Control Panel in Windows 7 is more compact and intuitive with categorized actions (options). But for some users this compact way means some additional unnecessary clicks. This is why a more classic view (more like that in Windows XP) is more practical. To change the Control Panel view you have to:
1. Go to Control Panel. Click on Start icon and type “Control Panel” and hit enter or just click on your Control Panel option.
2. Change view from the “View by” option in the top right of the window. Change it from Category to Large all Small icons.
One of the most common icon you can see on desktop is the “Recycle Bin” icon. It’s very handy to have it on Desktop just because the files you delete can still be find in Recycle Bin. This means that you may find it very useful when you want to restore your files or clear some space on your Hard Drive. If you don’t have this icon on your desktop than you can follow this steps to add it back:
1. Right click on desktop and choose the last option “Personalize”
2. A new windows appears. Click on “Change Desktop icons” link from the top-left side of the window.
Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
Shift+Delete
Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
F2
Rename the selected item
Ctrl+Right Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
Ctrl+Left Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
Ctrl+Down Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
Ctrl+Up Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key
Select a block of text
Shift with any arrow key
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
Ctrl with any arrow key+Spacebar
Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
Ctrl+A
Select all items in a document or window
F3
Search for a file or folder
Alt+Enter
Display properties for the selected item
Alt+F4
Close the active item, or exit the active program
Alt+Spacebar
Open the shortcut menu for the active window
Ctrl+F4
Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
Alt+Tab
Switch between open items
Ctrl+Alt+Tab
Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
Ctrl+Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size of icons on the desktop
Windows logo key +Tab
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D
Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab
Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D
Alt+Esc
Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
F6
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F4
Display the address bar list in Windows Explorer
Shift+F10
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
Ctrl+Esc
Open the Start menu
Alt+underlined letter
Display the corresponding menu
Alt+underlined letter
Perform the menu command (or other underlined command)
F10
Activate the menu bar in the active program
Right Arrow
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
Left Arrow
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
F5 (or Ctrl+R)
Refresh the active window
Alt+Up Arrow
View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
Esc
Cancel the current task
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Open Task Manager
Shift when you insert a CD
Prevent the CD from automatically playing
Left Alt+Shift
Switch the input language when multiple input languages are enabled
Ctrl+Shift
Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are enabled
Right or Left Ctrl+Shift
Change the reading direction of text in right-to-left reading languages
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+Tab
Move forward through tabs
Ctrl+Shift+Tab
Move back through tabs
Tab
Move forward through options
Shift+Tab
Move back through options
Alt+underlined letter
Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
Enter
Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
Spacebar
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
Arrow keys
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
F1
Display Help
F4
Display the items in the active list
Backspace
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box
Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts
Windows logo key
Open or close the Start menu.
Windows logo key +Pause
Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows logo key +D
Display the desktop.
Windows logo key +M
Minimize all windows.
Windows logo key +Shift+M
Restore minimized windows to the desktop.
Windows logo key +E
Open Computer.
Windows logo key +F
Search for a file or folder.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +F
Search for computers (if you’re on a network).
Windows logo key +L
Lock your computer or switch users.
Windows logo key +R
Open the Run dialog box.
Windows logo key +T
Cycle through programs on the taskbar.
Windows logo key +number
Start the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the program is already running, switch to that program.
Shift+Windows logo key +number
Start a new instance of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +number
Switch to the last active window of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
Alt+Windows logo key +number
Open the Jump List for the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
Windows logo key +Tab
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab
Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl+Windows logo key +B
Switch to the program that displayed a message in the notification area.
Windows logo key +Spacebar
Preview the desktop.
Windows logo key +Up Arrow
Maximize the window.
Windows logo key +Left Arrow
Maximize the window to the left side of the screen.
Windows logo key +Right Arrow
Maximize the window to the right side of the screen.
Windows logo key +Down Arrow
Minimize the window.
Windows logo key +Home
Minimize all but the active window.
Windows logo key +Shift+Up Arrow
Stretch the window to the top and bottom of the screen.
Windows logo key +Shift+Left Arrow or Right Arrow
Move a window from one monitor to another.
Windows logo key +P
Choose a presentation display mode.
Windows logo key +G
Cycle through gadgets.
Windows logo key +U
Open Ease of Access Center.
Windows logo key +X
Open Windows Mobility Center.
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+N
Open a new window
Ctrl+W
Close the current window
Ctrl+Shift+N
Create a new folder
End
Display the bottom of the active window
Home
Display the top of the active window
F11
Maximize or minimize the active window
Ctrl+Period (.)
