Alt-F4

While you are in the Alt-space menu, you'’ll notice that almost every Windows application has a "“Close"” menu item (note their underlining of the letter C), but note too that there is a direct shortcut key -– the Alt key with the F4 function key.

Alt-F4 will close just about any Windows Application. If you have data or documents that ought to be saved, you'’ll be prompted.

Alt-F4 is a fast way of shutting down an application you no longer need, although my preference is to leave them all open and use Alt-Tab to go to the one I want.

"Never Close, Never Minimize" is my motto.
Let Windows do the memory-management thing.

Alt-Space

Alt-space brings up the menu from the top left-hand corner of any Windows Application window.

In Windows Explorer you click on the little yellow folder, extreme top left hand corner, to the left of the title “Exploring – Win98” or similar. In Microsoft Word you click on the little Green “W”, extreme top left hand corner, to the left of the title “Microsoft Word – Power.doc” or similar.

One of the items in the menu is to Minimize the window, and you’ll notice that the letter “n” is underlined, just as I’ve show it here. That’s your clue to a short-cut key method for minimizing a window.

Alt-Space and then tap just the letter “n”. Your current window is minimized. Some other window is now apparent and becomes your current window.

Alt-Space and then tap just the letter “n”. Your current window is minimized. Some other window is now apparent.

You can minimize all your windows (or as many as you want) without reaching for the mouse and hunting for the little icon. No need to even look at the screen!

In a similar manner, Alt-space and then the letter “X” will maximize any Windows Application window. I like my windows maximized. I like to use every inch of the monitor I’ve paid for.

Alt-space and then the letter “R” would shoot my Application window back to intermediate size, but I rarely do that. I like to let my eyes/brain do the walking, and for that I need the most data I can get on the screen, not a small part of it.

First Post

I've collected a few notes on the power-techniques that seem to impress you when we are sitting side by side.

The collection was made over a month of trying to observe myself as I worked. I asked "“What am I doing that other people aren't doing, why am I doing it, and is there a distinct advantage?"

I'’ve grouped the items solely to render them into digestible chunks. Don'’t try to master these all at once, but deal with one group this week, the next group next week, and so on.