Excel Tech Tip

Recently, a colleague sent me an Excel spreadsheet with the first column (Column A) hidden.

It took me a few minutes to realize what was going on--I could see a partial word in Column B and simply thought I needed to adjust the column width.   After fiddling with it for a few minutes, I realized that Column A was hidden and that the partial word was simply a word in Column A that continued into the Column B cell which didn't happen to have any data.

Give your colleagues your two cents!

Have you ever needed to gather the opinion or responses from some of your colleagues for an activity, event or other that is going on at work?  If so, then check out the "create poll" feature in Outlook.  It requires that you have an Exchange server to work but what a time saver it can be.

Double up and save time

Save time packing power equipment for your phone or laptop,  but two identical adapters or consider an iGo as your traveling companion.  I have an iGo tip set that I keep in my car and one that I carry with me to charge my laptop, phone, and a variety of accessories such as Bluetooth headset, wireless headphones and more.

IT Radix SPAM Tip of the Month

Our computers are being hijacked, and we may not even know it!  The term “hijack” means to illegally seize in transit and force to a different destination or use for ones own purpose, which is exactly what is being done right under our fingertips.

Fast Fingers and Keyboard Locks

Have you ever wanted to quickly lock your computer?  Perhaps for privacy, perhaps it’s part of your corporate security policy or in my case, to keep my son’s fast fingers from wreaking havoc on my laptop while I’m getting him something.  If this sounds like you, then read on.

I Like To Move It, Move It

Here's the last installment of our Windows keyboard shortcuts.
 
Move windows: One of Windows 7's best features, you can snap a window to the left or right of the screen and fit half of the screen exactly, or quickly maximize the window to full screen.

Making Use of Those Functions Keys

Here's some less common but still very useful keyboarding shortcuts.

Function keys: Press one of these keys at the top of your keyboard to quickly perform an action

F1: Open the Help page or window
F2: Rename an object (e.g., file in Windows Explorer)
F3: Find
F4: Shows the address bar in Windows Explorer
F5: Refreshes the page
F6: Moves to a different panel or screen element in a window or the desktop

Take a screenshot: Useful for pasting an image of your desktop or a certain program and sending to tech support

ALT+Print Screen: Capture a screenshot of a window
CTRL+Print Screen: Capture the entire screen/desktop

Windows 7 User?  Checking out the Snipping Tool for nifty screen shots too.

More Keyboard Shortcuts to Make IT Easier

These too have been around the block but are often forgotten

Working with Windows: Windows system shortcuts

CTRL+ALT+Delete: Bring up the Windows Task Manager
ALT+Tab: Show open applications so you can quickly jump to a different one
WIN+D: Show your desktop
WIN+L: Lock your computer
CTRL+Shift+N: Create a new folder
Shift+Delete: Delete an item immediately, without placing it in the recycle bin
ALT+Enter or ALT+Double-click: Go to the properties screen for files or folders 

P.S. I know I'm a geek but no, those aren't my pillows!

A Few Keyboard Shortcuts to Boost Productivity

These keyboard shortcuts have been in Windows since the beginning; however, they are worth repeating.

Move the cursors: Quickly jump the cursor to the beginning or end of your word, paragraph, or document.

CTRL+Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+Left Arrow: Move the cursor back to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+Down Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+Up Arrow: Move the cursor back to the beginning of the previous paragraph
CTRL+Home: Go to the start of a document
CTRL+End: Go to the end of a document

Give these a try and see how much more efficiently you can type that email! Check back next week for more.