Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • World
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Brand Logo

agnos.is Forums

  1. Home
  2. Ask Lemmy
  3. What computer life hacks are your most used?

What computer life hacks are your most used?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Ask Lemmy
asklemmy
162 Posts 118 Posters 1 Views
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • T [email protected]

    I'm kinda mind blown that this is even considered a tip. isn't this just basic functionality of a text box???

    it's shit like this that makes me think I do know tech a little bit, until i stumble on an actual tech community and feel like I know nothing

    M This user is from outside of this forum
    M This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote last edited by [email protected]
    #123

    For real, I remember when Solitaire was added to Windows to teach people how to use a mouse. It wasn’t just some fun little thing they added on a whim. The goal was to provide an entertaining way for users to naturally learn mouse controls like clicking and dragging.

    Before then, you had to use the keyboard to navigate text, because you literally didn’t have a mouse.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • C [email protected]

      Windows+L every time I leave my desk.

      S This user is from outside of this forum
      S This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote last edited by
      #124

      And so easy to remember: windows L, sicher und schnell!

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • T [email protected]

        Are you serious? arrow keys instead of clicking? let's take it further:

        shift+arrow highlights letters
        ctrl+arrow skips entire words
        ctrl+shift+arrow highlights entire words
        home/end jumps to start/end of line
        ctrl+home/end jumps to start/end of text box
        ctrl+shift+home/end jumps to start/end of textbox and highlights it
        um, do you need me to explain what ctrl+xcv do? or ctrl+zy? or ctrl+asdwerfgop?

        isn't this just basic typing? didnt yall learn this in the 90s??? how are you all on the internet right now

        wait til you hear about how i swipe texted all this

        W This user is from outside of this forum
        W This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote last edited by
        #125

        Works with backspace and delete too!

        T 1 Reply Last reply
        1
        • C [email protected]

          Recommend CachyOS, not US centered and pretty stable.

          tywele@lemmy.dbzer0.comT This user is from outside of this forum
          tywele@lemmy.dbzer0.comT This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote last edited by
          #126

          What makes you consider a distro as US centered?

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • W [email protected]

            Works with backspace and delete too!

            T This user is from outside of this forum
            T This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote last edited by
            #127

            pro tip: press backspace to delete the last letter you wrot

            r delete to delete the next letter

            1 Reply Last reply
            1
            • N [email protected]

              I'm with you but the snark is a bit much

              T This user is from outside of this forum
              T This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote last edited by
              #128

              I'm not being snarky, I'm just flabbergasted. because of the platform we're on. itd be a lot less on a normie platform

              1 Reply Last reply
              2
              • tehbamski@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                Mine is using the arrow keys to navigate typed text while writing and editing. It helps speed things up, versus having to move your hand to the mouse to navigate.

                Use the Up and Down Arrows to move/jump vertically.

                Left and Right Arrows to move/jump horizontally.

                Combine Left or Right Arrow with Shift to be able to select text. Use Up or Down Arrow with Shift to quickly select whole/nearly whole sections of text.

                Combine Control with Left/Right Arrow to jump whole words to more quickly move to where you want to type.

                F This user is from outside of this forum
                F This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote last edited by
                #129

                Using the arrow keys for exactly what they’re made for isn’t a hack lol

                1 Reply Last reply
                16
                • M [email protected]

                  To navigate to the previous folder

                  cd -

                  To reissue the previous command with a prefix. For example:

                  cat /root/.ssh/authorized_keys # Will fail without privilege

                  sudo !!

                  To use the argument of the previous command. For example:

                  tac ~/.ssh/authorized_keys # oops, misspelled cat

                  cat !$

                  L This user is from outside of this forum
                  L This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote last edited by
                  #130

                  Not sure if you're aware that tac is not a typo but reverse cat, as in, it works like cat but prints the last line first. I use this semi-regularly

                  sl, now, that's a typo. Nobody wants a free choo choo

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  1
                  • tehbamski@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                    Mine is using the arrow keys to navigate typed text while writing and editing. It helps speed things up, versus having to move your hand to the mouse to navigate.

