To run any of these apps go to Start > Run and type the executable name (ie charmap).
WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPS:
1) Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)
2) Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe
3) Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)
4) Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)
5) DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)
6) Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters)
7) IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting / self-installing package)
8) Microsoft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. Apparently undocumented).
9) Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media Player, very basic).
10) ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do with databases)
11) Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).
12) System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )
13) Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).
14) Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is virtually non-existant).
15) Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the Windows Registry).
16) Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders on network).
17) File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe
18) Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I've included this for those people that lose it from the System Notification area).
19) System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98! ).
20) Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database - use with care, it's virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords, I'm not sure of the full implications).
21) Microsoft Telnet Client = telnet.exe
22) Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented).
23) Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).
24) System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)
25) gpedit.msc used to manage group policies, and permissions[a very powerful tool if you know how to use it properly;-) ]
Hidden Facts About Windows XP
1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type ’systeminfo’. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type ’systeminfo > info.txt’. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run… and type ‘gpedit.msc’; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care — some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).
3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter ‘rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation’ in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That’s it — just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that’s not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.
4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can make it show everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word ‘hide’ and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be the software and you can now uninstall it.
5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include ‘eventcreate’ and ‘eventtriggers’ for creating and watching system events, ‘typeperf’ for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and ’schtasks’ for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options.
6. XP has IP version 6 support — the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type ‘ipv6 install’ into Run… (it’s OK, it won’t ruin your existing network setup) and then ‘ipv6 /?’ at the command line to find out more. If you don’t know what IPv6 is, don’t worry.
7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using ‘taskkill /pid’ and the task number, or just ‘tskill’ and the process number. Find that out by typing ‘tasklist’, which will also tell you a lot about what’s going on in your system.
8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you’ve got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files alone by typing ‘regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll’ at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can change things back by typing ‘regsvr32 zipfldr.dll’.
9. XP has ClearType — Microsoft’s anti-aliasing font display technology — but doesn’t have it enabled by default. It’s well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.
10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who’s using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your friend’s real IP address — they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com — and get them to make sure that they’ve got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.
11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As… and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.
12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might go insane before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.
13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run… from the start menu and type ‘control userpasswords2′, which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.
14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options… and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.
15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can’t see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You’ll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.
16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.
17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By… Show In Groups.
18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks — if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn’t, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.
19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.
20. Windows XP secretly KNOWS that the average user has no idea what they are doing. Therefore, it doesn’t let you do really stupid things like deleting the windows directory (at least not without spending several hours convincing it that you REALLY want to do this). Oh yeah, and internet explorer kinda sucks, get Firefox.
2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run… and type ‘gpedit.msc’; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care — some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).
3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter ‘rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation’ in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That’s it — just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that’s not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.
4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can make it show everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word ‘hide’ and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be the software and you can now uninstall it.
5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include ‘eventcreate’ and ‘eventtriggers’ for creating and watching system events, ‘typeperf’ for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and ’schtasks’ for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options.
6. XP has IP version 6 support — the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type ‘ipv6 install’ into Run… (it’s OK, it won’t ruin your existing network setup) and then ‘ipv6 /?’ at the command line to find out more. If you don’t know what IPv6 is, don’t worry.
7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using ‘taskkill /pid’ and the task number, or just ‘tskill’ and the process number. Find that out by typing ‘tasklist’, which will also tell you a lot about what’s going on in your system.
8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you’ve got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files alone by typing ‘regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll’ at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can change things back by typing ‘regsvr32 zipfldr.dll’.
9. XP has ClearType — Microsoft’s anti-aliasing font display technology — but doesn’t have it enabled by default. It’s well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.
10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who’s using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your friend’s real IP address — they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com — and get them to make sure that they’ve got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.
11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As… and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.
12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might go insane before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.
13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run… from the start menu and type ‘control userpasswords2′, which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.
14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options… and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.
15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can’t see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You’ll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.
16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.
17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By… Show In Groups.
18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks — if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn’t, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.
19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.
20. Windows XP secretly KNOWS that the average user has no idea what they are doing. Therefore, it doesn’t let you do really stupid things like deleting the windows directory (at least not without spending several hours convincing it that you REALLY want to do this). Oh yeah, and internet explorer kinda sucks, get Firefox.
An A-Z Index of Windows PowerShell commands
A
Get-Acl Get permission settings for a file or registry key
Set-Acl Set permissions
Get-Alias gal Return alias names for Cmdlets
Import-Alias ipal Import an alias list from a file
New-Alias nal Create a new alias.
