The Best PC Shortcuts You Should Know

Customizeable mouse, keyboard shortcuts, Keyboards, Ophtek, PC Shortcuts, Productivity, , ,
02
Feb 2021

Anything that can increase your productivity is a godsend. If it’s a simple process it’s even better. And that’s exactly what you can do with a PC shortcut.

Working with a mouse and a keyboard at the same time can become a fiddly task. But, thankfully, much of this complexity can be removed by using PC shortcuts. When we say PC shortcut we’re not referring to the icons on your desktop that launch applications. We’re talking about quick tricks that you can execute in seconds to save you time. These mostly involve either the keyboard or the mouse and you should be able to start implementing them immediately.

Increasing Your Productivity

The best PC shortcuts you should know are:

  • Switching Apps: When you have numerous applications open it can be difficult to navigate your way between them with a mouse. However, if you hold down the ALT key and then tap the TAB key you can quickly switch between each application. A mini preview window will open in the center of the screen to make things as simple as possible.
  • Select a Paragraph: If you want to select an entire paragraph of text to move, copy or delete then you have two options. The first is to manually click and drag your mouse cursor over the entire text. The second, and much quicker, option is to do a triple click of the left mouse button anywhere on the paragraph.
  • Select Everything: If you want to select everything in, for example, a Word document, a text box in any application or even MS Paint, all you have to do is press and hold the CTRL key and then the A key. This will highlight everything instantly and allows you action further processes immediately.
  • Close Your Current Window: The most common way to close a window on your PC is by clicking the X icon in the top right corner. But sometimes this may not be visible or your mouse may not be working correctly. In these cases you can still close the window quickly by pressing and holding the ALT key and then the F4 key.
  • Rescue Your Closed Browser Tab: We’ve all closed a tab on our internet browser by mistake and not been able to remember the address. Rather than digging through your internet history, though, there’s a quick way to re-open that tab. In most internet browsers, if you click and hold the SHIFT key and then the CTRL key and finally the T key, your last closed tab will be re-opened.
  • Zoom In: There’s always a need to zoom in on documents and images, but finding the zoom function in an app isn’t always easy.  There is, however, a quick solution. If you hold down the control key and then move the scroll wheel of a mouse up and down then you should zoom in and out. This works in a wide range of applications such as MS Office, Chrome, Firefox and most graphic design software.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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5 Things That Are Slowing Your PC Down

Best Practices, Data Security, Data Storage, disk cleanup, Hacking, IT Efficiency, Ophtek, PC Tips, PC Tools, Speed, , , ,
29
Sep 2020

We live in a high speed age which allows us to be more productive than ever, but if anything can throw a wrench in the works it’s a slow PC.

The experience of a slow and sluggish PC is one that everyone is familiar with. And dealing with this frustration never gets easier. In fact, a PC which regularly slows down can have a serious impact on your job productivity. The complexities of the inner workings of a PC mean that identifying the exact cause is difficult. But this doesn’t mean you need to continue struggling.
It’s possible, with relative ease, to employ a number of methods and practices that will help restore your PCs speed.

5 Steps Towards a Faster PC

If you want to start ramping your productivity back up then make sure you look at the following:

  1. Defragment Your Hard Drive: A PC is, essentially, a data storage device. But the data stored on a PC needs to be retrieved every time it’s required. And the more data you store on your PC the more uneven this data distribution is. The end result is fragmented data that becomes increasingly harder to piece together. Naturally, this means that processes take longer to complete. Performing a disk defragmentation will help to reorganize your data and can easily be achieved with the Microsoft Drive Optimizer app.
  2. Browser Add-Ons: Installing add-ons to your web browser can help to maximize your online productivity, but too many can start to slow down your browsing experience. It’s common, however, to install add-ons that soon fall into disuse and no longer serve any purpose. Therefore, if your speed issues are only apparent when you’re using your browser, it may be worth evaluating your active add-ons and disabling any you don’t need.
  3. Start-up Programs: When a PC loads up it will automatically load up a long list of programs that are listed in your System Configuration. The more programs that are listed in System Configuration then the longer your PC will take to load up. Many of these programs, though, are not necessary during the start-up process e.g. a messaging app that you don’t use regularly. To avoid a bloated start-up experience just head into MSConfig and check what’s included in your start-up.
  4. Hard Drive Space: Your hard drive may, for example, have a capacity of 500GB but it’s not recommended to fill it to breaking point. The operating system on your PC needs a certain amount of hard drive space to carry out essential tasks such as creating temporary files. And if this space isn’t available then your PC will struggle to operate correctly. Regularly evaluating what is on your PC and what can be removed is crucial to avoid this.
  5. Malware: Hackers are keen to take control of PCs through the use of resource-heavy malware. Depending on the nature of the malware, such as a DDoS attack, your PCs memory can soon become overloaded and grind to a halt. Accordingly, you need to maintain good security practices to prevent the impact of malware.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The Best Ways to Keep Your PC Organized

Best Practices, Ophtek, Organize, PC, Security, Updates, , , , ,
30
Jun 2020

The workplace can be a very stressful environment, so it’s vital that you keep organized. Key to this organization is a PC which doesn’t cause you stress.

It’s likely that your PC is your most important tool at work. After all, they can do almost anything from creative tasks through to data handling and communicating. But this is only possible if your PC remains organized. A badly organized PC will not only hinder your productivity, but it can have a negative impact on the health of your system.

