Work faster

Posted on 11 Mar 2008 at 12:19

29. Quick Launch your data

The Quick Launch toolbar (just to the right of the Start button) is a great timesaver for launching applications.But it can also hold any type of shortcut. Why not drop a folder there? Fill that folder with shortcuts to your data folders, network drives and so on and you'll never be more than three clicks away from your desired file.

30. Use Vista's Search box

It makes sense to use Search when you can't find a file. But on Vista, even if you know exactly where your file is, it's almost always quicker to type its name into the search box than to navigate to the right folder and locate the file.

31. Search intelligently with Smart Keywords

You can search your favourite websites without even visiting them by using Smart Keywords in Firefox. You have to visit the site to set this up, however. Right-click on the search box of your target site's homepage, select Add a Keyword For This Search and choose a descriptive name and short, memorable keyword. You can then search simply by typing that keyword and your search term into Firefox's address bar. We have them set up for articles on www.pcpro.co.uk ("pcpro [search term]"), but they also work brilliantly on Wikipedia entries and Amazon products.

32. Navigate with the keyboard

Windows is designed so that any task can be accomplished without a mouse, including controlling most third-party applications. We don't recommend ditching the mouse, but you can often save time by keeping your hands on the keyboard. Everyone knows to use to switch between windows, but Tab also moves you around within forms and requesters. Hit the spacebar to activate the selected button in a dialog box; type a letter when looking at a list to jump to items that begin with that letter, and press Return to launch the selected item. Menus are activated with the Alt key, and contextual menus can be opened with the menu button.

33. Follow the crumb-trail

The Address Bar in Vista's Explorer doesn't just show you the name of the folder you're looking at - it shows you a "crumb-trail" that leads back to a top-level container (such as Computer or Network). This can save you a lot of time when navigating up the directory tree: rather than clicking Back three times in the Explorer window, click directly on the relevant crumb to leap straight there.

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Author: PC Pro staff