Set-Alias sal Create or change an alias
Get-AuthenticodeSignature Get the signature object associated with a file
Set-AuthenticodeSignature Place a signature in a .ps1 script or other file
c
Set-Location cd/chdir/sl Set the current working location
Get-ChildItem dir/ls/gci Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key)
Get-Command gcm Retrieve basic information about a command
Measure-Command Measure running time
Trace-Command Trace an expression or command
Add-Content ac Add to the content of the item
Get-Content cat/type/gc Get content from item (specific location)
Set-Content sc Set content in the item (specific location)
Clear-Content clc Remove content from a file/item
ConvertTo-Html Convert the input into an HTML table
ConvertFrom-SecureString Convert a secure string into an encrypted standard string
ConvertTo-SecureString Convert an encrypted standard string into a secure string
Clear-Host clear/cls Clear the screen
Clear-Item cli Remove content from a variable or an alias
Copy-Item copy/cp/cpi Copy an item from a namespace location
Get-Credential Get a security credential (username/password)
Get-Culture Get region information (language and keyboard layout)
d
Get-ChildItem dir/ls/gci Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key)
Get-Date Get current date and time
Set-Date Set system time on the host system
Get-PSDrive gdr Get drive information (DriveInfo)
New-PSDrive mount/ndr Install a new drive on the machine
Remove-PSDrive rdr Remove a provider/drive from its location
e
Get-Eventlog Get eventlog data
Get-ExecutionPolicy Get the execution policy for the shell
Set-ExecutionPolicy Change the execution policy (user preference)
Export-Alias epal Export an alias list to a file
Export-Clixml Produce a clixml representation of powershell objects
Export-Console Export console configuration to a file
Export-Csv epcsv Export to Comma Separated Values (spreadsheet)
Invoke-Expression Run a PowerShell expression
Exit Exit Powershell
f
ForEach-Object foreach Loop for each object in the pipeline
ForEach Loop through values in the pipeline
Format-Custom fc Format output using a customized view
Format-List fl Format output as a list of properties, each on a new line
Format-Table ft Format output as a table
Format-Wide fw Format output as a table listing one property only
g
Get-Item gi Get a file/registry object (or any other namespace object)
Get-ChildItem dir/ls/gci Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key)
h
Get-Help help Open the help file
Add-History Add entries to the session history
Get-History history/h/ghy Get a listing of the session history
Invoke-History r/ihy Invoke a previously executed Cmdlet
Get-Host Get host information
Clear-Host clear/cls Clear the screen
Read-Host Read a line of input from the host console
Write-Host Display objects through the host user interface
i
if Conditionally perform a command
Import-Clixml Import a clixml file and rebuild the PS object
Import-Csv ipcsv Take values from a CSV list and send objects down the pipeline.
Get-Item gi Get a file object or get a registry (or other namespace) object
Invoke-Item ii Invoke an executable or open a file (START)
New-Item ni Create a new item in a namespace
Remove-Item rm/del/erase/rd/ri/rmdir Remove an item
Set-Item si Change the value of an item
Clear-ItemProperty Delete the value of a property
Copy-ItemProperty Copy a property along with its value
Get-ItemProperty Retrieve the properties of an object
Move-ItemProperty Move a property from one location to another
New-ItemProperty Set a new property of an item at a location
Remove-ItemProperty Delete the property and its value from an item
Rename-ItemProperty Rename a property of an item
Set-ItemProperty Set the value of a property
k
Stop-Process kill/spps Stop a running process
l
Get-Location pwd / gl Get and display the current location
Pop-Location popd Set the current working location from the stack
Push-Location pushd Push a location to the stack
Set-Location cd/chdir/sl Set the current working location
m
Add-Member Add a member to an instance of a PowerShell object
Get-Member gm Enumerate the properties of an object
Move-Item move/mv/mi Move an item from one location to another
o
Compare-Object Compare the properties of objects
Group-Object group Group the objects that contain the same value for a common property
Measure-Object Measure the properties of an object
New-Object Create a new .Net object
Select-Object select Select properties of objects.
Sort-Object sort Sort objects by property value
Where-Object Filter the objects passed along the command pipeline.
Out-Default Send output to default
Out-File Send command output to a file
Out-Host oh Send the pipelined output to the host
Out-Null Send output to null
Out-Printer lp Send the output to a printer
Out-String Send objects to the host as strings
p
Powershell Launch a powershell session
Convert-Path cvpa Convert a ps path to a provider path
Join-Path Combine a path and child-path
Resolve-Path rvpa Resolves the wildcards in a path
Split-Path Return part of a path
Test-Path Return true if the path exists, otherwise return false
Get-Pfxcertificate Get pfx certificate information
Pop-Location popd Set the current working location from the stack
Push-Location pushd Push a location to the stack
Get-Process ps/gps Get a list of processes on a machine
Stop-Process kill/spps Stop a running process
Clear-ItemProperty clp Remove the property value from a property
Copy-ItemProperty cpp Copy a property along with it's value
Get-ItemProperty gp Retrieve the properties of an object
Move-ItemProperty mp Move a property from one location to another
New-ItemProperty Set a new property
Remove-ItemProperty rp Remove a property and its value
Rename-ItemProperty rnp Renames a property at its location
Set-ItemProperty sp Set a property at the specified location to a specified value
Get-PsProvider Get information for the specified provider
Set-PSdebug Turn script debugging on or off
Add-PsSnapIn Add snap-ins to the console
Get-PsSnapin List PowerShell snap-ins on this computer
Remove-PSSnapin Remove PowerShell snap-ins from the console
r
Read-Host Read a line of input from the host console
Remove-Item rm/del/erase/rd/ri/rmdir Remove an item
Rename-Item ren/rni Change the name of an existing item
Rename-ItemProperty Rename a property of an item
s
Get-Service gsv Get a list of services
New-Service Create a new service
Restart-Service Stop and then restart a service
Resume-Service Resume a suspended service
Set-Service Change the start mode/properties of a service
Sort-Object sort Sort objects by property value
Start-Service sasv Start a stopped service
Stop-Service spsv Stop a running service
Suspend-Service Suspend a running service
Start-Sleep sleep Suspend shell, script, or runspace activity
Select-String Search through strings or files for patterns
t
Tee-Object Send input objects to two places
New-Timespan Create a timespan object
Trace-Command Trace an expression or command
Get-Tracesource Get components that are instrumented for tracing.
