76 keyboard shortcuts for Windows Vista

Here’s a list of Vista keyboard shortcuts that are available when you’re working on the Vista desktop, in Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), in the Vista Sidebar, in dialog boxes, and in Vista Help.

Vista Desktop
Shortcut	Function
Windows key	Opens or closes the Start menu
Windows + D	Displays your desktop
Windows + E	Opens the Computer window
Windows + F	Opens the Search window
Ctrl + Windows + F	Searches for computers (if you’re on a network)
Windows + L	Locks your computer or switches users
Windows + M	Minimizes all windows
Shift + Windows + M	Restores minimized windows
Windows + R	Opens the Run dialog box
Windows + T	Cycles through programs on the Taskbar
Windows + U	Opens the Ease of Access Center
Ctrl + A	Selects everything in a window
Ctrl + C	Copies selected items
Ctrl + X	Cuts selected items
Ctrl + V	Pastes cut or copied items
Ctrl + Y	Redoes an action
Ctrl + Z	Undoes an action
F1	Displays Help
F2	Highlights the label of a selected item for editing

F3	Opens the Search window
Ctrl + F4	Closes the current document
Alt + F4	Closes the current item or program
F5	Refreshes a window
F6	Cycles through elements in a window or on the desktop
F10	Activates a program’s menu bar
Shift + Windows + F10	Displays the shortcut menu for a selected item
Delete	Deletes selected items to the Recycle Bin
Shift + Delete	Deletes selected items permanently
Alt + Enter	Displays the properties of a selected item
Ctrl + Esc	Opens the Start menu
Alt + Esc	Cycles through items in the order you opened them
Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Opens the Windows Task Manager
Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock	Turns the Mouse Keys feature on or off
Hold for five seconds + Num Lock	Turns the Toggle Keys feature on or off
Windows + Pause	Displays the System Properties dialog box
Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen	Turns the High Contrast feature on or off
Right Shift for 8 seconds	Turns the Filter Keys feature on and off
Press Shift five times	Turns the Sticky Keys feature on or off
Alt + Spacebar	Opens the shortcut menu for the current window
Alt + Tab	Switches between open items
Windows + Tab	Cycles through open items with Flip 3-D
Ctrl + Alt + Tab	Displays open items (use the arrow keys to switch between them)
Ctrl + Windows + Tab	Displays open items with Flip 3-D (use the arrow keys to cycle through them)

In Windows Explorer
Shortcut	Function
Alt + D	Moves to the Address bar
F4	Displays the Address bar drop-down list
Ctrl + N	Opens a new window
F11	Maximizes/minimizes the current window
Left arrow	Collapses a selection or selects its parent folder
Alt + Left arrow	Shows the previous folder
Right arrow	Displays the current selection or selects its first subfolder
Alt + Right arrow	Shows the next folder
Asterisk (keypad)	Displays subfolders within a selected folder
End	Displays the bottom of the current window
Home	Displays the top of the current window
Minus Sign (keypad)	Collapses the selected folder
Plus Sign (keypad)	Displays the contents of the selected folder
In the Vista Sidebar
Shortcut	Function
Windows + G	Cycles through gadgets
Windows + Spacebar	Brings all gadgets to the front; selects Sidebar
Tab	Cycles through Sidebar controls
In a dialog box
Shortcut	Function
F1	Displays Help
F4	Displays items in a drop-down list

Backspace	In Save As or Open dialog, opens a folder one level up from a selected folder
Enter	Works like a mouse click for some selected options
Spacebar	Selects or deselects an active check box
Tab	Moves forward through dialog box options
Ctrl + Tab	Hops from tab to tab
Shift + Tab	Moves backward through dialog box options
Ctrl + Shift + Tab	Hops backward from tab to tab
In Vista Help
Shortcut	Function
Alt + A	Displays the customer support page
Alt + C	Displays the Help And Support Contents
Ctrl + F	Opens Find dialog box for the current topic
Alt + N	Displays the connection settings menu
Ctrl + P	Prints a help topic
F3	Moves to the Search box
F10	Displays Options menu
Alt + Home	Displays the Help And Support home page

How to show hidden files in Windows Vista

Windows Vista changed the location where you can modify the folder and file display settings. In Windows Vista you need to use the Folder Options control panel in order to modify how folders, and the files in them, are displayed.

