Business Tips – Computer Shortcuts – Part 1

Business Tips – Computer Shortcuts – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Wow! Wow! And Wow again!  By now you all know that I am a bit of a technophobe, mainly because I don’t know or understand the technical terms and having grown up using a typewriter (and yes I learnt on one of those old fashioned ones that you had to use the leaver to turn up a line), the shortcuts that we have on a computer up to now have just been more than I could cope with.  Hell I only learnt how to cut and paste a year after I started my business – before that I just typed everything out every time (just as well I am pretty fast and accurate with typing on a keyboard hey!)

Anyway, I found this whole thingymabobby that gives lists and lists of shortcuts so I will be sharing this with you over the next couple of weeks.  Please note though that this does not mean that I understand all of the jargon – hopefully you guys and gals understand more than I do.

First up – Basic Shortcut Keys

Alt + F File menu options in current program

Alt + E Edit options in current program

F1 Universal help (for all programs)

Ctrl + A Select all text

Ctrl + X Cut Selected Item

Shift + Delete Cut Selected Item

Ctrl + C Copy selected item

Ctrl + Ins Copy selected item

Ctrl + V Paste

Shift + Ins Paste

Home Go to beginning of current line

Ctrl + Home Go to beginning of document

End Go to end of current line

Ctrl + End Go to end of document

Shift + Home Highlight from current position to beginning of line

Shift + End Highlight from current position to end of line

Control +  <- arrow="" left="" pointing="" span="" style="white-space: pre;">

Move one word to the left at a time

Control + -> (arrow pointing right Move one word to the right at a time

Now that wasn’t so bad – I must admit that although I did know some of these – many I didn’t.

Then -  Microsoft “Windows” Shortcut Keys

Alt + Tab Switch between open applications

Alt + Shift + Tab Switch backwards between open applications

Alt + Print + Screen Create screen shot for current program

Ctrl + Alt + Delete Reboot/Windows Task Manager

Ctrl + Esc Bring up Start Menu

Alt + Esc Switch between applications on taskbar

F2 Rename selected icon

F3 Start find from Desktop

F4 Open the drive selection when browsing

F5 Refresh contents

Alt + F4 Close current open program

Ctrl + F4 Close window in program

Ctrl + plus key Automatically adjust widths of all columns in Window Explorer

Alt + Enter Open properties window of selected icon or program

Shift + F10 Simulate right-click on selected item

Shift + Del Delete programs/files permanently

Holding Shift During Boot-up Boot safe mode or bypass system files

Holding Shift During Boot-up When putting in an audio CD, will prevent CD player from playing.

Again I knew one or two of these, but certainly not the majority and now of course I will also have to irritate the heck out of my IT guy by asking all the ‘what does . . . . . mean?”.

More next week

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za