Nothing will make you feel more at home with a new operating system like knowing the tips and tricks that can help you to be as productive as possible. And Windows 7 is packed is full of productivity secrets. Let’s explore a few.
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Keyboard Magic
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Windows 7 allows you to use the keyboard in some pretty imaginative ways. For instance, to quickly dock the current application to the left or right side of your screen, hold down the Windows key and tap the left or right arrow keys. To quickly maximize the current window, hold down the Windows key and tap the up arrow key. To return the application to its former size, hold down the Windows key and tap the down arrow key. To minimize all open applications except the one in the foreground, hold down the Windows key and tap the Home key. The same key combination returns all applications to the state they were in before you pressed Windows key-Home.
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The Windows key in combination with the numbers along the top of your keyboard can be used to activate minimized applications as they are represented in your Windows taskbar. Windows key+1 restores the first application icons on the taskbar. Windows key+2 restores the second application, and so on. For instance, if Internet Explorer is the first icon on your taskbar, pressing Windows key+1 will bring Internet Explorer to the foreground. Press Windows key+1 again, and Explorer is minimized again to the taskbar.
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If you have multiple instances of Windows Explorer — or another application — minimized to the taskbar, keep pressing the Windows key and the appropriate number to cycle through the instances of the running application.
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Drag and Snap
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Windows 7’s new drag and snap feature will automatically dock and resize a running application if you drag it to either the left…