Speedup Your Folder Browsing

You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing significantly:

1. Open My Computer
2. Click on Tools menu
3. Click on Folder Options
4. Click on the View tab.
5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
6. Click Apply
7. Click Ok
8. Reboot your computer

Computer Tricks - Shortcut Keys

A few great shortcut keys that are great computer tricks are:

• Hold the windows key and press M
  This will minimise all windows in one key press! This is the same as pressing the 'Show Desktop' icon but without having to click on it. It should be noted that Windows key + D also works for this!
  
• Hold the windows key and press L
  This will lock your workstation instantly. This means that if you are in a public place or a shared machine and go for a toilet break but do not wish for anyone to sneak a peak at what you are doing, or at worst steal your
  files, then this will take you back to the login screen instantly.Very handy indeed!
  
• Hold alt then press F4
  This is quite a common one but should be mentioned here anyway. This key press will close your current window. If your screen is getting cluttered you can go on a 'close rampage' by holding down the F4 key as well! Good times!
• Hold ctrl then press F4
  The junior brother of alt F4. Instead of closing the whole window this will close internal windows within the current program. For example if you have multiple windows open in one instance of Microsoft Word this will close them one at a time. The best part is this works for the tab browsing that has come in to play in recent browsers. The key press closes the active tab you are viewing! This is one of the best computer tricks I find when browsing as it is really effective for FireFox for closing tabs.
  
• Hold alt and press tab
  This will cycle between programs on your computer. This feature isn't that useful until you install this nice little Microsoft tool which will show a thumbnail of the program your about the switch to. If you don't wish to activate the selected program keep holding down alt and press tab again to cycle to the next one!
• Hold the windows key and press break
  A lesser known shortcut but still useful! This one will open the Syst
  em Properties dialog window which displays your RAM etc.
  

• Hold the windows key and press E
  This will open 'My Computer' in explorer style mode. This is very handy if you want to access your files and disk drives from anywhere without having to find the icon on the desktop or start menu.
• Custom Shortcut Keys!
  Another lesser known trick is setting up your own custom key presses. This works for a per-program basis. To setup a shortcut key to your favorite program first you need to right click on the shortcut icon you commonly use and then press on properties. Click on the Shortcut' tab and there will be a text field called 'Shortcut key'. Simply click in that and enter the key press you wish to use. Press OK and that key press is permanently associated with that program. This is very handy for many things such as opening word or opening your favorite game!

Understanding Your Operating System

It’s really not difficult to understand the concept of your operating system. When you consider that it is an integral part of your computer that makes it easier for you to use your system, understanding an operating system can be a simple thing.

Basically, your operating system is the main program on your computer. It is installed with the intent to make operating your computer easier and more user-friendly. Operating systems were developed with you, the user in mind, and make navigating a computer as well as all the programs on it possible for almost everyone – even small children.

Here are a variety of functions that your computer operating system performs:
* Determining what types of software you can install
* Coordinating the applications running on the computer at any given time
* Making sure that individual pieces of hardware, such as printers, keyboards, and disk drives, all communicate properly
* Allowing applications such as word processors, email clients, and web browsers, to perform tasks on the system (e.g., drawing windows on the screen, opening files, communicating on a network) and utilize other system resources (e.g., printers, disk drives)
* Reporting error messages
The OS also determines how you see information and perform tasks. Some operating systems utilize a graphical user interface (GUI), which presents information through pictures (icons, buttons, dialog boxes, etc.) as well as words. Other operating systems can rely solely on text.
Understanding an operating system isn’t crucial to operating your computer, but it can help you when choosing which type of operating system you’ll want on your computer. Most new computers come pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows, but there are a couple of other operating systems that can be installed on your computer. These include:

* Mac OS X – This operating system is used primarily on Apple Macintosh computers and is similar to Windows with its GUI (although the GUI does look different) and the way it operates.
* Linux – This is a UNIX based operating system that is relatively new to the mass computer market. This operating system is generally used by mainframe computers and servers, but it is growing in popularity for personal use as well.

Your operating system is the main software program on your computer made for ease of operating. While its not crucial for you to have a complete understanding of your operating system, it can help you when you are using your computer in the event anything should happen. When you have a basic understanding of your operating system, then you can take steps to correcting a problem.

Like this article? Understanding Your Operating System