Windows Tips and Shortcuts
Here are some key commands, shortcuts, and techniques to help
manage The Librarian Side.
1. Open a new window
2. Using and managing multiple windows
3. Minimize, maximize, resize/restore a window
4. Collapse / restore all open windows
5. Copy and Paste
6. Undo the last move
7. Open Windows Explorer / locating files
8. Save a file to disk from a Web page
1. To open a second or third Internet Explorer (browser) window
There are a few ways to open a new window. (The first two methods are
preferred.)
USE: Desktop icon
Go to the desktop and click on the Internet Explorer icon.
USE: Start button
Go to the “Start” button, then to “Programs” and then to “Internet
Explorer”
USE: Window’s File menu
Get to an already open IE window and click on “file”, “new”, “window”.
Be cautious with this method because the new window that opens will
be identical to the one that is active at the time, so you might think that a
new one wasn’t opened.
USE: Key command “CTRL”+N
Get to an already open IE window and press on the "CTRL" key and the
letter “N” (as in new). The same caution applies to this technique as in
the last one – the new window will be an exact copy of the last one, so
you might think that a new window didn’t open.
2. Using and managing multiple windows
When you are working with a patron you may have as many as 5
windows open at once. There are a few tricks that will help you navigate
around and manage multiple open windows.
Think of your many open windows as being layered. It is not a flat
screen, but many different levels of windows. Notice the borders of each
window. The active window is the one in front of all the others – the top
layer. You can also tell if a window is active by the title bar. If the title bar
is dark blue, it is active. If the title bar is gray, the window is not active. It
is behind the front window.
Keep track of what windows you have open by looking at them in the
taskbar (usually at the bottom of your desktop/screen). They will
appear as labeled buttons on the taskbar. If you have a Web page open
its title will start with http://. If it is a word document, you will see the
Word Icon, and so on. Get used to looking at your taskbar to see what
windows you have open. The most recently opened window will be the
right-most button.
3. To minimize, maximize or resize a window
USE: Key command “Windows”+M
The fastest way to minimize windows is to use the key command –
"Windows" key (right between the "Ctrl" and the "Alt" key) and the letter
“M” (as in minimize). This will collapse all of your open windows into the
taskbar. Then, if there is only one window you want to have open, click
on its title.
USE: Window buttons - Minimize, Maximize, and Restore
You can also minimize windows, one at a time, by clicking on the minus
sign in the upper right corner (the Minus button). However, this method
is very slow.
The icon with the two boxes overlapping each other in the upper right
corner (the Restore button) resizes/reduces the window a predetermined
size (usually about half or two thirds of your screen).
The icon with the single box on it in the upper right hand corner (the
Maximize button) increases the window size to take up the whole
screen. When you do this you will not be able to see any other open
window on your screen. (You will be able to see it in the task bar,
though.)
2
USE: Right-click on Title Bar
Windows will not allow you to move a window totally off of the screen. It
forces some part of the blue title bar (located across the top of the
window) to remain in view. This way you can still access the window’s
controls. Right-clicking once anywhere on the title bar will display a
drop-down menu. You can then choose to minimize, maximize, close,
etc. the window.
USE: Drag and Drop
If you want to resize a window to a different size than the Restore button
will allow, you can do that manually. To resize a window manually,
position the mouse on any one of the window corners. (The mouse
pointer should change from an arrow to a line with an arrow at each
end.) Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse until the
outline of the window displays the size you want.
Keep in mind, that if you have the window maximized to the full screen,
you will not have this option. You must first resize the window with the
two boxes icon, then drag the corner.
4. To simultaneously re-open all collapsed windows
USE: Key command “Windows”+D
The key command – "Windows" key (right between the "Ctrl" and the
"Alt" key) and the letter “D” (as in desktop) will collapse all of your open
windows into the task bar. Then, if you want to restore the windows to
their original state, use this “toggle” key command again. This works
only if you used Windows/D to collapse the windows.
3
5. To Copy and Paste
There are many instances when you are working with a patron online
that you will need to copy and paste text. There are 2 ways to do this.
The first way is the fastest and is therefore preferred.
USE: Right Click, copy and paste
a. Highlight the entire text area that you want to copy.
b. Using the right button on the mouse, click on the highlighted text.
c. Choose “copy” from the list that appears in the grey box.
d. Go back to the window that you want to paste it into.
e. Put your curser in the space that you want the copied text to be
pasted into. (By clicking in that space)
f. Right click in that space and choose paste from the list that appears.
USE: “CTRL”+C, “CTRL”+V
a. Highlight the text that you want to copy
b. Hold down the "Ctrl" key and press on the letter “C” (as in copy)
c. Go back to the window that you want to paste the text into (by
clicking on it) and put your cursor in the space where you want to put
the text.
d. Hold down the "Ctrl" key and press on the letter “V” (as in, P was
already taken – for the print function!)
4
6. To undo the last move
USE: “CTRL”+Z
When you make a mistake and you want to go back to the way your
document was before the mistake, hold down the "Ctrl" key and press on
the letter “Z”
7. To open "Windows Explorer"
USE: “Windows”+E
(Not Internet Explorer. Windows Explorer is where you locate
documents on your computer)
a. Hold down the "Windows" key and press on the letter "E"
b. Once you have Windows Explorer open you can then go and look for
a document.
c. You may use this when you need to "share" a document that is
located (on your computer) somewhere other than the desktop.
8. To save a file to disk from a Web page (like a PDF)
USE: Right-click on link
When you want to share a document that you have found on a Web
page (like the IRS tax forms, which are PDF documents)
a. Right click on the link to the document (Do not open the document)
b. Choose "save target as"
c. Change the location to save the document to the desktop
d. Then you can "upload files" with the share button
Contributions by Kay Henshall, LSSI, 2/2001
