When I installed Windows Live Messenger on my laptop, it also installed a folder named My Sharing Folders. Sometimes, when I try to drag a file to a different folder in Windows Explorer, it accidentally touches the My Sharing Folders, a message appears, and the copying freezes solid. Forever. Actually, I get tired of waiting [...]

Filed under: Windows | 4 Comments »

A while ago (in May!), I posted about using Taskbar Shuffle to rearrange the icons in your Windows taskbar. This is handy when I have lots of windows open, and I want a couple of them to be readily available. If I drag their icons to the far left of the Windows Taskbar, they’re easier [...]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows | 15 Comments »

Maybe I’m the last person in the world to learn this, but with two big monitors to navigate, I find this tip pretty handy. You can add a Links Toolbar and My Desktop Toolbar to the Windows Taskbar!
I’ve added many programs and files to the QuickStart toolbar in the Windows Taskbar, and use it frequently [...]

Filed under: Windows | No Comments »

Many programs use the Windows Common dialogs which you’ll see when you Open or Save files in those programs. For example, in Notepad, if I select File►Open this dialog appears. The bar at the left is the Places Bar, and it contains 5 standard icons.

Not once, in my entire computing life, have I used that [...]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows | 2 Comments »

I don’t reboot my desktop computer too often, but when I do, it takes extra time because of all the programs that have elbowed their way into my Startup folder. The system tray fills with the icons for these programs, and I manually disable them, which takes even more time.
After every reboot, I promise myself [...]

Filed under: Excel, Productivity, Windows | 4 Comments »

To quickly create a new document, you can use a desktop shortcut:

Right-click on an empty area of the Windows desktop.
Click on New
Click on the program that you want to start

a2a_linkname=”Create a New Document From the Desktop”;
a2a_linkurl=”http://blog.contextures.com/archives/2008/06/20/create-a-new-document-from-the-desktop/”;

Filed under: Mouse Shortcuts, Windows | 2 Comments »

As you work on your computer, you probably open several applications, and the Windows Taskbar quickly fills with buttons. The buttons you need most might be stuck at the far right, or in a hidden row of buttons, and that can slow you down.

Taskbar Shuffle is an easy-to-use free utility that gives you control over the [...]

Filed under: Taskbar, Utilities, Windows | 1 Comment »