To enable the viewing of hidden and protected system files in Windows Vista please follow these steps:

1. Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
2. Click on the Start button.
3. Click on the Control Panel menu option.
4. When the control panel opens you can either be in Classic View or Control Panel Home view:

   If you are in the Classic View do the following:

   1. Double-click on the Folder Options icon.
   2. Click on the View tab.
   3. Go to step 5.

   If you are in the Control Panel Home view do the following:

   1. Click on the Appearance and Personalization link.
   2. Click on Show Hidden Files or Folders.

   3. Go to step 5.

5. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
6. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types.
7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files. Once this is done, your Folder Options screen should look similar to the following image.

   

8. Press the Apply button and then the OK button.

Now Windows Vista is configured to show all hidden files.

deleted trash can, how to get it back in Vista

Right-click empty desktop area
- Select Personalize;in te left pane of Personalization window
- Click Change desktop icons
- Mark “Recycle Bin” checkbox under “Desktop icons”

You can also get a Recycle Bin sidebar gadget instead of putting an icon to
desktop.

76 keyboard shortcuts for moving faster in Windows Vista

As is normal with Windows, Microsoft has provided a huge number of keyboard shortcuts to make interaction with the product easier for those who enjoy the productivity that almost 100 percent keyboard use can supply. Here’s a list of Vista keyboard shortcuts that are available when you’re working on the Vista desktop, in Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), in the Vista Sidebar, in dialog boxes, and in Vista Help.

Vista Desktop
Shortcut	Function
Windows key	Opens or closes the Start menu
Windows + D	Displays your desktop
Windows + E	Opens the Computer window
Windows + F	Opens the Search window
Ctrl + Windows + F	Searches for computers (if you’re on a network)
Windows + L	Locks your computer or switches users
Windows + M	Minimizes all windows
Shift + Windows + M	Restores minimized windows
Windows + R	Opens the Run dialog box
Windows + T	Cycles through programs on the Taskbar
Windows + U	Opens the Ease of Access Center
Ctrl + A	Selects everything in a window
Ctrl + C	Copies selected items
Ctrl + X	Cuts selected items
Ctrl + V	Pastes cut or copied items
Ctrl + Y	Redoes an action
Ctrl + Z	Undoes an action
F1	Displays Help
F2	Highlights the label of a selected item for editing

F3	Opens the Search window
Ctrl + F4	Closes the current document
Alt + F4	Closes the current item or program
F5	Refreshes a window
F6	Cycles through elements in a window or on the desktop
F10	Activates a program’s menu bar
Shift + Windows + F10	Displays the shortcut menu for a selected item
Delete	Deletes selected items to the Recycle Bin
Shift + Delete	Deletes selected items permanently
Alt + Enter	Displays the properties of a selected item
Ctrl + Esc	Opens the Start menu
Alt + Esc	Cycles through items in the order you opened them
Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Opens the Windows Task Manager
Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock	Turns the Mouse Keys feature on or off
Hold for five seconds + Num Lock	Turns the Toggle Keys feature on or off
Windows + Pause	Displays the System Properties dialog box
Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen	Turns the High Contrast feature on or off
Right Shift for 8 seconds	Turns the Filter Keys feature on and off
Press Shift five times	Turns the Sticky Keys feature on or off
Alt + Spacebar	Opens the shortcut menu for the current window
Alt + Tab	Switches between open items
Windows + Tab	Cycles through open items with Flip 3-D
Ctrl + Alt + Tab	Displays open items (use the arrow keys to switch between them)
Ctrl + Windows + Tab	Displays open items with Flip 3-D (use the arrow keys to cycle through them)

In Windows Explorer
Shortcut	Function
Alt + D	Moves to the Address bar
F4	Displays the Address bar drop-down list
Ctrl + N	Opens a new window
F11	Maximizes/minimizes the current window
Left arrow	Collapses a selection or selects its parent folder
Alt + Left arrow	Shows the previous folder
Right arrow	Displays the current selection or selects its first subfolder
Alt + Right arrow	Shows the next folder
Asterisk (keypad)	Displays subfolders within a selected folder
End	Displays the bottom of the current window
Home	Displays the top of the current window
Minus Sign (keypad)	Collapses the selected folder
Plus Sign (keypad)	Displays the contents of the selected folder
In the Vista Sidebar
Shortcut	Function
Windows + G	Cycles through gadgets
Windows + Spacebar	Brings all gadgets to the front; selects Sidebar
Tab	Cycles through Sidebar controls
In a dialog box
Shortcut	Function
F1	Displays Help
F4	Displays items in a drop-down list

