Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

 

General Use Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Take note that the WINDOWS key is the Windows Logo key on the keyboard.

ALT+TAB
Display list of open programs and switch to next program.
(Press TAB again to advance to the following program).

ALT+SHIFT+TAB
Display list of open programs and switch to previous program.
(Press TAB again to select the pervious program).

WINDOWS or CTRL+ESC
Displays the Windows Start Menu.

WINDOWS+E
Open My Computer.

WINDOWS+D
Toggle between Show Desktop and Show Open Windows.

WINDOWS+M
Minimize All Windows.

F2
Rename selected folder, file or shortcut.

CTRL+N
Create a New document for the active application.

CTRL+O
Display the Open dialog box of the active application.

CTRL+S
Save the current document of the active application.

CTRL+P
Print the current document of the active application.

CTRL+A
Select All content of the current document.

CTRL+X
Cut the selected text or object.

CTRL+C
Copy the selected text or object.

CTRL+V
Paste contents of clipboard into active document.

CTRL+Z
Undo the last operation.

CTRL+Y
Redo the last Undo operation.

CTRL+B
Make selected text bold or remove bold formatting.

CTRL+U
Underline the selected text or remove underline.

CTRL+I
Make selected text italic or remove italic formatting.

CTRL+F
Displays the Find dialog box.

CTRL+H
Displays the Replace dialog box.

Why Should I Use Antivirus Software?

 

The answer is really simple. To protect your own computer from damage, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge.

Many people are reluctant to shell out the cash for decent antivirus software. I’ll agree that at roughly $50 for a decent antivirus program, it isn’t exactly small change. But, let’s look at the costs more closely for a moment:

Computer –> $600-$4,000
Monitor –> $250-$1000
Software –> $500-$5000
Internet Connection –> $25+/month
Personal/Business Data –> Priceless

So, on the low end of the scale we are looking at a computer investment similar in price to an older used car, on the higher end, similar to a newer used car.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that you wouldn’t buy a used car that had all the locks removed and didn’t need a key to start it, and comes with a free “STEAL ME” sign on it too.

Having a computer that does not have up-to-date antivirus protection is absolutely the same. You are simply asking for trouble.

And trouble WILL find you.

How can I be so sure? Simply because that is what viruses, worms, malware etc. are made to do. Their ONLY job is to find unprotected computers and attack and hijack them without your knowledge. These things are VERY good at what they are built to do, and they NEVER stop. If your computer isn’t protected, and you share disks or go online, it will get infected.

The top antivirus software programs cost as little as 2 months internet connection. They all include constant and unlimited automatic updates that keep your system safe and clean.

If you can afford $1500+ on a computer, $300+/year on internet connections, you can definitely afford another $50 once to make it safe (and prevent it from being used to spread viruses and Trojan horses behind your back).

Anything less would be uncivilized!

P.S. Some people have started to make claims that if you don’t use antivirus software you should be held legally responsible if your machine be used as part of an attack (even if you did not know about it).

Why Is Computer Software Soft?

 

Have you ever wonder (Im sure you have at least about other similar words) where a word like software comes from. I mean were floppy disks soft and malleable at one time. Or were the protective sleeves for the old hard diskettes made of some velvety material that made them software. Well I love this sort of thing and would like to explore with you in the following several paragraphs the origin of this word and why it is so commonplace in our computer software age.

In order to understand the derivation of the term software, as in computer software, you must first understand that there is hardware as well. The meaning of hardware probably has a lot of levels of meaning and most were probably serendipitous over a lunch or other social gathering.

Hardware refers to the guts of the computer machine, the actual physical reality of a disk drive and a hard disk and a monitor and the like. These are actual physical entities that make them hard. You can hold them, carry them, etc. Software on the other hand is more theoretical than physical. Sure the code is hard composed of 1s and 0s for bits and bytes but it is not hard in the sense that you can actually touch the ones and zeros with your hand, chew on them, and anything else that you might be able to do with hardware.

Software is the program that does things in more of a virtual or abstract level. It will save information as something that is unseen but totally retrievable and capable of with the help of hardware, produce an image that can be seen with the eyes.

There are two points to be made here. First the sensation of site does not make something hard or soft. Never has. It is touch that determines this description and this is a useful way to determine the hardness or softness of computer software and hardware.

A good example of this test is the phrase hard copy or soft copy of a document. The hard copy is on the document in actual paper page form and the softcopy is all of the ones and zeros that make up in a theoretical sense (more representative than actual) the writing on the page. Thinking about it this way may help you to sort out what is computer software and what is computer hardware.