Set-Tracesource Trace a PowerShell component
Start-Transcript Start a transcript of a command shell session
Stop-Transcript Stop the transcription process
u
Get-Uiculture Get the ui culture information
Get-Unique gu Get the unique items in a collection
Update-Formatdata Update and append format data files
Update-Typedata Update the current extended type configuration
v
Clear-Variable clv Remove the value from a variable
Get-Variable gv Get a powershell variable
New-Variable nv Create a new variable
Remove-Variable rv Remove a variable and its value
Set-Variable set/sv Set a variable and a value
w
Where-Object where Filter input from the pipeline
While (condition) {action} else {action}
Get-WMIobject Get WMI class information
Write-Debug Write a debug message to the host display
Write-Error Write an object to the error pipeline.
Write-Output echo Write an object to the pipeline
Write-Progress Display a progress bar
Write-Verbose Write a string to the host's verbose display
Get-Acl Get permission settings for a file or registry key
Set-Acl Set permissions
Get-Alias gal Return alias names for Cmdlets
Import-Alias ipal Import an alias list from a file
New-Alias nal Create a new alias.
Set-Alias sal Create or change an alias
Get-AuthenticodeSignature Get the signature object associated with a file
Set-AuthenticodeSignature Place a signature in a .ps1 script or other file
c
Set-Location cd/chdir/sl Set the current working location
Get-ChildItem dir/ls/gci Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key)
Get-Command gcm Retrieve basic information about a command
Measure-Command Measure running time
Trace-Command Trace an expression or command
Add-Content ac Add to the content of the item
Get-Content cat/type/gc Get content from item (specific location)
Set-Content sc Set content in the item (specific location)
Clear-Content clc Remove content from a file/item
ConvertTo-Html Convert the input into an HTML table
ConvertFrom-SecureString Convert a secure string into an encrypted standard string
ConvertTo-SecureString Convert an encrypted standard string into a secure string
Clear-Host clear/cls Clear the screen
Clear-Item cli Remove content from a variable or an alias
Copy-Item copy/cp/cpi Copy an item from a namespace location
Get-Credential Get a security credential (username/password)
Get-Culture Get region information (language and keyboard layout)
d
Get-ChildItem dir/ls/gci Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key)
Get-Date Get current date and time
Set-Date Set system time on the host system
Get-PSDrive gdr Get drive information (DriveInfo)
New-PSDrive mount/ndr Install a new drive on the machine
Remove-PSDrive rdr Remove a provider/drive from its location
e
Get-Eventlog Get eventlog data
Get-ExecutionPolicy Get the execution policy for the shell
Set-ExecutionPolicy Change the execution policy (user preference)
Export-Alias epal Export an alias list to a file
Export-Clixml Produce a clixml representation of powershell objects
Export-Console Export console configuration to a file
Export-Csv epcsv Export to Comma Separated Values (spreadsheet)
Invoke-Expression Run a PowerShell expression
Exit Exit Powershell
f
ForEach-Object foreach Loop for each object in the pipeline
ForEach Loop through values in the pipeline
Format-Custom fc Format output using a customized view
Format-List fl Format output as a list of properties, each on a new line
Format-Table ft Format output as a table
Format-Wide fw Format output as a table listing one property only
g
Get-Item gi Get a file/registry object (or any other namespace object)
Get-ChildItem dir/ls/gci Get child items (contents of a folder or registry key)
h
Get-Help help Open the help file
Add-History Add entries to the session history
Get-History history/h/ghy Get a listing of the session history
Invoke-History r/ihy Invoke a previously executed Cmdlet
Get-Host Get host information
Clear-Host clear/cls Clear the screen
Read-Host Read a line of input from the host console
Write-Host Display objects through the host user interface
i
if Conditionally perform a command
Import-Clixml Import a clixml file and rebuild the PS object
Import-Csv ipcsv Take values from a CSV list and send objects down the pipeline.
Get-Item gi Get a file object or get a registry (or other namespace) object
Invoke-Item ii Invoke an executable or open a file (START)
New-Item ni Create a new item in a namespace
Remove-Item rm/del/erase/rd/ri/rmdir Remove an item
Set-Item si Change the value of an item
Clear-ItemProperty Delete the value of a property
Copy-ItemProperty Copy a property along with its value
Get-ItemProperty Retrieve the properties of an object
Move-ItemProperty Move a property from one location to another
New-ItemProperty Set a new property of an item at a location
Remove-ItemProperty Delete the property and its value from an item
Rename-ItemProperty Rename a property of an item
Set-ItemProperty Set the value of a property
k
Stop-Process kill/spps Stop a running process
l
Get-Location pwd / gl Get and display the current location
Pop-Location popd Set the current working location from the stack
Push-Location pushd Push a location to the stack
Set-Location cd/chdir/sl Set the current working location
m
Add-Member Add a member to an instance of a PowerShell object
Get-Member gm Enumerate the properties of an object
Move-Item move/mv/mi Move an item from one location to another
o
Compare-Object Compare the properties of objects
Group-Object group Group the objects that contain the same value for a common property
Measure-Object Measure the properties of an object
New-Object Create a new .Net object
Select-Object select Select properties of objects.
