Vista Times Two
Here are two brand new Windows Vista tips for you!
Tip #1: Keep It Open
If you ever want to open more than one application in Windows Vista, without having to navigate through the whole Start menu, you can use a little known trick to keep the Start menu open after you click on an item. Keep reading to learn how!
To do so, just hold down the Shift key on your keyboard while you click on an item under the All Programs section. You’ll then notice that the Start menu stays open while the application loads behind it. It will look something like the image below. Cool, huh?!
Now, there are a few caveats, including:
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This trick only works on the All Programs menu if you are using the XP style menu in Windows XP.
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It doesn’t work at all with the Vista style Start menu.
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This works perfectly if you are using the Classic Start menu in either Windows Vista or Windows XP.
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Some applications will demand focus and the Start menu will automatically close.
Tip #2: Make Use of the Checkboxes
Here comes your second helping!
Windows Vista has a new feature in the Windows Explorer area that is very useful: checkboxes! Instead of holding down the Ctrl key and clicking a bunch of different files to select them, you can now just click the checkboxes. That means no more accidentally copying the files or getting to the bottom and losing your selection. The only thing is, it’s not turned on by default.
To enable this feature, go to the Organize menu and choose Folder and Search Options from the menu. From there, click the View tab and you should see this near the bottom:
Just checkmark the “Use checkboxes to select items” option and you will now be able to use the checkboxes!
Note: You can click the checkbox next to Name to select all of the files at once or you can use Ctrl + A to do the same. Have fun!
~ Ramachandran Kumaraswami