Backspace	In Save As or Open dialog, opens a folder one level up from a selected folder
Enter	Works like a mouse click for some selected options
Spacebar	Selects or deselects an active check box
Tab	Moves forward through dialog box options
Ctrl + Tab	Hops from tab to tab
Shift + Tab	Moves backward through dialog box options
Ctrl + Shift + Tab	Hops backward from tab to tab
In Vista Help
Shortcut	Function
Alt + A	Displays the customer support page
Alt + C	Displays the Help And Support Contents
Ctrl + F	Opens Find dialog box for the current topic
Alt + N	Displays the connection settings menu
Ctrl + P	Prints a help topic
F3	Moves to the Search box
F10	Displays Options menu
Alt + Home	Displays the Help And Support home page

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How to make Vista display keyboard shortcuts in menus

Want to learn to use keyboard shortcuts more, but not sure what some of them are? You can set Vista to show the shortcuts next to the corresponding menu items. Here’s how:

1. Click Start | Control Panel
2. Click Ease of Access and then Ease of Access Center (or in Classic View, just click Ease of Access Center)
3. Ignore the annoying text-to-voice; it will go away after reading the first section to you. Click “Make the keyboard easier to use”
4. Under the section titled “Make it easier to use keyboard shortcuts,” put a check mark in the box labeled “Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys

Click Save

How to prevent Windows Vista’s ‘green ribbon of death’

Follow this link http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=windows&articleId=9063060&taxonomyId=125&intsrc=kc_feat

Vista: Run System File Checker

System File Checker checks that all Windows files are where they should be and that they’re uncorrupted. If you’ve done all your virus and spyware checking, error checking and defragging, and Windows is still doing strange things, then SFC can avoid a reinstall.

1. Open a Command Window in Administrator mode:

* click Start
* click All Programs, then Accessories
* right click on the Command Prompt option,
* on the drop down menu which appears, click on the Run as Administrator option.

* If you haven’t disabled User Account Control (and you shouldn’t!) you will be asked for authorisation. Click the Continue button if you are the administrator or insert the administrator password.

2. Start the System File Checker

* In the Command Prompt window, type: sfc /scannow,
* press Enter.
* You’ll see “the system scan will begin”.

The scan may take some time and windows will repair/replace any corrupt or missing files. You will be asked to insert your Vista DVD if it’s needed.

Close the Command Prompt Window when the job is finished.

One caveat: you need a Windows CD or DVD to enable SFC to make repairs. Don’t get suckered into buying any Windows computer with a Recovery or Restoration disc.

Vista: Resizing Icons

Vista features a nice little trick for resizing your icons from small to huge while you are browsing files in Explorer or checking out files on your desktop. This can come in very handy since different directories have different viewing requirements. Image folders are going to serve you best if you can clearly see the thumbnails while large directories of miscellaneous files are going to be better with a small icon. The easy way of doing this is as follows:

1. Give the folder or desktop focus.

2. Press the Ctrl key while using your mouse scrollwheel to resize the icons.

Vista: Run System File Checker

System File Checker checks that all Windows files are where they should be and that they’re uncorrupted. If you’ve done all your virus and spyware checking, error checking and defragging, and Windows is still doing strange things, then SFC can avoid a reinstall.

1.      Open a Command Window in Administrator mode:

* click Start
* click All Programs, then Accessories
* right click on the Command Prompt option,
* on the drop down menu which appears, click on the Run as Administrator option.

* If you haven’t disabled User Account Control (and you shouldn’t!) you will be asked for authorisation. Click the Continue button if you are the administrator or insert the administrator password.

2. Start the System File Checker

* In the Command Prompt window, type: sfc /scannow,
* press Enter.
* You’ll see “the system scan will begin”.

The scan may take some time and windows will repair/replace any corrupt or missing files. You will be asked to insert your Vista DVD if it’s needed.

Close the Command Prompt Window when the job is finished.
One caveat: you need a Windows CD or DVD to enable SFC to make repairs. Don’t get suckered into buying any Windows computer with a Recovery or Restoration disc.