Time Saving Tips for PC Users

Accucam is taking a break from our usual programming to bring you these quick tips:

Use Hotkeys

One of the most effective and easiest ways to save time on any Windows computer is to use Hot Keys. From Excel to Chrome, the hotkeys below work in most Windows applications. If you perform a repetitive task in an application, see if there is a hot key for it. The more hotkeys you use, the more productive you will be.

Talk to your PC

Keying data into your PC takes time, so try dictating to your computer. To enter text using dictation, open the application, press the Windows key + H on your keyboard and start talking.
If this is the first time using Speech Recognition on your computer, click the settings link (see image below) to turn speech recognition on.
When you are finished dictating, press Windows + H again to stop recording your voice to text.

Use the Taskbar

Pinning your frequently used applications to the taskbar (see image below) saves time navigating through the Start menu or searching your desktop icons. Just right-click on any program in the Start menu list, choose More and Pin it to the taskbar. Right-click on a taskbar icon to remove it. Items on the desktop can simply be dragged and dropped on the taskbar.

Searching the Internet

The following tips will help you find what you need quickly.
- Use the minus/dash symbol to the left of a word to exclude it from the results. For example, you may be looking for a Windows wallpaper image and you find most of the results are pinterest images and don’t want have time to sign for up an account. Simply add -pinterest to your search string and it will be excluded from the results.

“  ” Double quotes help you find a specific phrase or word.  For example, entering “see Jack run” in google will return results with the exact words in the correct order. However, entering see Jack run without quotes will return see Spot run as the first hit, since it is the more common result.

Related: The related keyword is useful when researching an organization. Typing this in front of a web address, for example related: Accucam.com will return a list of websites including; memberships, job postings, LinkedIn page etc.

Close a browser tab by mistake? Just press CTRL + SHIFT + T to restore it.

Outlook Email

Use Folders. Organizing messages into folders is an obvious first step to saving time with email. Once you clear out your inbox, you can deal with messages as they arrive.

Schedule delivery. Compose your messages now but send them later. Just compose your message, then click Options > Delay Delivery > Do not deliver before, then specify the time and date you want it to go out.

Display Email as Conversations. This feature helps to make long email threads easier to digest by showing all connected messages in one conversation view. And it’s easy to activate — just click View > Show as Conversations

Use Rules. Automatically manage repetitive tasks such as filing or forwarding, using rules. For example, you can create a rule to move all your clients’ messages to a folder named ‘Urgent’ or to delete promotional/spam messages with the word ‘Offer/Discount’ as the subject. To set mail rules, go to ‘Files > Manage Rules and Alerts > and select ‘New Rule.’ This will bring up the Rule Wizard, where you’ll be prompted to pick one template under ‘Stay Organized’, ‘Stay Up-to-date’, or ‘Start from a Blank Rule’. Under each of these templates, you can set the conditions that will trigger the rule.

We hope you have found some of these tips, tricks and shortcuts useful. Accucam believes in efficiencies and productivity, even when it comes to our computer usage!