# Tech Tips
# General Tips
# CTRL + SHIFT + V: Paste without formatting
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-08/CTRL-+-SHIFT-+-V.png)
May be especially useful if pasting from one program to another (e.g. from a bulleted list in Word to an email or from a website to a spreadsheet cell).
Bonus: Ctrl + V pastes *with* formatting
# CTRL + SHIFT + T
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-09/CTRL-+-SHIFT-+-T.png)
Don't redo your search or try to remember what page you had open -- just bring back the tabs from whatever page they were on when you closed them.
# CTRL + F - Find on Page | CTRL + H - Find & Replace
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-09/CTRL-+-F.png)
# WINDOWS + SHIFT + S: Default Windows Screenshot
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-09/WIN-+-SHIFT-+-S-windows-default-screenshot.png)
**Default Windows Snipping Tool: WINDOWS + SHIFT + S**
Useful for:
- Sharing how to do something with step-by-step examples of your screen
- Submitting IT tickets that show exactly what you see on your screen
- Saving a screenshot of something you want to go see again later
# Windows Key + L
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-10/LOCK--SCREEN.png)
**Windows Key + L : Quickly locks your computer screen.**
**Make it a habit to do this every time you leave your computer** as one part of making our campus more cybersecure.
(The windows key is usually between Ctrl and Alt to the left of the spacebar.)
# CTRL + Scroll (up or down)
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-10/ctrl-+-scroll.png)
Useful for enlarging print in documents or seeing details in photos -- and then returning to your normal text size.
# Format Painter
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-10/Format-painter.png)
Use the format painter (the icon that looks like a paint roller in your word processor or spreadsheet toolbar) to quickly copy the formatting from one cell or paragraph to another.
Example: You've worked hard to format a spreadsheet cell just how you want it -- bold, colored text, highlighted, borders -- and you don't want to have to make all those changes to another cell to make it look the same. Use the format painter to apply all of those properties at once. Click the cell you like, then the format painter, and then the cell(s) you want to look the same.
# CTRL + Z and CTRL + Y
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-10/ctrl-z-ctrl-y.png)
Use to go back to earlier versions of a document, and then to revert to the newer one when you decide that was better after all.
# Double-click and Triple-click
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-10/double-click-triple-click.png)
This can be quicker than dragging to highlight. Just double- or triple-click somewhere in your word or paragraph, and your whole selection will be highlighted.
# CTRL + HOME: Jump to the beginning of a document or worksheet
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/Ctrl---Home.png)
Useful when you're in the middle of a long document or spreadsheet and want to get back to the beginning quickly.
# CTRL + END: Jump to the end of a document or worksheet
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/Ctrl---End.png)
Useful when you want to get to the end of a document quickly.
# Cut, Copy, & Paste Shortcuts
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-12/Cut-Copy-Paste.png)
Keyboard shortcuts for cut, copy, and paste may speed up your work.
# Emojis List
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-12/Emojis-list.png)
# Alt + Tab
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-12/ALT---TAB.png)
**Use Alt-Tab to quickly cycle between open windows.**
If you have several windows open, hold down the ALT key, then tap TAB repeatedly to move through the various windows.
# CamelCase
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-12/CamelCase.png)
# Fill out online forms faster
**Fill out online forms faster by minimizing the use of your mouse or trackpad.**
- Use the TAB key to move between fields.
- For dropdown fields, type the first letter of your choice and repeat it until you get the right selection. For instance, hitting the "m" five or six times usually gets you to Minnesota. Once you have the right one, tab to the next field.
# Open Multiple Windows Side-by-Side
**Drag a tab or window to an outer corner or side of your screen. When it snaps to the location you want, select another open window to place beside it.** They will line up nicely without manual adjustment. You can then adjust the relative size of the windows by dragging the gray bar between them.
Instead of dragging, you can also use keyboard shortcuts: **WINDOWS + arrow (left, right, up, down)** to snap the windows into place.
Here's a short screen recording of how it works:
**Update:** There's another (maybe even easier) way to accomplish this.
**Hover over the resize button** **(next to the X in the upper right corner of your browser) and select the layout you want**.
# Pin to Taskbar | Pin Tabs
**If you have a program or website that you use frequently, "pinning" it can make it easier to access.**
**Programs:** If there's a program or Windows tool that you use frequently -- like Excel, the calculator, or File Explorer -- you can pin it to the taskbar at the bottom of your screen so it's never more than a click away. When the program or app is open, **right-click on it in the taskbar and select *Pin to Taskbar*.** Now it will be easily accessible in the future.
