Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard

View Files in the Trash

With Leopard's Quick Look, you no longer have to drag items from the trash in order to view them. While in the trash folder, hit Command+Y while on any file to see a preview of its contents.

Change a Folder Icon

Want to change an icon to something more to your liking? First, find the icon you want. Then click on it, and hit Command+C to copy it. Click on the icon you want to change, and use Command+I to launch the folder info. Click on the old icon in the folder and use Command+V to paste the new icon.

Open New Tabs with the Address Bar in Safari

If you want to open an address in a new tab without deselecting your current tab, type the address into the address bar, then press Command+Enter. This allows you to work easily in multiple tabs.

Preview a Font

If you want to see what a font looks like, you don't have to open Font Book or a font manager. In Cover Flow, a font icon will appear as a small, two-letter sample of the font you have selected. To see a larger sample of the font, select a font file and use Quick Look (Command+Y) to see it, or just hit the spacebar.

Change Your Stack View

You can choose to view your stack in either a fan or a grid view. To change it, click on a stack until a menu appears. Then, select "View As" and choose either Fan or Grid. The stack will then open with your preferred style.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Laptops

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Laptops

Make Your Own Power Plan

Windows laptops include a few preset power plans for maximizing battery life, but you can also customize your operating system's power-management features (in Windows XP, under Power Options in the Control Panel; in Vista, under Mobile PC in the Control Panel). Setting aggressive targets for when the display turns off and when the machine goes into sleep or hibernate mode will help your battery last longer.

Limit Your Connection

When you aren't actively using your notebook's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WWAN, or other wireless connections, turn the radios off (via the hard switch, if your PC has one, or using the appropriate utility), so they don't run down the battery while they keep searching for a signal. Also, use USB-attached devices sparingly while you're mobile.
Track it down

Thousands of laptops are reported stolen every year. Our advice? Prepare for the worst by investing in tracking software like Absolute Software's Lojack for Laptops, CyberAngel Security, or the freeTheLaptopLock. These utilities can pinpoint a registered notebook's location once it connects to the Web, increasing your chances of recovering your system.

Dim the display

A laptop's biggest battery-life-sucking component is its LCD display. To eke out more juice when you're off the plug, turn down your panel's brightness to the lowest level your eyes can stand. Most notebooks have a Function key combo—or even a dedicated hot key—for a quick crank-down. (You can also adjust brightness in Display Settings under Control Panel.)

Keep It Cool

Thanks to their small, cramped cases and tiny vents, laptops are prone to overheating. Unfortunately, using your notebook on your lap—or on top of a blanket that protects your lap from your scalding-hot notebook—can seriously stifle ventilation and make matters worse. To help keep temperatures in check, opt for a lap desk or a laptop cooling pad that won't conduct heat or block your laptop's vents.

Back Up Everything

Constant movement puts computer components at risk, and because of their portability, laptops suffer a lot more wear and tear than desktops. All of that on-the-go use increases the risk of hard drive failure, so make sure you back up the data on your laptop to an external hard drive, thumb drive, or home server on a regular basis. Portable hard drives like the Western Digital Passport Elite make it easy to back up your data on the road.

Cover Your Keyboard

Keep liquids away from laptops at all times. That rule often gets broken, of course, and accidents happen. Should that accident end up on your laptop's keyboard, however, you could end up with more than just a mess: Liquids that seep through your notebook's keys can fry its components. Protect your notebook from spills with a custom-built, plastic keyboard cover from ProtecT Laptop Covers.

Buy a Bag

If you plan to carry your notebook with you, the most useful accessory you can buy is a laptop bag. They're available in a number of styles and prices; for maximum protection, we recommend investing in a model with a built-in padded sleeve. If you want something less conspicuous (thieves have been known to target obvious-looking laptop bags), cover your laptop in stand-alone sleeve and stow it in your backpack or briefcase.

Let It Accumulate

When you move your laptop from a cold to a warm environment, and vice versa, don't boot up until your system reaches room temperature. Sudden temperature changes can cause condensation to build up inside the notebook case; turn it on too quickly, and the moisture could damage your system's inner components.

5 Easy PC Maintenance Tips

The No. 1 reason consumers replace their computers – short of a complete system failure – is that their current computer is too slow or suffers from poor performance, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll.

If you've noticed a decline in your PC's performance, and you are usingyour computer for about the same amount of time and for the same tasks that you did when you purchased it, there are simple and free procedures to try before you head out for a replacement.

Here is a five-step process that can be done right from the desktop, no tools required. After the initial tune-up, plan on doing this maintenance routine about every three months if you are the average home computer user, more frequently if your computer is used all day throughout the week, and less if it is used only once or twice a week.

Step 1: Uninstall Programs You Don't Use

Over time, unused software collects in our computers like old keys in a drawer: They were useful for a time, but chances are you can't remember what they are for now. So if you haven't used a program in the last six months, uninstall it to free up space and allow your computer to run the important stuff more efficiently.

