Quick Source Tips

Here is a really helpful way to use find and replace to quickly format text.

• Click the Replace button in the Editing group on the Home tab.
• Enter the text you want to format in the Find what box.
• Enter the same text in the Replace with box.
• Click the More button.
• Click the Format button.
• Select the format type from the resulting menu.
• Make formatting selections.
• Click the Find Next button.

Here are some really useful keyboard shortcut to help you navigate in Windows Vista. In an open Explorer window:

• Alt + Up arrow key: takes you to the next directory up in your folder hierarchy. Keep pressing Alt + Up arrow key to quickly get to your Desktop folder.
• Alt + Right arrow key: takes you forward.
• Alt + Left arrow key: takes you back.
• F4: opens the address bar pop-up menu.

I use this feature a lot, espeically if I am working on a Word file that someone else created and I can’t seem to figure out the formatting that they applied. To clear all of the formatting and start fresh, click the Clear Formatting button in Font group or press Ctrl + Shift + N.

To quickly search your music library for all songs from a specific artist, find a song by the artist you want, and gently hold a finger on screen directly over the artist’s name. After a few seconds, all songs from that artist will appear on screen.

Did you know that you can block mail from specific countries that use top-level doamin codes such as .ca or .us?

1. Select options from the Tools menu.
2. Click the Junk E-mail button.
3. Click on the International tab.
4. Click the Blocked Top-Level Domain List button.
5. Check the boxes next to the countries you want to block.
6. Click the OK button to close all remaining open dialog box.

The Windows key (located on your keyboard between the Alt and Ctrl keys) allows you to utilize some nifty shortcuts in Windows Vista:

• Windows Key-Opens or closes the Start menu
• Windows Key + D-Displays the desktop
• Windows Key + M-Minimizes all windows
• Windows Key + SHIFT + M-Restores minimized windows
• Windows Key + E-Opens Computer folder
• Windows Key + F-Opens Search window
• Windows Key + L-Locks your computer or switch users
• Windows Key + T-Cycles through programs on the taskbar
• Windows Key + TAB-Cycles through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• Windows Key + SPACEBAR-Brings all gadgets to the front and select Windows Sidebar
• Windows Key + G-Cycles through Sidebar gadgets
• Windows Key+U-Opens Ease of Access Center
• Windows Key+X-Opens Windows Mobility Center

My personal favorite and one that I use several times a day is Windows Key + M. It is a quick way to clear your screen…especially when the boss is coming!

You can make your Desktop look cleaner by hiding the text under an application icon.

1. Right-click the icon on your Desktop.
2. Enter Alt + 255. (You must use your keypad to enter the numbers.)
3. Press the Enter key.
4. Optional: To hide text on another icon you must enter the combination twice (Alt + 255, Alt + 255), to hide text on a third icon you must enter the combination three times, etc.

Note that it is not recommended to do this for folder or file icons.

To quickly add an attachment to a message that you are creating, simply drag the file from your desktop or open folder window into the message.

You can quickly create a line across the page of a Word or Outlook document with just a few keystrokes.

• Type three consecutive hyphens and press the Enter key to get a normal line.
• Type three underscores and press the Enter key to get a bold line.
• Type three equal signs and press the Enter key to get a double line.

Paste Special is a command that most of us know about, but I have rarely used much until recently. I copy and paste tons of information from the Web into my Office documents. But when you do that you get links, formatting, and tables that you might not want in your document. This is where Paste Special comes in handy.

1. In Office 2007 documents, click the arrow on the Paste button.
2. Select Paste Special from the resulting menu.
3. Select Unformatted Text (or Text in Excel 2007).
4. Click the OK button.

You can also use the Paste Special default shortcut in Office 2007: Ctrl + Alt + V