Sort-Object sort Sort objects by property value
Where-Object Filter the objects passed along the command pipeline.
Out-Default Send output to default
Out-File Send command output to a file
Out-Host oh Send the pipelined output to the host
Out-Null Send output to null
Out-Printer lp Send the output to a printer
Out-String Send objects to the host as strings
p
Powershell Launch a powershell session
Convert-Path cvpa Convert a ps path to a provider path
Join-Path Combine a path and child-path
Resolve-Path rvpa Resolves the wildcards in a path
Split-Path Return part of a path
Test-Path Return true if the path exists, otherwise return false
Get-Pfxcertificate Get pfx certificate information
Pop-Location popd Set the current working location from the stack
Push-Location pushd Push a location to the stack
Get-Process ps/gps Get a list of processes on a machine
Stop-Process kill/spps Stop a running process
Clear-ItemProperty clp Remove the property value from a property
Copy-ItemProperty cpp Copy a property along with it's value
Get-ItemProperty gp Retrieve the properties of an object
Move-ItemProperty mp Move a property from one location to another
New-ItemProperty Set a new property
Remove-ItemProperty rp Remove a property and its value
Rename-ItemProperty rnp Renames a property at its location
Set-ItemProperty sp Set a property at the specified location to a specified value
Get-PsProvider Get information for the specified provider
Set-PSdebug Turn script debugging on or off
Add-PsSnapIn Add snap-ins to the console
Get-PsSnapin List PowerShell snap-ins on this computer
Remove-PSSnapin Remove PowerShell snap-ins from the console
r
Read-Host Read a line of input from the host console
Remove-Item rm/del/erase/rd/ri/rmdir Remove an item
Rename-Item ren/rni Change the name of an existing item
Rename-ItemProperty Rename a property of an item
s
Get-Service gsv Get a list of services
New-Service Create a new service
Restart-Service Stop and then restart a service
Resume-Service Resume a suspended service
Set-Service Change the start mode/properties of a service
Sort-Object sort Sort objects by property value
Start-Service sasv Start a stopped service
Stop-Service spsv Stop a running service
Suspend-Service Suspend a running service
Start-Sleep sleep Suspend shell, script, or runspace activity
Select-String Search through strings or files for patterns
t
Tee-Object Send input objects to two places
New-Timespan Create a timespan object
Trace-Command Trace an expression or command
Get-Tracesource Get components that are instrumented for tracing.
Set-Tracesource Trace a PowerShell component
Start-Transcript Start a transcript of a command shell session
Stop-Transcript Stop the transcription process
u
Get-Uiculture Get the ui culture information
Get-Unique gu Get the unique items in a collection
Update-Formatdata Update and append format data files
Update-Typedata Update the current extended type configuration
v
Clear-Variable clv Remove the value from a variable
Get-Variable gv Get a powershell variable
New-Variable nv Create a new variable
Remove-Variable rv Remove a variable and its value
Set-Variable set/sv Set a variable and a value
w
Where-Object where Filter input from the pipeline
While (condition) {action} else {action}
Get-WMIobject Get WMI class information
Write-Debug Write a debug message to the host display
Write-Error Write an object to the error pipeline.
Write-Output echo Write an object to the pipeline
Write-Progress Display a progress bar
Write-Verbose Write a string to the host's verbose display
An A-Z Index of the Windows XP command line
ADDUSERS Add or list users to/from a CSV file
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
~ ASSOC Change file extension associations
ASSOCIAT One step file association
AT Schedule a command to run at a later time
ATTRIB Change file attributes
b
BOOTCFG Edit Windows boot settings
BROWSTAT Get domain, browser and PDC info
c
CACLS Change file permissions
~ CALL Call one batch program from another
~ CD Change Directory - move to a specific Folder
CHANGE Change Terminal Server Session properties
CHKDSK Check Disk - check and repair disk problems
CHKNTFS Check the NTFS file system
CHOICE Accept keyboard input to a batch file
CIPHER Encrypt or Decrypt files/folders
CleanMgr Automated cleanup of Temp files, recycle bin
CLEARMEM Clear memory leaks
CLIP Copy STDIN to the Windows clipboard.
~ CLS Clear the screen
CLUSTER Windows Clustering
CMD Start a new CMD shell
~ COLOR Change colors of the CMD window
COMP Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
COMPACT Compress files or folders on an NTFS partition
COMPRESS Compress individual files on an NTFS partition
CON2PRT Connect or disconnect a Printer
CONVERT Convert a FAT drive to NTFS.
