Create a new user environment variable (My Computer / Properties / Environment Variables / User variables) with the name NUMLOCK and set it to 2.
The next time you log on, the numlock function on the keyboard will automatically be enabled.
By creating the shortcut displayed below, you can instantaneously lock your computer:
%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation.
Note: On Windows XP, you can just press Winkey+L.
The best way is to download the free tool PsShutdown
(or
better yet: download the entire
PsTools
suite). Then
create a shortcut to this small executable.Some sites state that you can also use rundll32.exe user32.dll,ExitWindows, but this only works on Windows 95/98 and ME.
Remember when you could play a game on your PC at work, and if the boss came by, you could hit a special key, and your screen would suddenly display a Excel spreadsheet or similar official looking image to fool the boss into thinking you were working?
Pressing and holding the Windows key and hitting the letter "m" will IMMEDIATELY minimize all open windows on your system and return you to the desktop. If you also use the "Autohide" option on your Taskbar, no-one will know WHAT you were doing when they walked around the corner!
Here's a complete list of the Windows Key shortcuts for your viewing pleasure:
| Winkey | Display the Start menu |
| Winkey+F1 | Display Help |
| Winkey+Break | Display the System Properties box |
| Winkey+Tab | Cycle through buttons on the taskbar |
| Shift+Winkey+Tab | Cycle through buttons on the taskbar in reverse order |
| Winkey+B | Move to notification area on the taskbar [Windows XP] |
| Winkey+D | Show desktop (minimizes or restores all windows) |
| Winkey+E | Display Windows Explorer |
| Winkey+F | Display Find: All Files |
| Ctrl+Winkey+F | Display Find: Computer |
| Winkey+L | Lock the computer/switch user [Windows XP] |
| Winkey+M | Minimize all Windows |
| Shift+Winkey+M | Undo minimize all Windows |
| Winkey+R | Display the Run command |
| Winkey+U | Display Utility Manager |
Command completion allows you to type only a portion of a file or folder name, and then have the system complete the rest by pressing the TAB key. This is similar to the the UNIX shell command completion feature.
Run the registry editor, and navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor subkey. Set the DWORD value CompletionChar to 9 to set it to the TAB key or to 0 (zero) to turn the feature off. If necessary, close all active command prompt you may have started. Now, if you start a command prompt, you can type the first part of a filename or folder, and press the TAB key and Windows will complete the filename for you. If there is more than one match, you can use TAB and Shift-TAB to go through the list.
Enabling command prompt command line completion feature in Windows 2000 without having to edit the registry is very easy. Simply type "cmd /f:on" to start a command prompt with automatic name completion enabled. Or, you can modify the shortcut that you use to start a command prompt (Start->Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt) by right-clicking the shortcut, and clicking Properties. In the Target box, add "/f:on" (without the quotes) to the end of "%systemroot%/system32/cmd.exe".
Now, to use the command line completion feature, use Ctrl-D for directory names or Ctrl-F for file names, to cycle through the list of available directory or file names respectively. Shift-Ctrl-D or Shift-Ctrl-F will cycle through the list in the reverse order.