| Desktop Operations |
| Switch between applications | alt + tab |
| Switch backwards between applications | alt + tab + shift |
| Bring up the 'Start' menu | ctrl + esc |
| Switch open windows | alt + esc |
| Rename selected item | F2 |
| Start 'Find' | F3 |
| Drop the "folder selection menu" in Explorer | F4 |
| Refresh | F5 |
| Close current (or selected) application, or exit Windows 95 if no applications are selected or maximized | alt + F4 |
| Open properties dialog | alt + enter |
| Cut selection or item | ctrl + x or shift + delete |
| Copy selection or item | ctrl + c |
| Paste | ctrl + v or shift + insert |
| Go to beginning of a document | ctrl + home |
| Go to end of a document | ctrl + end |
Opening Folders While Closing Previous Ones:
Simpy hold down the control key (Ctrl) as you double-click to open the new folder.
Closing All Windows Under "My Computer"
Holding the shift key down while clicking the close box will quickly close all the windows.
| General Operations |
Altering Properties
Simply right-click on the item; a menu will drop down, from which you can choose 'properties'.
Viewing Properties
To see the properties for an object, hold down the "alt" key while double-clicking on it.
Bypass the Windows 95 Logo at Boot
To do this occasionally, press escape at bootup. To prevent it occuring generally, edit the MSDOS.SYS file and add the line LOGO=0 to the 'options' section.
Deleting Files Immediately
Holding down the shift key will cause items you are deleting to be immediately deleted, instead of being moved to the 'recycle bin'.
Temporarily Disabling Autoplay
Hold down the shift key for a few seconds after closing the CD-ROM drawer.
Changing the Sound Volume
Single-click on the speaker icon in the tray to bring up the volume control.
Quickly Starting the Mixer
Double-click on the speaker icon in the tray to launch the full mixer controls.
Refreshing the Desktop
Simply click on the desktop and press 'F5'.
Making 'Find' Look Where You Want
To search in pre-defined locations, start 'Find', choose where you want to look, and then select 'Save Search' from the 'File' menu. This will place a .fnd file on your desktop. You can then place this file in the directory of your choice, and create a shortcut to it. You may wish to rename the shortcut and add it to your 'Start' menu. To do so, simply open the 'Start' menu with a right-click and drag the shortcut into the folder you desire.
Changing Desktop Properties
Right-click on the desktop, then select properties. You can adjust the background (wallpaper), colors, screen saver, and color depth and resolution with this.
Using the Clock and Calendar
Double-clicking on the time in the taskbar tray will bring up the calendar, and allow to adjust the time.
| Using Explorer |
Opening Files With Different Programs
Hold down the shift key while right-clicking on the file in Explorer; the 'open with' dialog will appear, and you can choose an alternate program to open the file with.
| Solving Problems |
Restarting Windows 95
To restart Windows 95 without a full warm boot, select shut down from the start menu, click the restart computer option, and hold the shift key down while affirming "yes".
Crashes in Word, etc., Due to OLE
Microsoft has recognized problems in OLE32 that cause crashes in Word 6.0, Word 7.0, and other applications. An updater has been released, and is available from their web site, or here.
Using Long Filenames in Word 6.0
To use long filenames in Word 6.0, get the program Widen.
The original version of this page can be found at the Windows 95 Tips & Tweaks site. This is a great site with tons of power user tips and info on customizing Windows 95.
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