Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch
This month I’d like to share a few tips that I’ve learned over the years. They’re little items that I’ve found helped make my computing faster and easier. These tips are on random subjects. I’ve found that all of them make my computing experience a little easier than before. Most tips work with all Windows versions, but I don’t guarantee it. I do know you can try them all for free.
You’ve probably heard of some of these tips and already use them all the time. I’m willing to bet you’ll find one or two things you can use to make your computing experience easier or faster.
If your computer has more than one processor, you can make it boot a little faster. Open System Configuration App (msconfig). Click the boot section and then click advanced options. Next, check the number of processors block. In the pulldown menu, select the largest number of processors and click OK. Now your computer will boot a little faster because it is using more processing power.
While configuration is open, you can also stop the Windows Boot Logo from slowing your startup time. Click the BOOT tab and check the No GUI Boot. Doing so removes the graphical moving bar. The downside is that if your system freezes during startup, you won’t know it.
In the same tab, you will see a “Timeout:” block set to the default of 30 seconds. When you first start your PC, a boot menu appears, giving you the option to start your computer in special modes. Decreasing the timeout will let you boot faster.
Do you sometimes lose sight of your mouse arrow? Some web pages snap it to somewhere else on the screen and sometimes it gets lost in the background. My clumsy finger often cause my cursor to move when I’m using my laptop touchpad. Open mouse properties in your control panel. Under pointer options, check “show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key”. Apply the settings and you will always find your cursor with a simple press of the CTRL key.
Speaking of the CTRL key, there is another key that is usually near it on most computer keyboards. You can save a lot of time by using the window key in combination with other keys. One of my favorite personal favorites is using Window Key-E to open Windows Explorer. With every upgrade to Windows, the Window Key seems to get more functions than ever before. If you do a web search for your operating system and Windows Key (or keyboard shortcuts), you will find several websites with lists of all the key functions you can use. Although a little harder to use, Microsoft has files of Keyboard shortcuts in Windows. There you will find complete lists for all supported operating systems and software. It won’t be long before you will find that the Windows Key will be a force of habit. This will make it easier for you to use your computer.
Why not take a minute, run the Services App (services.msc on older systems) and make your computer run a little faster. This will open a window with detailed information about the services (with detailed descriptions) that are running on your computer. You will find many that you do not need. To disable a service, double‑click on it and change the startup type. Remember that you can always change it back later if you find you need the service after all. If you need more information on a particular service, type the name into your favorite internet search engine. You’ll find out all that you need to know. Services are important, but every one that your computer doesn’t have to check up on will help it to run a little faster.
Why not print a little faster and save some money at the same time? Detailed prints take longer to produce. If you reduce the quality a little, you can print faster and save some ink. Open print properties in any program to change the settings. Look for draft mode or something similar.
Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.