5 productivity tips for Windows XP
From the pages of the New Riders Publishing book, Windows XP Killer Tips by Kleber Stephenson, ISBN 073571357X. We’ve pulled together some tips that are sure to improve your computer productivity. Published here with the permission of Pearson Education, Inc.
Print from Windows Explorer
If you need to print a document, let’s say a Microsoft Word document, there’s no need to launch Word first. Browse your hard drive for the file that you want to print, right-click its icon, and then click Print. This will automatically send the document to your printer without launching Word.
Search a folder
When I’ve misplaced a file, I almost always know which folder it’s in, but it’s usually lost in a maze of documents or buried in a subfolder. I just can’t remember which subfolder. This is a great way to search a folder quickly.
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Locate the folder where you think the file’s located, right-click the folder, and then click Search. A Search window will open, ready to search for the selected folder and only that folder. This is much quicker than launching Search and navigating your hard drive to the folder.
Pin programs to the Start menu
Want to add your favorite programs to the Start menu? From the Start menu, click All Programs. Locate a favorite program, right-click the program’s icon, and then click Pin to Start menu. That’s it.
You can also pin an application by dragging and dropping its icon from All Programs to the Start menu. The program is now “pinned” to your Start menu. To remove it, right-click the program icon on the Start menu and then click Unpin from Start menu.
Send an e-mail attachment from anywhere
Here’s a really handy tip.
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Locate a file anywhere on your hard drive that you want to e-mail, right-click the file’s icon, click Send To, and then click Mail Recipient. A new mail message will open with the file attached and ready to send. But what’s really speedy about this tip is that your mail program doesn’t launch. This action creates only a single new mail message.
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Now, to send your attachment, simply type the recipient's e-mail address in the To text field, add any accompanying message, and then click the Send icon. The subject and attachment fields are already set.
Use small icons on your Start menu
After you install a few dozen applications, your Start menu can become very crowded. One way to reduce the clutter is to use small icons.
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To switch to small icons, right-click the Start menu and click Properties.
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Next, click the Start Menu tab and then click the Customize button.
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Now click the General tab, click Small Icons, and then click OK twice.
TIPS & TECHNIQUES - Windows XP Tweaks
Computers are shipped to the customer with factory settings and drivers, meant to standardise the performance and appearance of a particular brand or model. Here, I assembled 10 fast n’ easy tweaks for any PC that break the “factory mold” and improve performance. Try a few of these tips and you may see significant increase!
Clean Out Your System Tray - If you have a new PC, this is something to watch. If your PC is a few months (or even weeks) old, here’s a helpful tip: Eliminate every unnecessary application. These apps drain your processor’s cycles and memory. That means a gradual slowdown, until you’re crawling.
Update Your Drivers - It’s easy and fast, yet most PC users never bother. Keeping on top of video card and chipset drivers by visiting the manufacturer’s site frequently can deliver amazing performance benefits. We recommend a once-a-month checkup of drivers. You’ll be happy you did.
Enable DMA For Your System - First a definition of DMA: Short for direct memory access, a technique for transferring data from main memory to a device without passing it through the CPU. Computers that have DMA channels can transfer data to and from devices much more quickly than computers without a DMA channel can. This is useful for making quick backups and for real-time applications. So, here’s our recommendation: Go to the Device Manager of your PC and take a look at the Properties of your Primary IDE Channel. On the “Advanced Settings” tab, make sure that DMA, if available, is checked for both devices. Do the same thing with the “Secondary IDE Channel.”
Visit windowsupdate.com Regularly -This is a big one. Also very fast and simple. The “patches” that are made available on a weekly basis not only provide protection for your PC, they are also designed to improve performance. I recommend at least twice per month.
Convert Your Drives To NTFS - If you want to get the most from your drives, you may want to convert them to NTFS. Here’s how: Open a command line and type: Convert x: /fs:ntfs …Except you will replace the “x” with your drive’s letter-name. NOTE: Back up your important files before attempting this conversion.
Use Quick Launch - Common problem. Simple fix. Instead of cluttering your Desktop with shortcuts, just right-click the Taskbar, go to Toolbars, and make sure Quick Launch is checked. Then drag your favorite shortcuts to the Quick Launch bar for easy access, anytime.
Speed Up Your User Interface - Today’s PCs often come to you with many graphical bells and whistles, and while they’re cute, they rob your system of fundamental power. Faster is better. Here’s our recommendation: Go to the Display control panel, click the Appearance tab and hit the Effects button. Uncheck the first two options, as well as “Show shadows under menus.” Use minimal graphics and go faster.
Create One-Click Access To Device Manager - To open Device Manager in Windows XP without the hassle of going to System Properties, just create a shortcut to “devmgmt.msc”
Did You Know Windows XP Has An On-Screen Keyboard? - Another XP secret revealed. You may need it if you can’t get to your keyboard. Here’s how: Open My Computer and browse to C:/Windows/System32 then double-click osk.exe. The keyboard operates with simple point-and-click commands.
Defrag. Defrag. Defrag. -A “must” for busy PC users, made simple. Here’s how: Regular defragmentation can improve your machine’s hard drive performance by massive amounts. To begin defragging, right-click your hard drive in My Computer, select Properties, go to the Tools tab, then click defrag. Do this religiously every month or so and you’ll enjoy smooth sailing.