Windows 8 Quick keys

The latest edition of Microsoft Windows, Windows 8, comes complete with an overhaul of the user interface and the new infamous Start Screen. At first this may appear confusing to many first time users but with the combination of new and old quick keys means many tasks can be performed in the same manner or quicker then in earlier editions of Windows.

The Windows key comes into use a lot more then previous version of Windows and can typically be found at the bottom left of your keyboard, similar to the image below.

Windows key

Below are a list of some helpful quick keys.

Windows Key: Switch between the Start Screen and the desktop.

Windows Key + D: While on the Windows desktop this key combination will clear all the open windows and show the Desktop, a second press of the combination will reopen all the windows previously hidden. If this combination is pressed while on the Windows 8 Start Screen the Windows desktop is displayed.

Windows Key + F: Brings up the files search menu

Windows Key + W: Brings up the settings search menu.

Windows Key + Q: Brings up the application search menu.

Windows Key + L: Locks the machine.

Windows Key + a Number: Launches a program from the Taskbar. Windows Key + 1 runs the leftmost program and Windows Key + 0 runs the tenth from the left. If the app is already open, this shortcut will switch to it.

Windows Key + T: Cycles through items in the taskbar, from left to right. Pressing the return key will then launch the selected application.

Windows Key + Arrow Key: Perform Aero Snap. The up Arrow maximizes the window. Left Arrow snaps the application to the left half of the screen, The Right Arrow snaps the application it to the right side of the screen, and the Down Arrow minimizes it.

Windows Key + C: Launch the Charms Bar on the right side of the screen.

Windows Key + X: Launch the Power User Menu, providing many of the functions lost with the missing Start Menu, such as access to the Control Panel, System, Device Manager and Command Prompt.

Windows Key + Pause / Break: Open the System window

Windows Key + E: Launch Windows explorer.

Windows Key + P: Cycle through the second screen projection mode.

Windows Key + I: To avoid the Charms bar then choosing Settings it’s possible to go directly to Settings. This will reveal the Power button, too.

Windows Key + H: Used in applications to email or share its content with someone on a social network. The application must support this.

Windows Key + R: Opens Run menu where you can launch programs by typing in their executable file names.

Windows Key + . (period key): Docks the current Windows 8-style application to the right or left, depending on how many times you hit it.

Windows Key + Z: Doing this combination on the Start Screen will bring up app menu, which shows contextual options for the active app.

Windows Key + PrtScn (Print Screen): Takes a screenshot and saves it to the pictures folders as a PNG files.

Windows Key + O: Locks the screen orientation.

Windows Key + Page Up / Page Down: Doing this combination on the Start Screen will cycle through which display the Start Screen is shown on.

Windows Key + Tab: Brings up the Task Switcher and toggles between Windows 8-style apps, note in Windows 8 this no longer switches between desktop applications.

Alt + Tab: Brings up the Task Switcher and toggles between all applications (Desktop or Windows 8-style).

Alt + Shift + Arrow Key: Doing this combination on the Start Screen will move the position of an applications shortcut.

Alt + F4: Shut down the current application.

Format a hard drive with cmd (command prompt )

In Windows I would normally be driven to either format a drive through the Disk Management console or by right-clicking on a drive in Windows Explorer and selecting the “Format…” option, but there can be advantages to formatting a driver through Command Prompt. For example if you are reformatting a drive which previously had an Operating System on the drive you can find there are System Partitions on the drive which can’t be seen in Windows Explorer and refuse to format in the Disk Management console.

Note this is only a quick guide for Formatting Drives from Command Line, there are many more options available at your disposal. For a detailed insight to the options available for the DiskPart tool visit Microsofts Technet. In the example I have formatted an external hard drive for use of file storage in a Windows Operating System environment.

In order to format a drive through Command Prompt firstly lets open the prompt.

Click Start > Run and type “CMD”, pressing Enter should open a new terminal.

Start CMD

We need to next start the Disk Part tool, type “DISK PART” into the Command Line and press Enter.

Start Disk Part

Next let’s display and identify which volume we would like to format. Type “list volume” and press Enter. You should see a list of available volumes. Identify the one which you wish to format, be careful selecting the wrong volume will spell disaster!

List Volume

Type “select volume <x>” and press Enter, where <x> is the volume you wish to focus on.

Select Volume

Type “clean” and press Enter. This removes any and all partition or volume formatting from the disk in focus.

Clean

Type “create partition primary” and press Enter. This creates a primary partition on the current disk. After you create the partition, the focus automatically shifts to the new partition. It is possible to create multiple partitions if you like. To do this you would add the option size=<x> where <x> is the size in megabytes (MB) you would like the partition to be. If no size is specified, like in my example, the partition continues until there is no more unallocated space.

Create Partition

Type “format fs=ntfs quick label=test” and press Enter. This will now perform a quick format, using a ntfs file system and labelling the drive “test”. You may wish to use the file system fat32 in place of ntfs if you would like to use the drive with other operating systems.

Format

Lastly type “assign letter <x>” and press Enter, where <x> is the letter you would like to assign the drive.

Assign Drive Letter

You can close the Disk Part tool and Command Prompt using the “exit” command. You should now see your freshly formatted drive in My Computer, ready to use.

