# Useful computer tricks...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 21, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974 "2010-08-21T15:47:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/1 "2010-08-21T15:47:29Z")
… you didn’t know until recently.
I found out recently that you can copy the text of an error message to the clipboard using ctrl-c (that sound obvious, but it goes against the instinct of needing to select what you are copying first)
I’ve learned a few neat things in recent weeks/months but I wanted to get this post off to a start with just one and give others the space to add theirs (yours)
Any neat tricks you’ve learned recently? Any obscure tricks you think not many people know about (and would benefit from knowing!)
---
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/2 "2010-08-21T16:08:46Z")
Got a PC with a parallel port printer? Go into the BIOS and press PrtSc.
---
### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/3 "2010-08-21T19:37:48Z")
> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> … you didn’t know until recently.
>
> I found out recently that you can copy the text of an error message to the clipboard using ctrl-c (that sound obvious, but it goes against the instinct of needing to select what you are copying first)
>
> I’ve learned a few neat things in recent weeks/months but I wanted to get this post off to a start with just one and give others the space to add theirs (yours)
>
> Any neat tricks you’ve learned recently? Any obscure tricks you think not many people know about (and would benefit from knowing!)
Whoa.
---
### Author:  [@RhapsodyInBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RhapsodyInBlue)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/4 "2010-08-21T22:20:41Z")
If you’re doing a report in Excel that requires something with multiple lines of text within the same cell, like an address, press ALT + ENTER at the end of each line to generate a new line feed.
So your address (or whatever) looks like:
XYZ Company
123 Main Street
Anytown
Rather than:
XYZ Company 123 Main Street Anytown
To create a screen capture, use FN + PRINT SCREEN to capture; then CTRL + V to paste the picture in another document.
---
### Author:  [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/5 "2010-08-21T22:47:29Z")
In a UNIX/Linux/OSX (maybe) terminal, pressing CTRL+s (which is relatively easy to press accidentally) will “lock” the terminal; basically, making it look as if no key press does anything and freezing feedback. Press CTRL+q to resume to normal operation.
---
### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/6 "2010-08-21T23:25:04Z")
> [@RhapsodyInBlue](#):
>
> To create a screen capture, use FN + PRINT SCREEN to capture; then CTRL + V to paste the picture in another document.
You can also press Alt+Print Screen to make it take only the in focus window.
---
### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/7 "2010-08-22T00:23:57Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#):
>
> > [@RhapsodyInBlue](#):
> >
> > To create a screen capture, use FN + PRINT SCREEN to capture; then CTRL + V to paste the picture in another document.
>
> You can also press Alt+Print Screen to make it take only the in focus window.
I was just going to post this one. As a software developer I am always getting screen shots of error messages from our users, except that they use “Print Screen” and send me the entire desktop with a tiny little error message in the middle that I can barely read. Alt+PrintScreen rocks.
You can use Ctrl + Alt + arrow keys to rotate the display. It’s fun to use this one to mess with someone at work who has walked away from their computer without locking the desktop first.
---
### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/8 "2010-08-22T01:32:52Z")
I’ve known these for years, but most people don’t:
1. In Excel, pressing F4 will repeat the previous command.
2. In Word, if you highlight text and press SHIFT/F3, it will toggle through to change the capitalization from all lower case to Capitalized to ALL CAPS.
3. When scrolling down a page, don’t click on the down arrow on the right, which scrolls one line at a time. Click on the space just _above_ the down arrow. That scrolls down a screen at a time. Alternatively, in a web browser, press the Spacebar.
4. To open a page in a new tab, use the scroll wheel to click on a link. To close a tab, click on the tab with the scroll wheel. Works on MSIE, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome.
---
### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/9 "2010-08-22T03:51:17Z")
> [@RhapsodyInBlue](#):
>
> To create a screen capture, use FN + PRINT SCREEN to capture; then CTRL + V to paste the picture in another document.
What is “FN?”
Joe
---
### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/10 "2010-08-22T04:20:13Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#):
>
> > [@RhapsodyInBlue](#):
> >
> > To create a screen capture, use FN + PRINT SCREEN to capture; then CTRL + V to paste the picture in another document.
>
> What is “FN?”
>
> Joe
It’s the alternate function key available on a lot of laptop keyboards.
---
### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/11 "2010-08-22T04:43:14Z")
> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> … you didn’t know until recently.
