The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Windows Vista
Advanced Screen Captures with the Snipping Tool
Leave the Prt Scrn key in the 1980s where it belongs. In the
Accessories folder on the Start menu, you'll find Vista's Snipping Tool,
which lets you capture just the part of the screen you want. Start it
up, click and drag the mouse to outline the area you want to preserve,
and release the mouse button. After you've snipped, you can draw on the
image with a pen tool, highlight or erase certain portions, or save it
to a file.
Display Multiple Clocks
If
you're a frequent traveler or have friends or family in another time
zone, you can set up Vista to display multiple clocks at once. Click on
the clock in the Start bar, then click "Change date and time
settings"¦," and then the Additional Clocks tab. Check the box next to
"Show this clock" for each additional clock you want to add, then
specify the time zone and display name for each clock. After you apply
your changes by clicking OK, clicking on the clock in the Start bar will
show you the clocks for every time zone you've selected.
Improve Program Access with Quick Launch
The
Quick Launch toolbar doesn't get a lot of respect, but it's a great way
to launch your regular apps faster. If the toolbar isn't visible,
right-click on the Start bar, select Toolbars, click on Quick Launch to
add it, and then drag programs or shortcuts to it. You can start
programs instantly just by clicking or, better yet, use the Windows key.
Windows key+1 will open the leftmost program, Windows key+2 the next
one, and so on, up to 10 (the 10th opens with Windows key+0).
Windows Mobility Center
Sorry,
desktop users, this one's just for the notebook folks. The Windows
Mobility Center, which you access by pressing Windows key+X, gives you
the opportunity to tweak all sorts of settings on your laptop, all in
one convenient place. You can change your display brightness, adjust the
volume, check your battery status, turn off wireless connectivity,
switch your screen orientation, set up an external display, and more.
Find things now with Instant Search
You don't have to open up a special window to find the files or
programs you're looking for. Just hit the Windows key or click the Start
button and start typing—Vista will present you organized lists of the
top files and programs that match the text you've entered. (If you want to see Vista's full findings,
click on the "See all results" link at the bottom of the Instant Search
window.)
