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Who Knew Windows Could Do That?

PC World's resident Windows Tips wizard, Scott Dunn, presents a dazzling array of secret shortcuts, speed tricks, and special settings that can help you transform your operating system.

Scott Dunn

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Quick Tricks for Mouse and Keyboard

All Versions You can often get from place to place in Windows faster by using key combinations and mouse moves that aren't apparent from looking at the screen. For a basic list of these techniques, choose Start, Help, click the Index tab, and browse the topics listed under 'keyboard shortcuts'. For even more power, try these often-overlooked tricks.

  • Prevent a CD from starting: Hold down Shift while you insert the CD

  • Enlarge/shrink the font size in Internet Explorer, Windows Help, Word, and Excel: Hold down Ctrl as you spin the mouse wheel (requires a wheel mouse)

  • Maximize/restore a window: Double-click the window's title bar

  • Close an active Internet Explorer, Explorer, or folder window, or Excel or Word document: Ctrl-W

  • In an Explorer or folder window, get the optimum column width for Details view: Ctrl-NumPad + (Note: File pane must be active)

  • Select (highlight) the Address bar entry in Windows Explorer: Alt-D

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