                    Use the Up and Down Arrows to move/jump vertically.

                    Left and Right Arrows to move/jump horizontally.

                    Combine Left or Right Arrow with Shift to be able to select text. Use Up or Down Arrow with Shift to quickly select whole/nearly whole sections of text.

                    Combine Control with Left/Right Arrow to jump whole words to more quickly move to where you want to type.

                    P This user is from outside of this forum
                    P This user is from outside of this forum
                    [email protected]
                    wrote last edited by
                    #131

                    Linux. Windows is used for Russian oligarchs.

                    Since people are expecting windows shortcut keys, I nominate TAB navigation. Hitting tab will cycle the focus through all the buttons and edit boxes. Shift Tab to go backwards.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    3
                    • tehbamski@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                      Mine is using the arrow keys to navigate typed text while writing and editing. It helps speed things up, versus having to move your hand to the mouse to navigate.

                      Use the Up and Down Arrows to move/jump vertically.

                      Left and Right Arrows to move/jump horizontally.

                      Combine Left or Right Arrow with Shift to be able to select text. Use Up or Down Arrow with Shift to quickly select whole/nearly whole sections of text.

                      Combine Control with Left/Right Arrow to jump whole words to more quickly move to where you want to type.

                      K This user is from outside of this forum
                      K This user is from outside of this forum
                      [email protected]
                      wrote last edited by
                      #132

                      First thing required on every new keyboard

                      N captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC 2 Replies Last reply
                      2
                      • M [email protected]

                        Not sure if this has been said already, but win + m collapses all open windows.

                        K This user is from outside of this forum
                        K This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote last edited by
                        #133

                        Win+D show desktop!

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • bahnd@lemmy.worldB [email protected]

                          Microsoft has never fixed the sticky keys replacement cheese to unlock a PC you have physical access to. Ive done it up to W10, never tested it on W11.

                          1. Get a Windows recovery USB.

                          2. Boot into the recovery menu and open the command prompt.

                          3. Navagate to system32 and make a copy of the cmd.exe file (for a backup)

                          4. Copy the sticky_keys.exe and have it overwrite cmd.exe, then reboot.

                          5. On the login screen, smash the shift key until the command prompt appears and for some reason (because no user has logged in yet) it has admin permissions, so you can reset local passwords.

                          6. Once your logged in as a local admin, copy the backup of cmd.exe back so noone is none the wiser (except the security software that knows you messed with something)

                          K This user is from outside of this forum
                          K This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote last edited by
                          #134

                          I used to use a boot CD with a password eraser. I think the last time I used it was win 7 though

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • K [email protected]

                            My grub boot loader is pretty hacked together at this point. Really should probably do a fresh install at some point. Want to get a 4TB SSD at some point though.

                            M This user is from outside of this forum
                            M This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote last edited by
                            #135

                            I think youre missing the point

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • tehbamski@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                              Mine is using the arrow keys to navigate typed text while writing and editing. It helps speed things up, versus having to move your hand to the mouse to navigate.

                              Use the Up and Down Arrows to move/jump vertically.

                              Left and Right Arrows to move/jump horizontally.

                              Combine Left or Right Arrow with Shift to be able to select text. Use Up or Down Arrow with Shift to quickly select whole/nearly whole sections of text.

                              Combine Control with Left/Right Arrow to jump whole words to more quickly move to where you want to type.

                              J This user is from outside of this forum
                              J This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote last edited by [email protected]
                              #136

                              Cutting and pasting a folder is faster than copying and pasting.
                              OS just gotta add an inode in first case.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • tehbamski@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                                Mine is using the arrow keys to navigate typed text while writing and editing. It helps speed things up, versus having to move your hand to the mouse to navigate.