~ COPY Copy one or more files to another location
CSCcmd Client-side caching (Offline Files)
CSVDE Import or Export Active Directory data
d
~ DATE Display or set the date
Dcomcnfg DCOM Configuration Utility
DEFRAG Defragment hard drive
~ DEL Delete one or more files
DELPROF Delete NT user profiles
DELTREE Delete a folder and all subfolders
DevCon Device Manager Command Line Utility
~ DIR Display a list of files and folders
DIRUSE Display disk usage
DISKCOMP Compare the contents of two floppy disks
DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one floppy disk to another
DISKPART Disk Administration
DNSSTAT DNS Statistics
DOSKEY Edit command line, recall commands, and create macros
DSADD Add user (computer, group..) to active directory
DSQUERY List items in active directory
DSMOD Modify user (computer, group..) in active directory
e
~ ECHO Display message on screen
~ ENDLOCAL End localisation of environment changes in a batch file
~ ERASE Delete one or more files
~ EXIT Quit the current script/routine and set an errorlevel.
EXPAND Uncompress files
EXTRACT Uncompress CAB files
f
FC Compare two files
FIND Search for a text string in a file
FINDSTR Search for strings in files
~ FOR /F Loop command: against a set of files
~ FOR /F Loop command: against the results of another command
~ FOR Loop command: all options Files, Directory, List
FORFILES Batch process multiple files
FORMAT Format a disk
FREEDISK Check free disk space (in bytes)
FSUTIL File and Volume utilities
FTP File Transfer Protocol
~ FTYPE Display or modify file types used in file extension associations
g
GLOBAL Display membership of global groups
~ GOTO Direct a batch program to jump to a labelled line
h
HELP Online Help
i
~ IF Conditionally perform a command
IFMEMBER Is the current user in an NT Workgroup
IPCONFIG Configure IP
k
KILL Remove a program from memory
l
LABEL Edit a disk label
LOCAL Display membership of local groups
LOGEVENT Write text to the NT event viewer.
LOGOFF Log a user off
LOGTIME Log the date and time in a file
m
MAPISEND Send email from the command line
MBSAcli Baseline Security Analyzer.
MEM Display memory usage
~ MD Create new folders
MKLINK Create a symbolic link (linkd)
MODE Configure a system device
MORE Display output, one screen at a time
MOUNTVOL Manage a volume mount point
~ MOVE Move files from one folder to another
MOVEUSER Move a user from one domain to another
MSG Send a message
MSIEXEC Microsoft Windows Installer
MSINFO Windows NT diagnostics
MSTSC Terminal Server Connection (Remote Desktop Protocol)
MUNGE Find and Replace text within file(s)
MV Copy in-use files
n
NET Manage network resources
NETDOM Domain Manager
NETSH Configure network protocols
NETSVC Command-line Service Controller
NBTSTAT Display networking statistics (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)
NETSTAT Display networking statistics (TCP/IP)
NOW Display the current Date and Time
NSLOOKUP Name server lookup
NTBACKUP Backup folders to tape
NTRIGHTS Edit user account rights
p
~ PATH Display or set a search path for executable files
PATHPING Trace route plus network latency and packet loss
~ PAUSE Suspend processing of a batch file and display a message
PERMS Show permissions for a user
PERFMON Performance Monitor
PING Test a network connection
~ POPD Restore the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD
PORTQRY Display the status of ports and services
PRINT Print a text file
PRNCNFG Display, configure or rename a printer
PRNMNGR Add, delete, list printers set the default printer
~ PROMPT Change the command prompt
PsExec Execute process remotely
PsFile Show files opened remotely
PsGetSid Display the SID of a computer or a user
PsInfo List information about a system
PsKill Kill processes by name or process ID
PsList List detailed information about processes
PsLoggedOn Who's logged on (locally or via resource sharing)
PsLogList Event log records
PsPasswd Change account password
PsService View and control services
PsShutdown Shutdown or reboot a computer
PsSuspend Suspend processes
~ PUSHD Save and then change the current directory
q
QGREP Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern.
r
RASDIAL Manage RAS connections
RASPHONE Manage RAS connections
RECOVER Recover a damaged file from a defective disk.
REG Registry: Read, Set, Export, Delete keys and values
REGEDIT Import or export registry settings
REGSVR32 Register or unregister a DLL
REGINI Change Registry Permissions
~ REM Record comments (remarks) in a batch file
~ REN Rename a file or files.
REPLACE Replace or update one file with another
~ RD Delete folder(s)
RMTSHARE Share a folder or a printer
ROBOCOPY Robust File and Folder Copy
ROUTE Manipulate network routing tables
RUNAS Execute a program under a different user account
RUNDLL32 Run a DLL command (add/remove print connections)
s
SC Service Control
SCHTASKS Create or Edit Scheduled Tasks
SCLIST Display NT Services
~ SET Display, set, or remove environment variables
~ SETLOCAL Control the visibility of environment variables
SETX Set environment variables permanently
SHARE List or edit a file share or print share
~ SHIFT Shift the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file
SHORTCUT Create a windows shortcut (.LNK file)
SHOWGRPS List the NT Workgroups a user has joined
SHOWMBRS List the Users who are members of a Workgroup
SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer
SLEEP Wait for x seconds
SOON Schedule a command to run in the near future
SORT Sort input
~ START Start a program or command in a separate window.
