Windows Keyboard Secrets Page 1 Windows Keyboard SecretsCopyright 2004 by F. A. Archibald III Welcome Welcome to Windows Keyboard Secrets a HAL-PC Special

Windows Keyboard Secrets

Page 1 Windows Keyboard Secrets Copyright 2004 by F. A. Archibald III

WelcomeWelcome to


a HAL-PC Special Event

presented by

Rick Archibald



Acknowlegements● Thanks

● Sign-in

● Sign-up for Labs

● Donate !



Who am I?● Started in 1964 in College● 1981 built a Heathkit -- CP/M● 2001 joined HAL-PC & HLUG

– Linux Workshop SIG Leader– Helpdesk Volunteer– Instructor – “Basic Computer Use” et.al.

● "Raised" on Command Line ● Late-comer to "Winders" & Mice



Who are You?Please raise your hands when I ask each question:● HAL-PC Members? ● Future HAL-PC Members? ● MS Windows Users? ● Have Command Line (CLI) experience?

– (CP/M, MS DOS, other DOS's, Unix/Linux/BSD)● Had RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury)? from

– your mouse? ...your keyboard? ...something else? ● Wants to interact faster with your computer?



Why are we here?● Has your mouse ever died? ● Tired of switching hands between mouse and keyboard? ● Do you suffer from Mouse Wrist or Mouse Arm?

– RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) from too much mousing● Wonder what the underlined letters in your menus are for? ● Tired of running out of room on the mouse pad? ● Do you waste time moving "el raton" all around the screen? ● Are you looking for a faster, easier way? ● Do you just hate mice?



Why are we all mouse-aholics? ● It's our teachers' fault :)

● Let's compare themouse to keyboard on the next 2 slides

● Remember both are occasional RSI culprits



Mouse-aholics 2Mouse is:

● Easy to teach

● Easy to use in unfamiliar places

● Very inuitive ("Point & Click")

● Consistent speed:

– SLOWER than a fast keyboard

– FASTER than a slow keyboard



Mouse-aholics 3Keyboard is:

● Harder to teach● Easy to use in _familiar_ places● Not inherently intuitive● Inconsistent speed

– Much FASTER -- only if you "know the strokes"



Keyboard TourBy Section:

● Top Row● Esc / Function or F keys ("Fn") / Special● Typing

– Tab, Enter, Backspace● Navigation● Number Pad – duplicated elsewhere

– Numbers | Navigation or “Mouse on a keyboard” (MouseKeys)



Helper Keys Overview● What are they?

● What do they do?

● How do they work

● Where are they?

● Who are they?

● Who aren't they?

● How do you use them?



Helper Keys 1

What are they?● Fancy name "Meta Keys"● Confusing name "Shifting Keys"● Easy name "Helper Keys"

What do they do? ● Change the meaning of other keys



Helper Keys 2How do they work

● Fancy name: "Chording" – as in chords on a guitar or piano

● Easy idea: 2 (or more) keys at once – Example: "3 finger salute" Ctrl-Alt-Del

Where are they?● Bottom 2 rows of the Typing (Main) Section ● 2 of each -- right & left● Usually identical -- either one does what you want● Sometimes, fairly rarely, you must use a particular one



Helper Keys 3Who are they?

● Control -- "Ctrl"● Alt -- "Alt"● Shift -- "Shift"● Windows Logo Key -- dual purpose

● Windows Menu Key -- not strictly a helper key



Windows Keys

Official names: ● Logo● Windows logo key ● WIN● Windows Key

Official names: ● Menu● Application key● Menu key

2 keys added for MS Windows 95

Unofficial: Flag & List



Helper Keys 4Helper Keys do not include the locking keysThose toggle (turn on & off) somethingEach has a light to show its state ("on" or "off")

● Caps Lock (is not a Shift lock)● Num Lock (Number pad: numbers or navigation)● Scroll Lock (usually does nothing)



Helper Keys 5 How do you use them?

● Press Helper key(s) first

● Press Action Key

● Release Action Key

● Release Helper key(s)



The Best Secret of All● Most Simple● Most General● Most Intuitive● Easiest to Remember● In short -- the Most Important

ALT + the underlined letter



On the Desktop 1 -- OS shortcuts● ALT + TAB (Quick)

– Toggles between 2 most recently used windows● ALT + TAB (& Hold)

– Cycles though open windows, most recent first● ALT + SHIFT + TAB (& Hold)

– Cycles though open windows, earliest first● MENU or SHIFT + F10 (mouse 2)

– "Context Menu" ● ALT + SPACE (upper left corner icon

– Application Menu



On the Desktop 2 -- LOGO Key● LOGO alone

– toggle (display / hide) the Start (Main) MenuLOGO + ...● E Open Windows Explorer / My Computer● R Open the Run dialog box● F1 Open Windows Help● F Search for a file or folder● BREAK Open System Properties

– (mouse 2 - My Computer)



On the Desktop 3 -- More LOGOLOGO + ...

● D Toggle show the desktop

● M Minimize all windows

● SHIFT + M Restore minimized windows

● U Open Utility Manager

– (& Magnifier)



On the Desktop 3 -- LOGO & XP LOGO + ...● B Set focus on a notification● L Lock your computer ... or switch users

Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.



Function Keys● F1 Help● F2 Edit / Rename● F3 Search / Find Again● F4 Display Items

– Address bar list in Windows Explorer– Active list in a dialog box

● F5 Refresh● F6 Switch panes● F10 Menu bar● F11 Full Screen (sometimes)



Navigation● TAB Moves between fields & buttons

● Ctrl + TAB Moves between Tabs

– Adding Shift moves backwards

● Arrows also work inside panels

● SPACE toggles:

– Radio buttons

– Check boxes



EditingCtrl + ... ● X Cut (Move to Clipboard)● C Copy (to Clipboard)● V Paste (from Clipboard)● Z Undo● A Select All● Y Redo

Del Deletes – lost, gone, no recovery



Accessibility OptionsControl Panel | Accessibility Options

● StickyKeys● FilterKeys● ToggleKeys● High Contrast● MouseKeys



Resources● My home page:

http://plato.smx.com● HLUG “Twiki”:

http://twiki.hlug.org

Contact me:713 / 862 – 7368 M – F 6 – 9

[email protected]



Q & A

Thank you for your attention

It's your turn to ask the questions

Documents

Windows Keyboard Secrets Page 1 Windows Keyboard SecretsCopyright 2004 by F. A. Archibald III Welcome Welcome to Windows Keyboard Secrets a HAL-PC Special