Blog

Tech Tip : Enable Clipboard History for Easy Access to Multiple Clipboard Items

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Do you use a lot of copying or cutting and pasting in your role and are there times when you wish you could do it more than one item at a time without having to go back and recopy something you have previously used?

Did you know you can turn on history in MS Clipboard so you can keep a list of previously copied items that can be reused again later, without needing to go back to the source item and recopy it?

Here is how to do it:

In Microsoft Windows, open clipboard (you can do this by pressing the Windows key + V)
If it is the first time you have been into the clipboard this way, you will see a button offering to enable clipboard history, click it, it's that simple
If you have been into the clipboard before, you will need to go into the settings and turn it on using the toggle switch
Now it's enabled, each time you copy something to the clipboard, it will remain in the items list until you clear the history
You can now open the clipboard and select anything that has been copied since enabling history in a list, select the item you want and it will be pasted into your application
To clear the clipboard history, press Windows + V and look for the Clear History

Tech Tip : Quickly Restore Accidentally Closed Files in File Explorer

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Have you ever been working on a file, been distracted and closed it accidentally? Have you then struggled to find the file again because it was buried in a deep folder structure?

Here is a tip on using Explorer to find your recent file quickly and easily:

In Microsoft Windows, right click on the Windows Explorer icon on the task bar
From the menu that pops up, look under the Frequent or Recent lists to find the folder your file is in
This constantly updates, allowing you to keep an eye on where you have been working

Give it a try and see if it helps your day to day work

Tech Tip : Use Tech To Help Others By Showing Rather Than Explaining

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Have you ever found yourself trying to help someone with a computer issue who are less tech savvy than you and no matter how hard you try to explain the solution, the person you are helping just doesn't get it?

It can be really hard to explain to someone where settings are, or how to perform a task, especially if the person you explaining things to is not comfortable with what they are trying to do. Just think of times where you have had that phone call from someone asking for help, and that sinking feeling you get when you know you have to try to explain to them how to do something and you know that it will be a VERY long call.

Remember the saying a picture paints a thousand words? Well in this case steps recorder can save a thousands minutes of phone support!

Here is a tip on how to record what you are doing so showing replaces explaining by using Steps Recorder. Steps recorder will capture what you are doing on screen as a series of steps, showing what it thinks are prudent images that it captures as you go through what you are doing. You can also add additional information by adding comments on each step. The recipient can then also run through the output as a series of slides, so they can see as well as read how to do certain things. Steps recorder

Here is how to do it:

When you are in windows click on the Start Button
Type steps recorder and select and launch the application from the start menu
On the steps recorder application, click the Start Record button which will then record everything you do in Windows
Carry out all of the things you want to record and then click Stop and Review
This will open a timeline of the recording with images of what you were doing.
You are offered three options which are:
- Review the recorded steps
- Review the recorded steps as a slideshow
- Review the additional details
Clicking on Review the recorded steps takes you to each step and you have the option to add a comment. This makes it easier to explain what you are doing
Review the recorded steps as a slideshow does exactly what it says, shows the output as a series of slides
Review the additional details take you to a summary of what took place during the recording, at each step of the way.
Clicking on Save will save the recorded steps as a ZIP file that you can email or share with the intended recipient. The main reason it uses a ZIP file as the output is that it is compressed and also a format that most organisations allow through email filtering
If you open the ZIP file, you will see a singe file inside which is an MHT file, which is a browser archive file, so double clicking on the file will open it in your preferred internet browser, allowing you to see the content

Have a go with the tool and see how useful it is for sharing information with others

Tech Tip : How To Access Special Characters And Symbols Easily

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Are there times when you are writing a Word document and you need to insert a special character or symbol into the text?

If you are like me, you may have spent loads of time looking for the insert symbol option, then having to wade through screen after screen of different characters and symbols, its enough to put you off!

Instead of going through all of that, here's a quick, easy way to do it instead:

In Windows, click the search box (or click Start and just start typing) and enter Character Map and open the application
This opens a separate application that displays all of the special characters and symbols on the PC
You can even select multiple characters and symbols, stack them in a Characters to Copy box to save you copying each character or symbol, one at a time
You can search for characters and symbols that you want to copy and insert into you document, spreadsheet, email or presentation and you can quickly and easily switch between applications all whilst keeping the tool open

This really helps save time, especially if you are working on a document or presentation that requires a lot of different special symbols or characters, have a play with it and see if it helps speed up your work.

Tech Tip : How To Use Windows Task Scheduler to Automate Tasks

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Are there things you find yourself doing on your computer over and over, repetitive things that take time but could be automated?

Here is how to do it....

Open Windows
Click start
In the search box type Task Scheduler and then open it
When it opens you can select Create Basic Task or Create Task
In this example we are using Create Basic Task, once it has been clicked it starts a Wizard
Give the Basic Task a name then click Next
Select when the task needs to trigger from the options which are:
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- One time
- When the computer starts
- When I log on
- When a specific event is logged
In this case we are going to open an application "When I log on", then click Next
On the Action page select what you want to happen:
- Start a program
- Send an email
- Display a message
In this example we are going to launch an application so selected "Start a program"
You will now need to browse for the program to launch, in this example we will select Outlook.exe to launch the email client. To speed things along, instead of browsing trying to find the application, click the Start button, find the application you want to use, click with the right mouse button and select "Open file location". Once Explorer has opened the file location, right click on the application and select "Copy as path" and then paste this into the Task Wizard in the Program/Script box.
Add any arguments (parameters) and where you want the application to start - leave both blank if you are unsure, then click Next
Then click Finish to add the task to your Task Schedule.

In this case each time I log on to the computer now, Outlook will be launched automatically by the Task Scheduler.

Tech Tip : Maximise Your Window Laptop Battery Life

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Did you know that you can configure different power plans on your laptop so you can optimise your battery life, depending on your usage?

You can optimise the power plans for your laptop and tune them to usage, so you can extend the battery life if you need to prolong usage, but require less processing power, or sacrifice battery charge to maximise performance for intensive activity.

Here is how to do it:

In Windows, right click on the battery icon (typically bottom right corner of the taskbar
Select Power Options
Alternately, open Control Panel, at the top right hand corner change the view to small icons, then select Power Options
Here you can find three pre-configured power plans, which are
- Balanced (Recommended) which is the default
- Power Saver
- High Performance
You can create your own plan tailored to your requirements if the above three are not suitable, you can choose from settings such as:
- Modifying the sleep timers (when the computer hibernates)
- Screen Brightness (which can be a significant drain on the battery)
- Processor power
Once you have it optimised for your needs, you can save it and use that configuration

Remember, you can switch your profile at any time to optimise the performance and balance this with power consumption.