To do this, go to the Windows Start button, choose "Control Panel" select "Program and Features" or "Install/Uninstall Programs," depending on the Windows version. Scan the list. If you see a program you recognize and know you don't use it, right click on its name, and then click uninstall. If you are unsure about a program, leave it alone.

Step 2: Delete Temporary and Unnecessary Files

Each time you visit a site online, your computer stores information so the next time you visit, the page will load faster. This is good in principle, but temporary files add up over time, and may ultimately slow the load time of applications. If you haven't deleted temporary files in a year or longer, you may be able to free up 10 percent or more of the computer's memory.

To do this, go back to the Start button, select "Computer" or "My Computer," right click on the "C" drive, select "Properties" click on "Disk Cleanup" and select "All Users" if you get a popup window with that option. Once you give it the go-ahead, Disk Cleanup will calculate how much space you will be able to free up. Click to check the boxes in this window. If you disagree with Disk Cleanup's recommendations, simply make sure that box is unchecked. And then stop – don't click "Okay" yet. Rather, select the "More Options" tab and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Delete All but Most Recent System Restore

Free up more disk space by removing all but the most recent restore point. As a standard function,Windows takes a snapshot of the contents of your computer at regular intervals. This procedure will keep only the most recent one.

Click "Clean up." This takes a fraction of a second, but as you proceed with the Disk Cleanup, be patient. This process may take up to half an hour or longer if it's been some time since the last cleanup.

Step 4: Defrag

Data is written and stored in disk blocks. Over time, files are deleted and new files are added. If a file cannot be stored in adjacent blocks, they become fragmented. One 5 megabyte jpg. photo file, for example, could be scattered across 5,000 disk blocks. Instead of pulling the pieces of a file from adjacent blocks, the computer has to gather them up, which of course takes longer. Defragging is simply a way of eliminating empty blocks and putting files back together.

Your Properties window should still be open. Select Tools. Click on "Defragment Now." This process may be scheduled as an automatic task about once a week.

Step 5: Scan for Viruses, Spyware, etc.

Now that your computer is clean, use your security software to do a sweep for viruses, worms, and spyware that can damage your computer and compromise your privacy. This step should be faster now because you've already deleted unnecessary programs and files, which can save scan time.

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

LEARN THE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Is it Very helpful for learners and Beginners 

 - Windows Key

 +      E    

•  Open the MY Computer

 +     M

• Minimize all of your open windows

Alt + Tab

• Scroll through all windows you have open
• very similar to +Tab its flip 3D for fun graphical spin

Alt+F4

• Close a window

Ctrl+Arrow Keys

• Left and Right arrow allow to move the cursor to Previous word to Next word
• UP and Down Arrows allow to move selection of Word

Shift+delete

• Its a permanent delete .it will get back back after deleting

Hold Shift while inserting a CD

• Shortcut all ow you to bypass Auto run when inserting a CD

Ctrl+Drag

• Drag to copy file .Multi select option  

 +U+U

• Quickly Shutdown 
• Press (Don't hold it down) press U to reach Shutdown Menu and then one more press U to Shutdown

Ctrl+Z,Ctrl+Y

• Ctrl+Z - Undo
• Ctrl+Y - Redo

Shift +Arrow keys

• Holding shift Highlighted text in word

Ctrl+U,Ctrl+B,Ctrl+I

• This one for office users and Newbie's
• Ctrl+U - Underline the words
• Ctrl+B - Bold 
• Ctrl+I - Italicizing

                

How to boost your system RAM

Simple way to Boost your RAM Windows XP,7,8

Method 1 :-

Needs: 

         One pendrive 

Steps

1. Delete all files in your Pen drive.(best you format it.)
2. Insert your pendrive
3. Then open "My Computer" and Right Click >> open"Properties"
4. Now click on "Advanced system settings" from left side
5. Then in "Advanced" Tab click on "Settings" button appear in "Performance tab"
6. Again new window will appear then click on "Advanced" Tab
7. There is an option of "Virtual Memory Box",Then click 'Change button" 

Process of Increasing Virtual RAM

1. After click Change button "Vitual Setting" will appear
2. Now uncheacked the box of "Automatically Manage Page Size Feature".
3. Then in Custom size Add your Pendrive current format

Note:- If your Pendrive is of  size 4GB then always add 10 mb less from current available size.As i am using pendrive of size 4GB and current space available is 3700MB then use 3690 minimum approx or remove more as you can because it better is device safety

• Now add same "value" in both Boxes and click on Apply Button
• Restart your PC or laptop and now pendrive work as "Virtual RAM"

Method 2 :-

• Insert your "Pen drive">>"Right Click"on your Pen drive
• Open "Properties">> "Ready Boost"
• Select "Use this device" and Reduce your current Memory space
• Then click on Apply Button
• in case if you want to change back your pendrive to normal switch it back "Don't use this devie"