**Tabs:** If you go to the same websites over and over during your day -- maybe Gmail, Portal, and Google Calendar -- you can pin those tabs to your browser. This moves them to the left end of the open tabs and reduces the size of the tab. To pin any open tab, **right-click on it and select *Pin tab.***
Both of these can be reversed by right-clicking and choosing the **Unpin** option.
# CTRL + S : Save
Use the CTRL + S shortcut to save your file. This works in most programs (Word, Excel, etc.) that don't automatically save your work.
# Bold, Italics, Underline
***Keyboard shortcuts:***
- **Ctrl + B: Bold**
- *Ctrl + I: Italics*
- Ctrl + U: Underline
# Jump through words with keyboard
Use Ctrl + arrow key to jump through words one at a time in a document.
# Windows + A
Windows + A opens the “Action Center,” where you can, among other things, adjust sound and display settings.
# Ctrl + A: Select All
Ctrl + A highlights your entire document or spreadsheet. Then you can make changes – font size, bold, italics – or copy it to paste somewhere else.
# Google Tips
# How to tab in Gmail
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-08/How-to-tab-in-Gmail.png)
Useful when working with bulleted lists or wanting to indent text and then return to normal left alignment.
# Snooze Gmail messages until later
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-09/Snooze-emails.png)
Use cases: Snooze meeting confirmations until the day of the meeting; snooze reminders until closer to their deadline; snooze other non-urgent messages until a less busy day.
# Gmail Schedule Send
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-09/Add-a-heading.png)
Schedule emails to be sent later: Click the arrow on the side of the "send" button, and click "Schedule send."
Useful for:
- Reminders for yourself: "Check with Joe about summer plans" on May 1.
- Reminders for others: Send an initial email with deadlines, then schedule reminders at intervals before the deadlines.
- Etiquette: If you know someone is on vacation, schedule sending non-urgent messages until their return.
- Write when you have time, send on someone else's deadline: Write Courier notes in advance and schedule them to send the week they're due.
# More Tips and Tricks
- [The Best Gmail Settings You Might Not Have Used Yet](https://www.wired.com/story/best-hidden-useful-gmail-settings/ "The Best Gmail Settings You Might Not Have Used Yet")
# Use .new to Create New Google Files
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-09/docs-new.png)
When you need to create a new Google Doc or Google Sheet on your computer, simply type "docs.new" or "sheets.new" or similar into your Chrome address bar when you're logged in to Google. A new file will be created in your Google Drive.
# Change Gmail "Undo Send" Time
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/Change-undo-send-time.png)
Useful if you've ever clicked send and then realized you shouldn't have sent it yet -- gives you additional time to comprehend and click the "undo send" button.
# Gmail Templates
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-12/Gmail-template.png)
# Edit vs Copy
[](https://help.mlc-wels.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2023-12/Edit-vs-copy.png)
# Google Calendar Appointment Schedules
Do you find yourself in a flurry of too many emails when you need to set up meetings or appointments? These tools can make the process easier.
- [Google Appointment Schedules](https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/10729749?hl=en) allow people to see your open times and schedule an appointment with you. If you keep your calendar current, the appointment schedule will avoid times when you're already booked. With the appointment schedule, people can select from one of your free times and easily schedule an appointment with you. [See an example of a Google appointment schedule.](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/AcZssZ3ymurguewx4YX2HZiDA_9trtTyJ43YVFmHXuM=)
- Meeting scheduling tools like [Doodle](https://doodle.com/en/) or [Rallly](https://rallly.co/) can help find a time when the most people can attend. Set up some potential meeting times, and people can indicate whether or not they're free with just a few clicks.
[Cal.com](https://cal.com/) is another similar tool. Choose the one that works for you to streamline your scheduling process.
# Google Drive Workspaces
Set up workspaces in Google Drive to organize your frequently-used files. You can have up to eight workspaces with at-a-glance access to five files in each, plus additional files when you click to open the workspace. [Learn more](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2375091#zippy=) about workspaces and other Google Drive organizational tools.
# Turn on notifications in Google Docs
Turn on notifications in Google Docs so you don’t miss changes to shared documents. This can be useful for meeting reports that may be updated after the link is sent or when people are editing a shared document. To turn on notifications, go to Tools→Notification Settings, and click the button in the Edits section for Added or Removed Content. You’ll then get an email each time the document is changed.
# Print the Tech Tips
# How to Print the Tech Tips
- ##### Go to the [**Tech Tips slides**.](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/161NdiJ4vV3xURoukvkVDznkYaqKKJ8plEiczyHFqiUc/edit?usp=sharing)
- ##### Go to **File --> Print Preview**.
- ##### **Select a format** from the dropdown, then click **Print.**
Note: This only works for the tips that have slides embedded.