The best workplaces avoid these shortcomings by making sure that employees follow simple, yet effective methods for organizing their PCs. And, as luck would have it, we’re going to share these with you today.

Keeping Your PC Organized

You don’t need a degree in computer science to keep your PC organized. You just need to follow these best practices:

  • Tidy Up Your Desktop: A cluttered desktop quickly becomes difficult to navigate, so it’s crucial that you keep it tidy. Ideally, your desktop should only ever contain shortcuts to the apps you use the most. Saving random files to your desktop may seem quick in the short term, but, in the long term, it makes finding everything on your desktop more difficult. 
  • Audit Your Files: No two files are the same and, accordingly, they will all have different lifespans in terms of usefulness. A spreadsheet on outgoing costs, for example, is likely to be something you regularly use. But a spreadsheet detailing a one off order is going to experience less usage. Therefore, it’s a good idea to regularly go through your files and see which can be archived and which should be kept on your system. This will free up storage on your PC and allow you to find useful files more quickly. 
  • Use a Structured Folder System: Structure is the backbone of all organization and, as a result, it should be integrated into your folder system. And this should be more extensive that just moving everything into My Documents. Everyone, of course, will need and want a different system as our brains all work differently. But what’s crucial is that you breakdown all your files into their simplest terms e.g. specific client names and then into increasingly specific folders such as customer orders, correspondence and contact details. 

Final Thoughts

A well- organized PC allows an employee to work to their full potential. It’s essential that all your employees are in this position as it will provide a massive boost to your productivity. Best of all, the most effective solutions are also some of the easiest to implement. However, consistency is crucial when it comes to organization, so make sure these best practices are regularly followed.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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How to Work Safely on your Home PC

coronavirus, IT Best Practices, Ophtek, PC Server, Security, Tech Support, Updates, , , ,
09
Jun 2020

Workplace PCs tend to be more protected than those found in our homes. Therefore, you need to make sure you always work safely on your home PC.

With remote working on the rise, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important that we don’t take our eye off the ball when it comes to security. Organizations, naturally, have more finances to invest and enhanced IT expertise, but it’s still easy to stay safe at home. All you need to do is know how to protect yourself. And, to get you started, we’re going to share some fantastic ways to make sure you remain safe.

Working Safely on your Home PC

Safety on your home PC can be achieved quickly and easily by following these best practices:

  • Implement All Updates: Software and hardware updates are crucial when it comes to getting the best IT experience. And, of course, they maximize your security. This is why you need to install all updates as soon as possible. Sometimes these updates will be automatic, but they will often need direct authorization from the user. Either way, the install process is simple and requires little more than a short wait. 

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Declutter Your PC to Work More Productively from Home

archive, ccleaner, Cloud Storage, Data Storage, disk cleanup, IT Efficiency, Ophtek, , , , ,
26
May 2020

Working on a home PC is very different to working on a workplace PC. But there’s one thing they both have in common: they get cluttered.

Over time, PCs tend to accumulate a lot of junk. This can be rather obvious such as a desktop packed full of shortcuts and files. Or it can less noticeable to the user as, for example, in the case of a registry riddled with redundant information. The end result, either way, is the same: it makes working on a PC difficult. Navigating your way around folders can become a nightmare and it’s likely that the speed of your PC will also be affected.

As the majority of us are working from home at the moment, it’s important that we declutter our PCs. It’s a move which will make working from home easier and help you remain productive.

The Best Ways to Declutter Your PC

It’s easy to declutter your PC and, best of all, you can start making changes in an instant. Make sure you carry out the following:

  • Cleanup Your Desktop: A desktop which is cluttered can make life very difficult. Quickly finding the file or shortcut that you need can soon become a tiresome exercise. And it’s likely that the majority of items on your desktop are not required e.g. shortcuts to deleted or barely used apps. However, you don’t need to put up with this. And you have two choices: delete unnecessary or relocate items into grouped folders e.g. “Q1 Projects” 
  • Use a Registry Cleaner: The Windows registry is a section of your PC which holds all the settings and values related to hardware and software on the machine. It’s an important database, but it can soon build up with junk e.g. invalid entries which are no longer relevant. And this can slow down your PC and cause numerous errors. Accordingly, you need to keep it clean and this can be achieved with a registry cleaner such as CCleaner. These apps clean up invalid registry entries and minimize the risk of system errors. 
  • Empty Your Recycle Bin: Your recycle bin can soon build up significant junk and this can put a strain on your hard drive. A hard drive that is packed full of data is going to struggle to perform to its maximum. This is why it’s crucial you regularly empty the recycle bin as it can hold huge amounts of data. Even better, make sure you set a limit to the maximum amount of junk it can hold. To do this just right click the recycle bin and go into the properties section where you can customize the maximum size that can be held. 
  • Archive Your Files: Your home PC is likely to be full of various documents, but if you haven’t accessed them in six months then it’s unlikely you regularly need them. However, this isn’t to say you will never need them, so deleting them would be an extreme move. Instead, you can identify older documents and archive them into appropriate folders and sub-folders e.g. “2019 > Utility Bills”

By putting just these four methods into practice you will find that using your home PC suddenly becomes much easier. And, as a result, you will become more productive and complete your work more effectively.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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