Throughout school, we were taught how to use a computer. This included using all of Microsoft Office's programs and a few tricks here and there. However, no one ever teaches us the real essentials when working on a computer.
There are so many different computer tips and tricks that we're not taught in our computer classes. The worst part about it is that these tricks are extremely helpful when using your computer on a daily basis. For example, why scavenge through a website page looking for a specific detail when you can hit "ctrl" + "f" to bring up a find box?
This is just one of the many tricks that are there to help us have a better computer experience but are sometimes hidden. Don't keep doing things the hard way. It's time to learn the secrets behind our computers that we never knew about before!
Continue reading below to learn more!
1. Save My Tab
How many times have you been working online and without meaning to, accidentally closed a tab that you needed? This mistake is frustrating and can be costly at times. For example, if you're working on a project and are using a website to get vital information off of, and you close out of it by mistake, it could take you some time to find it again.
When on a tight deadline, losing time is not an option. Instead of panicking, take a deep breath and press "ctrl" + "shift" + "T" to feel relief. This will automatically open up the last tab that was closed.
You can get back to what you were doing with no time loss. For Mac users, you'll press "cmd" + "shift" + "T."
2. Copy My File
Copying files on your computer is a bit time consuming when you have to go into your computer's files, right-click it, copy the file, and then do what you need with it. Instead of taking all of these unnecessary steps, there's a much easier way of getting it done.
To copy a file on your computer, hold down the "ctrl" key or the "alt" key on a Mac and click and drag the file. This trick automatically creates a copy of the file that you can then place anywhere you'd like by dragging the file to its location and unclicking it.
3. Find My Image
If you're a fan of the MTV show, "Catfish," then you've most likely seen them do a reverse image search when trying to catch the culprit. This trick is pretty neat, but the casts of the show never let us in on how they get the job done. Thankfully, it's quite simple to do.
When using Google Chrome, press "S" while right-clicking on an image. This will complete an image reverse search for you. You'll then discover where the picture came from originally and all of its locations on the web.
4. Clear My Cache
If you're someone who uses their computer a lot, whether it be for gaming, work, or even pleasure, there's a good chance that your cache needs to be cleared on a consistent basis. Failure to do so could lead to your browser becoming slower and slower each day.
Going through the different steps to clear your cache takes some time. And all browsers and computers are different so the steps to get there change. However, there's a much easier way to clear your cache other than searching in your browser through all its settings.
Instead, press "ctrl" + "shift" + "R" to clear the cache and reload the page.
5. Undo My Mistake
If you've ever had to write a paper on a program other than Microsoft Word, then you know how traumatizing it can be to make mistakes. For example, college students are often asked to write discussion boards online in their college's dashboard. Without Microsoft Word, there are no wonderful features that we've all grown to love.
If you've ever erased something or changed the formatting of something and didn't mean to, don't sweat about it. There's a quick and simple fix that you can use when working either online or offline. Press "ctrl" + "Z" to undo the last thing that you did.
6. Access My Mac
Have you ever wished that you could have access to your Mac from any location? Although the process might seem complicated, it's fairly simple. To gain a remote desktop connection on Mac from somewhere else, you'll need to login to your Mac from another computer.
To do this, you'll need to go to "System Preferences > Sharing." Then, select "Remote Login." You can then choose who you want to have access to your Mac. There are also several apps available to help as well.
For example, you can use Remote Desktop, which is available in the App Store.
7. Close My Program
If you use your computer enough, then you've experienced a situation where you want to close a running program. Even the best computers sometimes have glitches or problems with specific programs. When this happens, closing them can be a task.
Even if your computer isn't experiencing a problem with a program, there's still a much easier way to close it than using your mouse and arrow. Pressing "alt" + "f4" will end the program that's currently running on your computer.
Try Out These Computer Tips Today!
Working on a computer on a consistent basis allows you time to discover some pretty cool tricks. Try out these computer tips today to see which ones help you out the most.
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