as their comment. This created a list that contained all the missing files (because you can't change tags on files that don't exist). I selected all and shift+delete and deleted them from the library.

No more missing files.

Adobe Flash Update Automatically Installs McAfee Security Scan Plus

The Adobe updater periodically phones home and checks for software updates. The most recent Flash update also installs, by default, McAfee Security Scan Plus.

During the install you have the option not to install it but you have to select it manually.

McAfee Security Scan Plus isn’t good security software – it’s a marketing tool from MacAfee who want you to purchase their software, and should be considered AdWare.

Share you Calendar with anyone you specify

Tungle.me is a free Calendar service that works with Outlook, Gmail, iCal and more.

Once you've created an account you can choose to share calendars with specific people. Your calendar is only shared with the specific people you choose who also have an account Tungle.me.

This is a good option for small businesses who use basic pop e-mail but want a solution for a shared calendar.

www.tungle.me

Common PC Mysteries

Common PC Mysteries

Where did my downloaded files go? Why can't I find them? Your browser chooses where downloads go, but you can control the process.

Why doesn't my mobile phone / device charge when I connect it to my computer? Your PC's USB port doesn't supply enough juice--but you can still charge your iPad, gradually.

Why does a video play on my desktop but not my laptop? If a computer doesn't have the specific decoder for a video format, you can't watch the video. Get the right one.

My printer won't print, and Windows won't allow me to cancel or delete print jobs. What's going on? Usually this is the result of a communication problem between the PC and printer. Get them talking.

In a folder full of digital images, I often notice a file called Thumbs.db. What is it, and can I safely delete it? Thumbs.db is a Windows XP system file that contains the thumbnail cache for a particular folder. You can tweak Windows to get it out of your way.

Why does every digital camera--even the one on my smartphone--insist on storing photographs in a folder called DCIM? DCIM (for Digital Camera IMages) is the default directory structure for digital cameras--and having such a standard is very useful.

My Recycle Bin has disappeared. How do I go about restoring it? Whether it was a victim of a glitch or never available in the first place, you can follow a few simple directions to restore the Recycle Bin.

Why does Windows sometimes reboot without my permission, and how do I prevent that from happening? This problem relates to how Windows installs automatic updates. Fortunately, you can make some tweaks.

Where do all these mysterious Web browser toolbars come from, and how do I get rid of them? Sometimes spyware installs browser toolbars, and sometimes you do it accidentally during software installation.

How did I end up with QuickTime on my PC, and do I need to keep it? This media-playback software comes bundled with iTunes and installs along with it. I have Microsoft Word installed on my PC.

Why can't I open the .docx files my friend sent me? If you use Word 2003 or an earlier version of the program, all you need is the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.

Why won't Windows allow me to delete a certain file? If Windows refuses to delete a file or folder, some application or process is accessing it.

Why do some programs leave files and folders behind even after I've uninstalled them? Many programs' uninstallers are ineffective. Use a utility that removes not only the application but also all of the pieces it leaves behind.

Why do Adobe Reader and Java update so frequently? Do I have to allow it? Most Adobe and Java patches are made to plug security holes, so you should update them--or use alternative software.

Is it absolutely necessary to update Windows? You should apply Windows updates for security reasons, but you can take a few steps to cut down Windows' nagging.

Does it matter whether I ‘Safely Remove' devices? Absolutely: If you ignore Windows' requests to "Safely Remove" your storage media, you could end up with corrupted files, un­­readable media, or both.

Windows asks me if I want to enable Sticky Keys. What are they, and how should I use them? The Sticky Keys feature makes certain keyboard functions easier to access.

Why can't I send out a particular file attachment through e-mail? The file is probably too large. Check out free services that let you work around file-size restrictions.

How can I determine whether an unknown Website is safe to visit? Read our suggestions on figuring out whether a link is safe from malware or other threats before you click it.

What are the .dat files I sometimes receive in e-mail messages, and how do I open them? Microsoft Outlook uses a modified version of Rich Text Format to preserve fonts and the like, but it often causes problems for the recipient. We have three suggestions for coping.