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Windows tip: Trying to type letters with accent marks? Try this download

Windows tip: Trying to type letters with accent marks? Try this download

by ben patterson | Oct 6, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

A few weeks ago, I wrote a couple of columns on how to type letters with accent marks. Turns out it’s pretty easy on a Mac, but not so much on a Windows PC. Typing accent marks on an iMac or MacBook is a simple matter of holding down a letter key. But if you...
Windows 8 tip: View the taskbar anytime, even in a Windows 8 app

Windows 8 tip: View the taskbar anytime, even in a Windows 8 app

by ben patterson | Apr 10, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Yet another barrier between the new Windows 8 “Start” screen and the good-old Windows desktop just melted away, thanks to a just-released Windows update. Until now, the familiar Windows taskbar, which (typically) sits at the bottom of the screen in the...
Windows tip: Right-click a taskbar button for a time-saving “jump list”

Windows tip: Right-click a taskbar button for a time-saving “jump list”

by ben patterson | Mar 18, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

So, you may already know that “pinning” a Windows program to the desktop taskbar lets you launch your favorite apps with a single click. What you may not know, however, is that you can save even more time by right-clicking (rather than left-clicking) the...
Windows 8 tip: Miss the Start menu? Here’s the next best thing

Windows 8 tip: Miss the Start menu? Here’s the next best thing

by ben patterson | Feb 26, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Windows 8 has been with us for more than 15 months now, yet I still find myself pining for the missing Start menu. And while I welcomed the return of the Start button in last year’s Windows 8.1 update, well … it isn’t quite the same, now, is it?...
Windows tip: Make your PC “beep” when you press the Caps Lock key

Windows tip: Make your PC “beep” when you press the Caps Lock key

by ben patterson | Feb 13, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Lilyan writes: Read your tip about disabling the Cap Lock on a Mac. Is there a way to do it on a non-Mac computer? Thanks. Hi Lilyan! Unfortunately, because there are so many makes and models of Windows PCs, there’s no easy, one-size-fits-all way to disable the Caps...
Windows tip: Take a quick “Peek” at your bare desktop

Windows tip: Take a quick “Peek” at your bare desktop

by ben patterson | Feb 10, 2014 | desktops, laptops

Want to take a quick look at the files, folders and icons sitting on your Windows desktop, all without having to minimize all your open windows? If so, here’s a neat trick. Try this: just slide your mouse pointer to the very end of the Windows taskbar (for most...
Windows tip: 3 ways to take charge of your mouse buttons

Windows tip: 3 ways to take charge of your mouse buttons

by ben patterson | Jan 16, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Ever wish you could right-click with the left mouse button, double-click a bit more slowly, or highlight some text without straining your finger tendons? Do a little digging into your Windows system settings and you’ll find a trio of settings that could make...
Windows 8.1 tip: 8 ways to take charge of the Start screen

Windows 8.1 tip: 8 ways to take charge of the Start screen

by ben patterson | Dec 3, 2013 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

With its sleek design and its patchwork of multicolored, always-updating “tiles,” the new “Start” screen makes for one of the most eye-popping—and bewildering—experiences in Windows 8. Don’t let the flashy Start screen get the better of you, though. Here’s eight ways...
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