Information Technology Services

by Curt Price

Have you ever gotten frustrated searching for a password you swore you wrote down somewhere? How about frustratingly trying to resize windows so you can view two of them on the same screen? In some cases, technology doesn’t feel like a helpful tool but more like an annoying hassle. Here are 17 (because I had to stop somewhere) shortcuts to help make your daily SIUE life a little easier.

1. When All Else Fails, Reboot

It may be a rule as old as Windows 3.1, but it still works like a champ. Reboot your computer once per week. This flushes system memory, completes windows updates that may have started running, and can lead to better productivity and performance. And especially if your computer is acting up, running slow, or glitchy, just reboot it. You'd be surprised at how many issues that resolves. Does it explain why the issue happened? Uh, it does not. But... out of sight, out of mind, right? ;)
But seriously, if you are experiencing a reaccuring computer issue, please contact the ITS Help Desk at ext. 5500, or visit us in the basement of Lovejoy Library in room 0005.

2. Use a Secure Password Manager

The average person spends 12 days of their life searching for their login credentials.
Ain't nobody got time for that.
1Password, Keeper and Last Pass are secure online password managers you can use to manage and store this information. They integrate with your web browser so you can log into websites and other services seamlessly, saving you tons of time guessing or getting locked out of what you need. These tools can also generate secure passwords for you, making your accounts harder to hack. And there are smart phone apps for these apps as well that allow you to access your saved passwords on your phone.
Use them. Your life will be 1000 times easier. EXACTLY 1000 times. It's science.

3. Take a Screenshot

On a PC, right-click the “Start” button, choose “search,” and type “Snipping Tool.” Select “New” and click and drag the cursor over the desired area. Once finished, you can then share or save the snip. Or if you want a screenshot of the entire screen, just hit 'Print Screen' on your keyboard and it will copy an image of your screen that you can then paste in an image editor. On a Mac, Press and hold “Shift+Command+4.” Drag the crosshair to select the area of the screen to capture. I have nothing clever to say here. This is just a solid tip.

4. Automate Laptop Screen Brightness For Your Tired Eyes

Blue light is known to interfere with our ability to sleep. This effects everyone differently. And if it effects you enough that it does effect your sleep, you might want to take steps to mitigate that. Windows has an automatic light switcher that allows users to adjust automatically to warmer colors when lighting in the environment changes. To set this, right-click the “Start” button, search “Night Light,” and click on it. Select “Schedule night light” and set whatever hours you like. It's like magic... no... it IS magic.

5. Quickly Re-Open a Closed Tab in Your Web Browser

If you accidentally close an important tab in your browser (we've all done this, don't lie... you feel silly and then a feeling flows over you that you'll never be able to find that page again... but never fear), you can easily re-open it by pressing “control + shift + t” on a Windows PC. 

6. Search From the Browser Bar

Why waste time opening a new tab and going to Google to search when that time could be better used postively impacting 283 students at SIUE? Today’s browsers allow you to search directly from the browser bar at the top of the page. Simply input your query into the area where web addresses are typically displayed, and the browser will immediately populate a results page related to your search. I know a lot of you didn't know this. I've seen you go the long way to search for something. You know who you are. You're welcome.

7. Use Quotation Marks

Search more smarter! If you’re searching for something in Google but getting bogged down with irrelevant results, consider wrapping your search term in quotes. Google will only show results that exactly match whatever you have written in quotes. This makes it much easier to find what you’re looking for and eliminates extraneous search results. This will surely help you become more popular among your peers... or at least earn a couple raised eyebrows, pursed lips, and a head bob.

8. Use Google to Find Your Android

We all lose things. We put it down, turn around, and it magically vanishes surely through no fault of your own. (I blame two things. People intollerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch.) When you are signed into your Google account in your web browser on your PC, Google “find my phone.” If using Google Home, you can also say, “Hey Google, find my phone.” This will ring your Android phone. For Apple devices, you can use Find My iPhone on iCloud.com. If your phone was actually in your hand or in your pocket, then we'll just keep that between us.

9. Set Up Email Filters in Microsoft Outlook

Inbox clutter is a thing. Spam makes things exponentially worse in that regard. And while ITS has set up your mail to block the vast majority of Spam messages, a number still get through. This can help with that... or if you want to better organize emails you actually want. In the Microsoft Outlook ribbon, select “File,” click the “Manage Rules & Alerts” button, and then select “New Rule.” In this menu, you can assign tasks to emails under certain conditions, such as automatically filing emails based on criteria like the sender or specific words in the subject line. We hear there is a Nigerian Prince that is very upset about this feature.

10. Schedule Emails to be Sent Later in Microsoft Outlook

Have you ever wanted to respond to an email at 2am but didn't want it to look like you were up at 2am because you simply don't want the "What were you doing up at 2am?" conversation the next day? In Outlook, when you open a new email, click “Options” at the top and click “Delay Delivery.” Under delivery options, you can choose the date/time next to “Do not deliver before.” If you set it to send at 6:30am, people will think you're an early riser/go getter type of person, instead of a procrastinating night owl. 

11. Set Microsoft Teams Quiet Hours in the Mobile App

Do you get tired of late night or early morning Teams notifications? (or people up at 2am sending you stuff without using tip #10?) Open the Microsoft Teams app on your phone and click the navigation menu (photo icon) in the top left corner. Click “Notifications,” then click on the bell icon under “Block notifications,” identified as During quiet time. After you click “quiet hours,” you will have the option to turn it on and select your desired quiet hours. There is also a separate option to turn on quiet days, which mutes notifications for a full 24 hours.

12. Mute and Unmute Zoom Meetings With the Space Bar

When you are called to speak in a Zoom meeting with the Chancellor, stop scrambling to click the microphone button and creating an awkward delay where everyone knows you're trying to find the "unmute" button. You can simply press and hold the spacebar to quickly mute and unmute your mic when on a Zoom call. Leave the awkwardness for someone else. Unless you are one of those types who NEVER mutes themselves in Zoom meetings when not talking for a while. Then nevermind. Anyway... on to the next tip!

13. Mute Yourself in Zoom Meetings When Not Talking For A While

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14. Keyboard Shortcuts

• Windows Key + D – Helps you hide or show the desktop at once despite how many tabs and windows are opened on your desktop.
• Spacebar – Scrolls down the page.
• Shift + Spacebar – Scrolls up the page.
• Windows Key + Left/Right Arrow – Allows you to select and work on two windows side by side.
• Alt + Tab – Switches between multiple windows quickly.
• Windows Key + L – Locks your computer in a second. This comes in handy if you’re working on something confidential and someone comes over, and you need privacy quickly.

15. Use Youtube Keyboard Commands

Keys 0 through 9 skip through the video. Press 5 for 50%, 7 for 70%, etc. The J, K, and L keys also have useful functions. Press J to rewind, K to pause, and L to fast forward. These keys only work in this manner when the video is paused. You can also move frame by frame through a YouTube video by using the left and right angle brackets. These things: < >   But don't call them "arrows", that name is reserved for the actual arrow keys. They're also called chevrons if you want to sound pretentious.

16. Expand Your Vocabulary in Documents

In Office 365, the built-in thesaurus is a handy feature. To avoid repetition when writing content, right-click any word and select “synonyms.” You’ll get a full selection of great alternatives. Be smart! Brainy! Bright! Clever! Have the whole package!

17. Texting Hack

When you are at the end of a sentence, all you have to do is tap the space bar twice for a full stop. It will insert a period and automatically capitalize the following letter. With how fast I've seen some of you text, you may already know this one. 

Hopefully you find some of these tips useful. If not... well, at least you didn't pay for this article.