71. Keyboard shortcuts we should all learn.

Using keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase your productivity, reduce repetitive strain, and help keep you focused. For example, highlighting text with the keyboard and pressing Ctrl + C is much faster than taking your hand from the keyboard, highlighting the text using the mouse, clicking copy from the file menu, and then putting your hand back in place on the keyboard. Below are our top 10 keyboard shortcuts we recommend everyone memorize and use.



Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert
 
Both Ctrl + C and Ctrl + Insert will copy the highlighted text or selected item.



Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert
 
Both the Ctrl + V and Shift + Insert will paste the text or object that's in the clipboard.



Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y
 
Undo any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this will undo it. This can also often be pressed multiple times to undo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would redo the undo.



Ctrl + F
 
Pressing Ctrl + F opens the Find in any program. This includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page.



Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab
 
Quickly switch between open programs moving forward.

Tip: Press Ctrl + Tab to switch between tabs in a program.

Tip: Adding the Shift key to Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab will move backwards. For example, if you are pressing Alt + Tab and pass the program you want to switch to, press Alt + Shift + Tab to move backwards to that program.

Tip: Windows Vista and 7 users can also press the Windows Key + Tab to switch through open programs in a full screenshot of the Window.



Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right arrow
 
Pressing Ctrl + Backspace will delete a full word at a time instead of a single character.

Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow will move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you wanted to highlight one word at a time you can hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.



Ctrl + S
 
While working on a document or other file in almost every program pressing Ctrl + S saves that file. This shortcut key should be used frequently anytime you're working on anything important.



Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End
 
Ctrl + Home will move the cursor to the beginning of the document and Ctrl + End will move the cursor to the end of a document.



Ctrl + P
 
Open a print preview of the current page or document being viewed. For example, press Ctrl + P now to view a print preview of this page.



Page Up, Space bar, and Page Down
 
Pressing either the page up or page down key will move that page one page at a time in that direction. When browsing the Internet pressing the space bar also moves the page down one page at a time.

Tip: If you are using the space bar to go down one page at a time press the Shift key and space bar to go up one page at a time.

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70. Try “Dropbox” for easy online storage and backup

If you (like me) tend to be lazy about backing up those really essential files or photographs then Dropbox is an easy and free way to keep your files safe. It also helps if you have two or more PCs and you want to access the same files from each one.

OK so total storage is not massive but I am talking “essential files” here.

For instance if you keep records for an organisation in Excel files, or say you do a website and want to make sure you don’t lose your work then this solution is easy and needs no intervention from you once it is set up. You can even share your files with other people.

Go along to Dropbox.com and set yourself up with an account. You will automatically get 2GB of storage and extra chunks may be had by referring friends etc. (Details on Dropbox.com)

When you then allow Dropbox to set itself up on your PC it creates a Dropbox folder. Any files you then add to this folder are synchronised with your “cloud” folder on the Dropbox website. Cool. You now have your working file and a backup file without any effort.

Now when I work on important files (such as these web pages), I work on the ones in my Dropbox folder knowing that when I exit and save the files they are automatically backed up for me to the cloud storage folder. Additionally, by using the same Dropbox account on my laptop, the files are then synchronised downwards on to the laptop PC. So if I want to take my PC to another location to work on any files in Dropbox I know that they are automatically synchronised to the cloud and to my main PC. If I am working in a location without Internet connection then the files will be synchronised as soon as my PC connects to the Internet back at home.

The Dropbox website will provide details of how you can share your files and also allow others to download files from your personal Dropbox Cloud folder. The folders are private and perfectly safe unless of course you divulge your access credentials.

In order to get some Dropbox space you first need to sign up for it. Creating a free account will get you 2GB of space to start. Go to Dropbox.com

This is not an advert for Dropbox and there are others available but this is a free, quick, and easy way to get started. 

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