FREE Computer Tips & Tricks, Shortcuts, Time-Savers

The techniques I will show you work in any version of Word, past, present, and most likely future as well. The techniques often utilize the keyboard, so if you are a die-hard mouser, don’t change the channel yet. There’s a very important reason for using the keyboard, and it ain’t just to impress people. Not only do keyboard shortcuts speed up your work, but they help your physiology too. You can avoid repetitive stress injuries by varying how you use the computer (especially important if you spend more than an hour a day at a computer).

Not only that, but these techniques are real time-savers too! You may know some of these, but I posit you will find at least a few useful tricks to add to your arsenal.

By the way, there is a lot of material here, so I suggest breaking up your sessions over a day or two. Definitely print out this article and try out the techniques in Word. You’ll be so glad you did.

a.       This one’s killer! If you want to make text larger or smaller, from the keyboard, highlight the word (double-click is easiest). Then, from the keyboard, press: Control + Shift + > (the “>” symbol is the period key, shifted).

b.      To make text smaller, oh, you probably already guessed it: Control + Shift + < (the “<” key is the comma key, shifted).

                                                   i.      Note: the fonts jump between the sizes listed in the font drop-down list

2.       Change font styles, from the keyboard

a.       Highlight a word or phrase. Then press:

                                                   i.      Control + B to make it bold

1.       Control + B again makes it unbold

                                                 ii.      Control + I to make it italic

1.       Control + I again to make it normal text

                                                iii.      Control + U to make it underlined

1.       Control + U again to remove theunderline

                                               iv.      Control + R to right-align text

                                                 v.      Control + L to left-align text

                                               vi.      Control + E to center text (“c” won’t work because it’s another shortcut!)

a.       Move to beginning of a line: HOME key

b.      Move to end of a line: END key

c.       Move to beginning of document: Control + HOME key

d.      Move to end of document: Control + END key

e.      Move one character right/left: right/left ARROW keys

f.        Jump one word at a time, right/left: Control + ARROW keys

g.       Move one line up/down: up/down ARROW keys

h.      Move one paragraph up/down: Control + ARROW keys

a.       Now for the really fun part! Every single trick listed above in the “moving tricks” section will also highlight (select) text, if you just throw in the Shift key! This is mind-blowing, and so awesome! I will relist them for you, with the addition of the Shift key:

                                                   i.      Highlight to beginning of a line: Shift + HOME key

                                                 ii.      Highlight to end of a line: Shift + END key

                                                iii.      Select to beginning of document: Shift + Control + HOME key

                                               iv.      Select to end of document: Shift + Control + END key

                                                 v.      Select one character right/left: Shift + right/left ARROW keys

                                               vi.      Select one word at a time, right/left: Shift + Control + ARROW keys

                                              vii.      Select one line up/down: Shift + up/down ARROW keys

                                            viii.      Select one paragraph up/down: Shift + Control + ARROW keys

b.      Note: these tricks also deselect or un-highlight; just use them backwards! So if Shift + right ARROW selects one character to the right, Shift + left ARROW deselects to the left! Now you don’t have to worry if you overshoot on a selection; you have absolute control with these powerful techniques!

a.       But wait, there’s more! Now this trick does use the mouse, so you can rest easy.

                                                   i.      Double-click to select a word

                                                 ii.      Triple-click to select a paragraph

b.      Shift-Click Trick. Now this one’s Killer! Have you ever tried to highlight a page and half, only to discover you went too far? Well, you can always adjust the selection with the techniques I have already shared above, or you could just use this fabulous little gem of a trick:

                                                   i.      Click where you want the selection to start

                                                 ii.      Hold the Shift key down, and while still holding shift key, click where you want the selection to end.

1.       You can scroll to a different page after the first step; just remember to hold shift while you make your second click.

2.       Hold shift a tiny bit longer than your mouse click; otherwise the selection will not work (it will just move the cursor).

a.       This is such a powerful technique, and one I rarely ever see people use, that it deserves its own number. If you look closely at the picture, you will see the dotted red outline area to the left of the text. This area has a special name in word: it is called the Selection Bar:

                                                   i.      Notice that the mouse arrow is pointing to the right instead of to the left; this is how you know you’re in the selection bar (if the mouse cursor looks like an I-beam, you are not in the selection bar).

b.      Now with your mouse in the selection bar, the following tricks work:

                                                   i.      Click to select a single line

                                                 ii.      Double-click to select a paragraph

                                                iii.      Triple-click to select…the whole document!

                                               iv.      Or, click and drag to select a line at a time, up or down

c.       This one is really worth your time, so play with it!

7.       4 Universal Tricks. We’ll finish out this article with the 4 most common shortcuts in all of Computerdom (or should I say, “computer-dumb”?), and another Word trick thrown in as well. These techniques work in Word, but they also work in every other program you have installed on your computer (OK, maybe 99.9%, but the point is, they are universal tricks). Perhaps you know these, but if you don’t, you need to! Here you go:

a.       Undo: Control + Z

b.      Redo: Control + Y (Word only)

c.       Cut: Control + X (think, Exacto knife if it helps you to remember it)

d.      Copy: Control + C

e.      Paste: Control + V

                                                   i.      Now you may be wondering, why are these shortcuts so insane? The only one that really makes sense is the control + C for copying, right? Well, take a look at the layout of the computer keyboard: the final 4 letters are Z, X, C, V. These letters correspond to the 4 universal shortcuts. They are all by your left hand, and they work in every program. So there is logic to their placement after all.

I know I made you workout in this article. But tips and tricks and tutorials are meant for just that. They are not simple articles to just read; you have to get in and get your hands dirty. I’ve shared with you here some of my all-time favorites and time-savers. I hope you find them helpful!

Please leave a comment and share your experiences. Until next time, we’ll solve our problems Bit by Bit.