California State University, Los Angeles
ITS Help Desk Advisor
Some Cache Is Not Worth Saving
When
web pages and graphics are downloaded and stored in your computer
browser’s cache directory, they will rapidly load. The cache is a
portion of memory reserved for temporary (or virtual) storage.
When you go to a particular URL, if your browser finds that page
in the cache, it will read it rather than download a copy of the
page from the Internet (unless you select “Reload”). In some
cases, you can retrieve pages from cache to browse offline without
having to be connected to the Internet.
While your browser’s cache usually makes revisiting web pages faster, it can sometimes take up too much temporary storage space. When that happens, applications that also require virtual memory might fail. The solution: Do some housecleaning and regularly clear out your cache. Click here for instructions about Clearing Your Browser’s Cache.
Getting Sound and Picture
Q: Sometimes when I show a film on a multimedia projector
or DVD/VCR, I get the sound, but no picture. What’s wrong?
A: Try pressing the SOURCE button on the projector or on
the remote control to cycle through the available inputs. DVD/VCR
combination units usually display the picture on the Video Input
setting. Stand-alone DVD and VCR players usually get a picture on
the S-Video Input.
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
Save some mouse clicks by using common timesaving keyboard shortcuts. In the table below:
- The plus sign (+) signifies holding down the first while then pressing the second key
- Upper case letters can be substituted for lower case letters
- The
icon stands for the Windows
Key or WinKey.
Shortcut |
Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+A | Select all items in the document, web page, spreadsheet, etc. |
| Ctrl+B | Bold the selected text |
| Ctrl+C | Copy the selected item |
| Ctrl+I | Italicize the selected text |
| Ctrl+O | Open an item |
| Ctrl+S | Save a document |
| Ctrl+U | Underline the selected text |
| Ctrl+V | Paste the most recently saved item wherever the mouse cursor appears. |
| Ctrl+X | Cut the selected item |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo the last action |
| Ctrl+Backspace | Delete the word to the left of the mouse cursor |
| Ctrl+Del | Delete the word to the right of the mouse cursor |
| Ctrl+End | Go the bottom of the document |
| Ctrl+Esc | Display the Start menu |
| Ctrl+Home | Go to the top of the document |
| Ctrl+Right Arrow | Move the mouse cursor to the beginning of the next word |
| Ctrl+Left Arrow | Move the mouse cursor to the beginning of the previous word |
| Ctrl+Down Arrow | Move the mouse cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph |
| Ctrl+Up Arrow | Move the mouse cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph |
| Ctrl+Shift+any Arrow | Highlight a block of text |
| Alt+F4 | Close the active item, or quit the active program |
| Alt+Tab | Switch between open items |
| Alt+Underlined letter in a menu name | Display that menu |
| F1 | Display Help |
| Shift+any Arrow | Highlight a block of text |
| +D |
Minimize all windows and show the desktop |
| +E |
Open Microsoft Explorer |
| +F |
Display the Windows Search/Find feature |
| +Ctrl+F |
Display the computer Search/Find feature |
| +L |
Lock the computer (Windows XP and above) |
| +M |
Minimize all windows and show the desktop |
| +Shift+M |
Open all minimized all windows |
| +R |
Open the Run window |
| +U |
Open Utility Manager |
| +Tab |
Switch between open programs |
| +F1 |
Display Microsoft Windows Help |
| +Pause/Break |
Open the system properties window |
For more complete list of key shortcuts, press
+
F1 and search for “Windows keyboard shortcuts overview.”