SU Switch User
SUBINACL Edit file and folder Permissions, Ownership and Domain
SUBST Associate a path with a drive letter
SYSTEMINFO List system configuration
t
TASKLIST List running applications and services
TASKKILL Remove a running process from memory
~ TIME Display or set the system time
TIMEOUT Delay processing of a batch file
~ TITLE Set the window title for a CMD.EXE session
TLIST Task list with full path
TOUCH Change file timestamps
TRACERT Trace route to a remote host
TREE Graphical display of folder structure
~ TYPE Display the contents of a text file
u
USRSTAT List domain usernames and last login
v
~ VER Display version information
~ VERIFY Verify that files have been saved
~ VOL Display a disk label
w
WHERE Locate and display files in a directory tree
WHOAMI Output the current UserName and domain
WINDIFF Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
WINMSD Windows system diagnostics
WINMSDP Windows system diagnostics II
WMIC WMI Commands
x
XCACLS Change file permissions
XCOPY Copy files and folders
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
~ ASSOC Change file extension associations
ASSOCIAT One step file association
AT Schedule a command to run at a later time
ATTRIB Change file attributes
b
BOOTCFG Edit Windows boot settings
BROWSTAT Get domain, browser and PDC info
c
CACLS Change file permissions
~ CALL Call one batch program from another
~ CD Change Directory - move to a specific Folder
CHANGE Change Terminal Server Session properties
CHKDSK Check Disk - check and repair disk problems
CHKNTFS Check the NTFS file system
CHOICE Accept keyboard input to a batch file
CIPHER Encrypt or Decrypt files/folders
CleanMgr Automated cleanup of Temp files, recycle bin
CLEARMEM Clear memory leaks
CLIP Copy STDIN to the Windows clipboard.
~ CLS Clear the screen
CLUSTER Windows Clustering
CMD Start a new CMD shell
~ COLOR Change colors of the CMD window
COMP Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
COMPACT Compress files or folders on an NTFS partition
COMPRESS Compress individual files on an NTFS partition
CON2PRT Connect or disconnect a Printer
CONVERT Convert a FAT drive to NTFS.
~ COPY Copy one or more files to another location
CSCcmd Client-side caching (Offline Files)
CSVDE Import or Export Active Directory data
d
~ DATE Display or set the date
Dcomcnfg DCOM Configuration Utility
DEFRAG Defragment hard drive
~ DEL Delete one or more files
DELPROF Delete NT user profiles
DELTREE Delete a folder and all subfolders
DevCon Device Manager Command Line Utility
~ DIR Display a list of files and folders
DIRUSE Display disk usage
DISKCOMP Compare the contents of two floppy disks
DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one floppy disk to another
DISKPART Disk Administration
DNSSTAT DNS Statistics
DOSKEY Edit command line, recall commands, and create macros
DSADD Add user (computer, group..) to active directory
DSQUERY List items in active directory
DSMOD Modify user (computer, group..) in active directory
e
~ ECHO Display message on screen
~ ENDLOCAL End localisation of environment changes in a batch file
~ ERASE Delete one or more files
~ EXIT Quit the current script/routine and set an errorlevel.
EXPAND Uncompress files
EXTRACT Uncompress CAB files
f
FC Compare two files
FIND Search for a text string in a file
FINDSTR Search for strings in files
~ FOR /F Loop command: against a set of files
~ FOR /F Loop command: against the results of another command
~ FOR Loop command: all options Files, Directory, List
FORFILES Batch process multiple files
FORMAT Format a disk
FREEDISK Check free disk space (in bytes)
FSUTIL File and Volume utilities
FTP File Transfer Protocol
~ FTYPE Display or modify file types used in file extension associations
g
GLOBAL Display membership of global groups
~ GOTO Direct a batch program to jump to a labelled line
h
HELP Online Help
i
~ IF Conditionally perform a command
IFMEMBER Is the current user in an NT Workgroup
IPCONFIG Configure IP
k
KILL Remove a program from memory
l
LABEL Edit a disk label
LOCAL Display membership of local groups
LOGEVENT Write text to the NT event viewer.
LOGOFF Log a user off
LOGTIME Log the date and time in a file
m
MAPISEND Send email from the command line
MBSAcli Baseline Security Analyzer.