Rotate a picture clockwise
Ctrl+Comma (,)
Rotate a picture counter-clockwise
Num Lock+Asterisk (*) on numeric keypad
Display all subfolders under the selected folder
Num Lock+Plus Sign (+) on numeric keypad
Display the contents of the selected folder
Num Lock+Minus Sign (-) on numeric keypad
Collapse the selected folder
Left Arrow
Collapse the current selection (if it’s expanded), or select the parent folder
Alt+Enter
Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item
Alt+P
Display the preview pane
Alt+Left Arrow
View the previous folder
Backspace
View the previous folder
Right Arrow
Display the current selection (if it’s collapsed), or select the first subfolder
Alt+Right Arrow
View the next folder
Alt+Up Arrow
View the parent folder
Ctrl+Shift+E
Display all folders above the selected folder
Ctrl+Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
Alt+D
Select the address bar
Ctrl+E
Select the search box
Ctrl+F
Select the search box
Taskbar keyboard shortcuts
Shift+Click on a taskbar button
Open a program or quickly open another instance of a program
Ctrl+Shift+Click on a taskbar button
Open a program as an administrator
Shift+Right-click on a taskbar button
Show the window menu for the program
Shift+Right-click on a grouped taskbar button
Show the window menu for the group
Ctrl+Click on a grouped taskbar button
Cycle through the windows of the group
Magnifier keyboard shortcuts
Windows logo key + Plus Sign (+) or Minus Sign (-)
Zoom in or out
Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar
Preview the desktop in full-screen mode
Ctrl+Alt+F
Switch to full-screen mode
Ctrl+Alt+L
Switch to lens mode
Ctrl+Alt+D
Switch to docked mode
Ctrl+Alt+I
Invert colors
Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys
Pan in the direction of the arrow keys
Ctrl+Alt+R
Resize the lens
Windows logo key + Esc
Exit Magnifier
Remote Desktop Connection keyboard shortcuts
Alt+Page Up
Move between programs from left to right.
Alt+Page Down
Move between programs from right to left.
Alt+Insert
Cycle through programs in the order that they were started in.
Alt+Home
Display the Start menu.
Ctrl+Alt+Break
Switch between a window and full screen.
Ctrl+Alt+End
Display the Windows Security dialog box.
Alt+Delete
Display the system menu.
Ctrl+Alt+Minus Sign (-) on the numeric keypad
Place a copy of the active window, within the client, on the Terminal server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing Alt+PrtScn on a local computer).
Ctrl+Alt+Plus Sign (+) on the numeric keypad
Place a copy of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard (provides the same functionality as pressing PrtScn on a local computer).
Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host program (for example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls are embedded in another (host) program.
Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to a control in the host program (for example, a button or a text box). Useful when the Remote Desktop controls are embedded in another (host) program.
Facebook recently introduced a new layout for the profile name. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoyed this new layout so they may look for a way to come back to the standard layout.
Unfortunately you can’t disable your timeline layout now.
Even if Yahoo! says officially that you can use IMAP email access just on mobile devices it actually work on desktop computers. For example, I will show you how to setup your Mozilla Thunderbird in order to access your free email from Yahoo!, the one with @yahoo.com.
1. Open Mozilla Thunderbird and click File -> New – Mail Account
2. In the new window insert a name, your Yahoo! email and password and click Continue
3. Wait until Mozilla Thunderbird finds the server configurations and choose the IMAP server.
4. Click on Manual config button and type your email as username
5. Click on Re-test (optional) and then click on Create Account
Some time ago I needed to block some websites in order to forbid the internet access of a software that automatically use internet to send/receive different information. I was also asked by some friends about a method to block different websites like porn, torrents or illegal websites.
In this article I will show you a method to block any website you want without using any special software and nothing but just a text editor (notepad). This method apply to:
- block individual illegal websites in order to not be accessible by any users
- block any desired website in order to forbid users access to it (like games, social websites or any website you want)
- forbid your installed software to access specific internet addresses (like downloading updates or send your private information)
The solution is simple and basically assume to edit a special windows file called “hosts”. You can read more about “hosts” file on wikipedia by this link. So … If you want to block a website follow this steps:
1. Go to Explorer to this location C:\Windows\hosts for Windows 95/98/Me C:\Winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts for Windows NT/2000/XP Pro C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc for Windows XP Home/Vista/7
2. Copy “hosts” file to your desktop
3. Double click on the “hosts” file from your desktop and choose Notepad from “Open with” list
4. You’ll found there some instruction about how to use that text. The idea is that using this text we can remap the IPs of specific hostnames (websites). The IP is the internet address where a website is located. In this way, if we change the address where a specific website is searching for information (for it’s content) we can also block it by specify a wrong or non-existing address.
When we want to block an website address is recomanded to use 127.0.0.1 as it’s new IP address. The 127.0.0.1 is the IP of your computer (DNS will return to your real IP if you go to that address), also called localhost. Because most of the time you don’t host a web-server, that IP address will not be capable to return any information so we’ll see something like, the website is down and not-responding.
In my example I will block facebook.com. For that I changed my “hosts” document in this way:
5. Select File menu and Save. Then put back “hosts” file from Desktop in the Windows folder (location from point 1) by overwrite the old “hosts” file.
6. Restart your computer.
After you restart your computer you will not be able to access the websites you specify in the “hosts” file. You can put as much websites you want, each on his own line starting with localhost IP and then the website address you want to block.
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