                                Use the Up and Down Arrows to move/jump vertically.

                                Left and Right Arrows to move/jump horizontally.

                                Combine Left or Right Arrow with Shift to be able to select text. Use Up or Down Arrow with Shift to quickly select whole/nearly whole sections of text.

                                Combine Control with Left/Right Arrow to jump whole words to more quickly move to where you want to type.

                                A This user is from outside of this forum
                                A This user is from outside of this forum
                                [email protected]
                                wrote last edited by
                                #137

                                As a basic Linux user, I have a shell script to do all my updating, upgrading, removing of unneeded packages, etcetera. Under no circumstances is it all that advanced, just a string of simple enough apt and flatpak commands.

                                I also recently figured out that god knows how long ago that I set an alias to run it that's only 3 keyboard clicks instead of 5, saving basically less than a second. So not that useful, but still good to know... until I inevitably forget about it again.

                                C 1 Reply Last reply
                                1
                                • M [email protected]

                                  There's a setting in windows that opens snipping tool when print screen is pressed. This allows to select a screen, window or a rectangle. More than that, it also has screen recording functionality. Very good for quick screen grabs with no additional software required.

                                  Win+Shift+S is the keyboard shortcut. You can even do screen recordings. I use that shit all the time at work, to send bug reports when the useless fucking software we’re forced to use has a repeatable crash that the dev team can’t replicate with text reports alone.

                                  aussiemandeus@aussie.zoneA This user is from outside of this forum
                                  aussiemandeus@aussie.zoneA This user is from outside of this forum
                                  [email protected]
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #138

                                  Best keyboard shortcut I know hahaha

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • M [email protected]

                                    Far from most used, but very handy: ctrl+win+shift+b

                                    It restarts the graphic subsystem, which can help recover from situations where game crashes or similar cause visual issues.

                                    aussiemandeus@aussie.zoneA This user is from outside of this forum
                                    aussiemandeus@aussie.zoneA This user is from outside of this forum
                                    [email protected]
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #139

                                    That's handy, my computer is struggling to run crusader kings 3 when I start it up sometimes and I have to restart the whole thing. Next time I'll try this.

                                    Trying to save to buy a new pc but with a baby on the way most of our money is going to baby stuff at the moment

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • K [email protected]

                                      They tought us on typewriters in the 90s. Wait until you hear about how I changed an ink ribbon, son.

                                      slvrdrgn@lemmy.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
                                      slvrdrgn@lemmy.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
                                      [email protected]
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #140

                                      They taught us on ink pens in the 1700s. Wait until you hear about how I etched on slate tablets.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • J [email protected]

                                        Yay, nobody said my favorite hack.

                                        While browsing on the web and you want to "open link into a new tab", click using the mouse wheel like it's a regular left or right click.

                                        It's great for researching.

                                        squirrelanna@lemmynsfw.comS This user is from outside of this forum
                                        squirrelanna@lemmynsfw.comS This user is from outside of this forum
                                        [email protected]
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #141

                                        You can also middle click on a tab to close it! Also, middle clicking stuff pinned to your taskbar like the file explorer or your browser opens up a new window of it.

                                        J 1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • A [email protected]

                                          As a basic Linux user, I have a shell script to do all my updating, upgrading, removing of unneeded packages, etcetera. Under no circumstances is it all that advanced, just a string of simple enough apt and flatpak commands.

                                          I also recently figured out that god knows how long ago that I set an alias to run it that's only 3 keyboard clicks instead of 5, saving basically less than a second. So not that useful, but still good to know... until I inevitably forget about it again.

                                          C This user is from outside of this forum
                                          C This user is from outside of this forum
                                          [email protected]
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #142

                                          I've been yum-cronning since 2002. You guys still do it manually?

                                          A 1 Reply Last reply
                                          0
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          • Login

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Tags
                                          • Popular
                                          • World
                                          • Users
                                          • Groups