MEM Display memory usage
~ MD Create new folders
MKLINK Create a symbolic link (linkd)
MODE Configure a system device
MORE Display output, one screen at a time
MOUNTVOL Manage a volume mount point
~ MOVE Move files from one folder to another
MOVEUSER Move a user from one domain to another
MSG Send a message
MSIEXEC Microsoft Windows Installer
MSINFO Windows NT diagnostics
MSTSC Terminal Server Connection (Remote Desktop Protocol)
MUNGE Find and Replace text within file(s)
MV Copy in-use files
n
NET Manage network resources
NETDOM Domain Manager
NETSH Configure network protocols
NETSVC Command-line Service Controller
NBTSTAT Display networking statistics (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)
NETSTAT Display networking statistics (TCP/IP)
NOW Display the current Date and Time
NSLOOKUP Name server lookup
NTBACKUP Backup folders to tape
NTRIGHTS Edit user account rights
p
~ PATH Display or set a search path for executable files
PATHPING Trace route plus network latency and packet loss
~ PAUSE Suspend processing of a batch file and display a message
PERMS Show permissions for a user
PERFMON Performance Monitor
PING Test a network connection
~ POPD Restore the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD
PORTQRY Display the status of ports and services
PRINT Print a text file
PRNCNFG Display, configure or rename a printer
PRNMNGR Add, delete, list printers set the default printer
~ PROMPT Change the command prompt
PsExec Execute process remotely
PsFile Show files opened remotely
PsGetSid Display the SID of a computer or a user
PsInfo List information about a system
PsKill Kill processes by name or process ID
PsList List detailed information about processes
PsLoggedOn Who's logged on (locally or via resource sharing)
PsLogList Event log records
PsPasswd Change account password
PsService View and control services
PsShutdown Shutdown or reboot a computer
PsSuspend Suspend processes
~ PUSHD Save and then change the current directory
q
QGREP Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern.
r
RASDIAL Manage RAS connections
RASPHONE Manage RAS connections
RECOVER Recover a damaged file from a defective disk.
REG Registry: Read, Set, Export, Delete keys and values
REGEDIT Import or export registry settings
REGSVR32 Register or unregister a DLL
REGINI Change Registry Permissions
~ REM Record comments (remarks) in a batch file
~ REN Rename a file or files.
REPLACE Replace or update one file with another
~ RD Delete folder(s)
RMTSHARE Share a folder or a printer
ROBOCOPY Robust File and Folder Copy
ROUTE Manipulate network routing tables
RUNAS Execute a program under a different user account
RUNDLL32 Run a DLL command (add/remove print connections)
s
SC Service Control
SCHTASKS Create or Edit Scheduled Tasks
SCLIST Display NT Services
~ SET Display, set, or remove environment variables
~ SETLOCAL Control the visibility of environment variables
SETX Set environment variables permanently
SHARE List or edit a file share or print share
~ SHIFT Shift the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file
SHORTCUT Create a windows shortcut (.LNK file)
SHOWGRPS List the NT Workgroups a user has joined
SHOWMBRS List the Users who are members of a Workgroup
SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer
SLEEP Wait for x seconds
SOON Schedule a command to run in the near future
SORT Sort input
~ START Start a program or command in a separate window.
SU Switch User
SUBINACL Edit file and folder Permissions, Ownership and Domain
SUBST Associate a path with a drive letter
SYSTEMINFO List system configuration
t
TASKLIST List running applications and services
TASKKILL Remove a running process from memory
~ TIME Display or set the system time
TIMEOUT Delay processing of a batch file
~ TITLE Set the window title for a CMD.EXE session
TLIST Task list with full path
TOUCH Change file timestamps
TRACERT Trace route to a remote host
TREE Graphical display of folder structure
~ TYPE Display the contents of a text file
u
USRSTAT List domain usernames and last login
v
~ VER Display version information
~ VERIFY Verify that files have been saved
~ VOL Display a disk label
w
WHERE Locate and display files in a directory tree
WHOAMI Output the current UserName and domain
WINDIFF Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
WINMSD Windows system diagnostics
WINMSDP Windows system diagnostics II
WMIC WMI Commands
x
XCACLS Change file permissions
XCOPY Copy files and folders
All Window Shortcut Keys
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:
Windows key + R = Run menu
This is usually followed by:
cmd = Command Prompt
iexplore + "web address" = Internet Explorer
compmgmt.msc = Computer Management
dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management
dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management
services.msc = Services
eventvwr = Event Viewer
dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers
dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services
Windows key + E = Explorer
ALT + Tab = Switch between windows
ALT, Space, X = Maximize window
CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager
Windows key + Break = System properties
Windows key + F = Search
Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows
CTRL + C = copy
CTRL + X = cut
CTRL + V = paste
Also don't forget about the "Right-click" key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you've opened up any program.
Keyboard Shortcuts
[Alt]and [Esc] Switch between running applications
[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter
[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu
[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)
[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window
[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document
Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word
Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph
[F1] Open Help for active application
Windows+M Minimize all open windows
Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows
Windows+F1 Open Windows Help
Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons
Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box
Acessability shortcuts
Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.
SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.
NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.
Explorer shortcuts
END....... Display the bottom of the active window.
HOME....... Display the top of the active window.
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.
LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.
RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.
Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run
devmgmt.msc = Device Manager
msinfo32 = System Information
cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup
ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)
mmc = M*cro$oft Management Console
excel = M*cro$oft Excel (If Installed)
msaccess = M*cro$oft Access (If Installed)
powerpnt = M*cro$oft PowerPoint (If Installed)
winword = M*cro$oft Word (If Installed)
frontpg = M*cro$oft FrontPage (If Installed)
notepad = Notepad
wordpad = WordPad
calc = Calculator
msmsgs = Windows Messenger
mspaint = M*cro$oft Paint
wmplayer = Windows Media Player
rstrui = System Restore
netscp6 = Netscape 6.x
netscp = Netscape 7.x
netscape = Netscape 4.x
waol = America Online
control = Opens the Control Panel
control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog
Internetbrowser
type in u're adress "google", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]
add www. and .com to word and go to it
For Windows XP:
Copy. CTRL+C
Cut. CTRL+X
Paste. CTRL+V
Undo. CTRL+Z
Delete. DELETE
Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT+DELETE
Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Rename selected item. F2
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW
Highlight a block of text. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select all. CTRL+A
Search for a file or folder. F3
View properties for the selected item. ALT+ENTER
Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT+F4
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL+F4
Switch between open items. ALT+TAB
Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT+ESC
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT+F10
Display the System menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the Start menu. CTRL+ESC
Display the corresponding menu. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW
Refresh the active window. F5
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE
Cancel the current task. ESC
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:
To Press
Move forward through tabs. CTRL+TAB
Move backward through tabs. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move forward through options. TAB
Move backward through options. SHIFT+TAB
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys
Display Help. F1
Display the items in the active list. F4
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE
If you have a M*cro$oft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:
Display or hide the Start menu. WIN Key
Display the System Properties dialog box. WIN Key+BREAK
Show the desktop. WIN Key+D
Minimize all windows. WIN Key+M
Restores minimized windows. WIN Key+Shift+M
Open My Computer. WIN Key+E
Search for a file or folder. WIN Key+F
Search for computers. CTRL+WIN Key+F
Display Windows Help. WIN Key+F1
Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. WIN Key+ L
Open the Run dialog box. WIN Key+R
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U
accessibility keyboard shortcuts:
Switch FilterKeys on and off. Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off. SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U
shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:
Display the bottom of the active window. END
Display the top of the active window. HOME
Display all subfolders under the selected folder. NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display the contents of the selected folder. NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Collapse the selected folder. NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder. LEFT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder. RIGHT ARROW
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:
Windows key + R = Run menu
This is usually followed by:
cmd = Command Prompt
iexplore + "web address" = Internet Explorer
compmgmt.msc = Computer Management
dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management
dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management
services.msc = Services
eventvwr = Event Viewer
dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers
dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services
Windows key + E = Explorer
ALT + Tab = Switch between windows
ALT, Space, X = Maximize window
CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager
Windows key + Break = System properties
Windows key + F = Search
Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows
CTRL + C = copy
CTRL + X = cut
CTRL + V = paste
Also don't forget about the "Right-click" key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you've opened up any program.
Keyboard Shortcuts
[Alt]and [Esc] Switch between running applications
[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter
[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu
[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)
[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window
[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document
Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word
Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph
[F1] Open Help for active application
Windows+M Minimize all open windows
Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows
Windows+F1 Open Windows Help
Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons
Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box
Acessability shortcuts
Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.
SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.
NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.
Explorer shortcuts
END....... Display the bottom of the active window.
HOME....... Display the top of the active window.
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.
LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.
RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.
Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run
devmgmt.msc = Device Manager
msinfo32 = System Information
cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup
ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)
mmc = M*cro$oft Management Console
excel = M*cro$oft Excel (If Installed)
msaccess = M*cro$oft Access (If Installed)
powerpnt = M*cro$oft PowerPoint (If Installed)
winword = M*cro$oft Word (If Installed)
frontpg = M*cro$oft FrontPage (If Installed)
notepad = Notepad
wordpad = WordPad
calc = Calculator
msmsgs = Windows Messenger
mspaint = M*cro$oft Paint
wmplayer = Windows Media Player
rstrui = System Restore
netscp6 = Netscape 6.x
netscp = Netscape 7.x
netscape = Netscape 4.x
waol = America Online
control = Opens the Control Panel
control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog
Internetbrowser
type in u're adress "google", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]
add www. and .com to word and go to it
For Windows XP:
Copy. CTRL+C
Cut. CTRL+X
Paste. CTRL+V
Undo. CTRL+Z
Delete. DELETE
Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT+DELETE
Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Rename selected item. F2
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW
Highlight a block of text. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select all. CTRL+A
Search for a file or folder. F3
View properties for the selected item. ALT+ENTER
Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT+F4
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL+F4
Switch between open items. ALT+TAB
Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT+ESC
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT+F10
Display the System menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the Start menu. CTRL+ESC
Display the corresponding menu. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW
Refresh the active window. F5
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE
Cancel the current task. ESC
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:
To Press
Move forward through tabs. CTRL+TAB
Move backward through tabs. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move forward through options. TAB
Move backward through options. SHIFT+TAB
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys
Display Help. F1
Display the items in the active list. F4
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE
If you have a M*cro$oft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:
Display or hide the Start menu. WIN Key
Display the System Properties dialog box. WIN Key+BREAK
Show the desktop. WIN Key+D
Minimize all windows. WIN Key+M
Restores minimized windows. WIN Key+Shift+M
Open My Computer. WIN Key+E
Search for a file or folder. WIN Key+F
Search for computers. CTRL+WIN Key+F
Display Windows Help. WIN Key+F1
Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. WIN Key+ L
Open the Run dialog box. WIN Key+R
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U
accessibility keyboard shortcuts:
Switch FilterKeys on and off. Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off. SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U
shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:
Display the bottom of the active window. END
Display the top of the active window. HOME
Display all subfolders under the selected folder. NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display the contents of the selected folder. NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Collapse the selected folder. NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder. LEFT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder. RIGHT ARROW
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