Mouse & Keyboard Tips and Tricks
Ami Kastner

Have you ever wondered what else the scroll wheel on your mouse does? Well, in conjunction with a couple of keys on your keyboard, the scroll wheel on your mouse has a couple of other tricks it can do as well.

Ctrl + Spin:
If you are surfing the internet, reading an email in Outlook or Outlook Express, writing a letter in Word, or even working on a spreadsheet in Excel, you can easily change the size of the text you are viewing by a simple spin of the wheel while holding down the Ctrl key. Depending on the way you spin, you will either magnify or decrease the size of the text.

Shift + Spin:
If you are surfing the internet using Explorer, the scroll wheel again comes in handy when you are going backwards and forwards through web pages. All you have to do is hold down the Shift key and then spin. Depending on which direction you spin, you will either go forwards or backwards through the web pages you have viewed.

There are also several keyboard tricks that come in handy to speed things up and make life easier.

F2:
Do you ever need a quick way to rename a file or folder? For a quick way to rename, all you have to do is click on the icon of the file or folder and press F2. This will open the name of the item and highlight it so all you have to do is type in the new name. It just does not get any easier!

Win + M:
Have you ever been working on several things at once and therefore have a bunch of windows open, and then you need to get back to the desktop? Well, to minimize all of your windows without having to click on each one individually, all you have to do is hold down the Windows key (normally near your Ctrl key) and then press M. This minimizes every window in one step and takes you straight to your desktop.

Shift + Delete:
Do you ever get tired of having to empty your Recycle Bin? To automatically delete a file without putting it in the Recycle Bin, all you have to do is hold down the Shift key when pressing Delete. This will completely erase the file or folder, and you will not be able to retrieve it from the Recycle Bin later.

Ctrl + N:
Do you ever have the need to open another webpage without losing the one you are currently viewing? Or have you ever been working in Word, Excel, or Outlook and you need to open up a new document, email message, or calendar appointment? Well, without ever having to touch your mouse, you can easily open up another webpage or document by simply holding down the Ctrl key and hitting N. This will not close anything that you are working on, nor will it save anything so it may be wise to save before moving completely on to another project! But again, it does not get any easier than this!

Enjoy experimenting with some of these tips and tricks! If you have any questions regarding your mouse or keyboard or any other computer need, please call Drake Hardware & Software at 319.752.1155.