>
> I found out recently that you can copy the text of an error message to the clipboard using ctrl-c (that sound obvious, but it goes against the instinct of needing to select what you are copying first)
>
> I’ve learned a few neat things in recent weeks/months but I wanted to get this post off to a start with just one and give others the space to add theirs (yours)
>
> Any neat tricks you’ve learned recently? Any obscure tricks you think not many people know about (and would benefit from knowing!)
In all of my years of working with computers I have not been aware that you could copy error messages in that way. I often Google error messages and I’ve always been frustrated by the fact that you couldn’t select the text. I’ve always ended up retyping the message. It never occurred to me to just hit ctrl-c. Thank you for that tip.
---
### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/12 "2010-08-22T05:13:23Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> > [@wheresgeorge04](#):
> >
> > What is “FN?”
> >
> > Joe
>
> It’s the alternate function key available on a lot of laptop keyboards.
Ah. I don’t have a laptop, so I guess I don’t have one of those keys.
Joe
---
### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/13 "2010-08-22T05:24:44Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#):
>
> > [@Mahaloth](#):
> >
> > It’s the alternate function key available on a lot of laptop keyboards.
>
> Ah. I don’t have a laptop, so I guess I don’t have one of those keys.
>
> Joe
Some desktop keyboards have them too, especially Mac ones.
---
### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/14 "2010-08-22T05:26:18Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#):
>
> In a UNIX/Linux/OSX (maybe) terminal, pressing CTRL+s (which is relatively easy to press accidentally) will “lock” the terminal; basically, making it look as if no key press does anything and freezing feedback. Press CTRL+q to resume to normal operation.
On many terminal emulaters, _any_ keystroke would unlock after Ctrl-S. First time I encountered the other kind, I told manager my terminal had failed and was going home! “Nice try,” he said. “Press ctrl-Q.”
---
### Author:  [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/15 "2010-08-22T14:54:15Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> 1. To open a page in a new tab, use the scroll wheel to click on a link. To close a tab, click on the tab with the scroll wheel. Works on MSIE, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome.
I just discovered that clicking the scroll wheel on a folder full of bookmarks will open ALL of them in new tabs. (I just had to close thirty-seven YouTube links.)
---
### Author:  [@arseNal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arseNal)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/16 "2010-08-22T19:59:25Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#):
>
> In a UNIX/Linux/OSX (maybe) terminal, pressing CTRL+s (which is relatively easy to press accidentally) will “lock” the terminal; basically, making it look as if no key press does anything and freezing feedback. Press CTRL+q to resume to normal operation.
WTF. This is why my terminal mysteriously stops responding to me sometimes? Because I was trying to move the cursor to the beginning of the line and missed ctrl-A?
Thanks, this will surely save me some frustration down the line now that I know I just need to unlock it with ctrl-Q.
---
### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/17 "2010-08-22T20:54:51Z")
Wait, can I mess with people at work on OS X by “control s-ing” them?
---
### Author:  [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/18 "2010-08-22T21:03:38Z")
If you want to save a pic off a web page but is blocked with some kind of copyright guard, or is part of a flash window, you can use a couple of alternate methods.
This works in Foxfire. Don’t know if it works in IE.
1. R-click on a white part of the page
2. Click View Page Info.
3. Click the Media tab.
4. It will show a whole list of the images on that page, and clicking on a list item shows the image on the space below. Hunt for the one you want then click Save As.
This method should work for any browser on a PC:
1. Hit Print Screen on your keyboard.
2. Go to Start\>Programs\>Accessories\>Paint.
3. Paste with cntl-v or Edit\>Paste.
4. This gives you the entire screen. You can delete the area outside the pic you don’t want by using the rectangle selection tool (upper right on the toolbar). Click-and-drag around the picture border, then select Image\>Crop.
5. Go to File\>Save and give it a file name.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/19 "2010-08-22T21:08:25Z")
Control-S doesn’t appear to do anything in an OSX terminal.
---
### Author:  [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974/20 "2010-08-22T22:29:41Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#):
>
> If you want to save a pic off a web page but is blocked with some kind of copyright guard, or is part of a flash window, you can use a couple of alternate methods.
>
> This works in Foxfire. Don’t know if it works in IE.
>
> 1. R-click on a white part of the page
> 2. Click View Page Info.
> 3. Click the Media tab.
> 4. It will show a whole list of the images on that page, and clicking on a list item shows the image on the space below. Hunt for the one you want then click Save As.
Even using a browser without a media tab, you can hunt through the html source and look for the filename. It can be a bit of a pain but you should be able to find it eventually. I had to do this a few times at work when I only had access to IE 6.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-computer-tricks/550974.md?page=2)