All Files Converted to .lnk Files : FIXED

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Unable to Open Files or Shortcuts due to .lnk Extension Because All Files Converted to .lnk Files ? – Read this Post to Fix this Issue by Fixing Windows Registry.Now a days this is becoming a very Common Problem faced by most of the Users.Because of this they are unable to open any kind of File. When they try to Start or Run a program through shortcut nothing happens as the Windows ask you what Program would you like to use the .lnk File.This Kind of Problem generally arises due to Corrupt Windows Registry File or other Windows registry Errors.Here in this Post I am going to tell you how to Fix this Problem by Fixing Windows Registry.

What are .Lnk Files ?

.lnk files are special files having .lnk File Format or Extension which is used by Microsoft Windows to Point to an executable file.They are basically associated with shortcut files that links to executable files..lnk Stands for Link.These .lnk files consists of  basic Properties  like path to Executable Files and “Start-In” directory

Problems Associated with .lnk Files

• All File Extensions are Converted to .lnk Format.

• Not able to Open these Files as Windows ask what Program would you like to use for .lnk File.

All Files Converted to .lnk Files  – Solution to Fix this Problem

As discussed above this Problem occurs due to Windows Registry Problems.Therefore the Only Way to Solve or Fix this Issue is to Fix the Windows Registry.Here below is a Step by Step Guide on How to Fix this Issue Using three Different Methods. 

Method 1 – Download Registry Fix to Restore Default .lnk Extension Settings

• For Windows XP Users – Download the Registry File

• For Windows Vista and 7 Users – Download the Registry File

Note - It is a .zip file therefore Extract it First and Double Click on the Registry File and Click Yes when Registry Editor Prompts you.

Free Download Winrar To Extract Zipped Files From Here

• Restart Your Computer So that New changes can take Place

Method 2 – Manually Fixing the Windows Registry

• Open Windows Registry Editor.To Open type regedit in RUN Box.

• Search For the Following Key.

KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.lnk

• Now Expand the .Ink Key and Delete the Sub key UserChoice as shown below in the Image.

• Restart Your Computer so that new effects can take Place.

Method 3 – By Using Third Party Software – For Windows Vista or Above Versions

You can also Use Third Party Software’s to Fix this Issue and Repair .lnk (Shortcuts) File Association utility is one of them.

• Download Repair .lnk (Shortcuts) File Association utility

• After Downloading Double Click on the File and Click Start as shown below in the Image.

• That’s all and You are all Done.

How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized in Windows

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Are You Getting USB Device Not Recognized Error while Connecting USB Devices to Your USB Port ? – Read this Post to Learn How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized in Windows Error.Today Most of Our Devices are connected to USB Ports like Mouse,Keyboard,Camera,External Hard disk etc and much more.How to Download Torrent Files Using IDM : Faster and High Speed I have seen most of the Users facing Device Not Recognized Error while plugging in the USB Devices to the USB Port and they try to fix this error by doing system restore,uninstalling and reinstalling Computer Drivers etc but nothing Works.This Error doesn’t mean that your USB Ports are Bad and to ensure this you can connect your mobile to the USB port and you will see that the mobile phone is charging which means that USB Ports are Good.So Here in this Post I am going to tell You a Very Simple Solution to Fix this USB Device Not Recognized Error.Here below is a Step by Step Guide on How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized in Windows.How to Download Play Store Apps on PC

Screenshot Showing USB Device Not Recognized Error in Windows 7

How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized in Windows

Method 1 – Shut Down and Unplug Your Computer From Power Supply

This is the Best Method to Fix this Error.You just need to Shut Down your Computer and Unplug Your Computer from the Power Supply for about 5-10 minutes.How to Password Protect Your USB Flash Drive : USB Secure Sometimes it is necessary to reboot the Motherboard so that the Microprocessor can reload all the Computer Drivers and thus Making the USB Ports to Recognize Your Devices.Just Turning Off the Computer Doesn’t help you as the Motherboard is still getting the Power therefore it is necessary to Unplug the Computer From the Power Supply.Now a days Modern Computer Power Supplies are Provided with a Switch at the Back Side to Turn off the Power Supply Manually.How to Increase Mozilla Firefox Browsing Speed ?

Method 2 – Uninstall USB Driver and Reconnect USB Device

If the Above Solution doesn’t work then try Uninstalling the USB Driver through Device Manager and then Reconnect Your USB Device so that it can automatically reinstall the Driver

• Open Device Manager by Going to Computer Properties as Shown below in the Image. How to Increase IDM Download Speed – IDM Optimizer

• Now Expand Disk Drives and Select Your USB Device.

Note - If your Device is USB Pendrive or External Hard disk then it will show Under Disk Drives else if it is Mouse or Keyboard then You have to Expand Keyboard or Mouse Settings. 

• Right Click on Your USB Device and Select Uninstall as shown below in the Image..

• After Uninstalling Unplug Your USB Device.

• Now wait for few minutes and Reconnect Your USB Device and it will automatically start installing the USB Device Driver.

• That’s all and You are all done.

Method 3 – Uninstall USB Controllers

If all the above two method fails then try this method.You need to Uninstall USB Controllers one by One so that after you restart your Computer they will be automatically reinstalled.

• Open Device Manager by Going to Computer Properties.

• Now Expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

• Next Right Click on any Device and Select Uninstall as shown below in the Image.

• Repeat the above step to uninstall each device Drivers.

• Restart Your Computer and they will be Automatically Reinstalled.

• That’s all and You are all Done.

How to Unlock Password Protected Memory Cards – FIXED 100%

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How to Unlock Password Protected Memory Cards  ? – Have you forgotten your Memory Card Password and want to Unlock it without Formatting the Memory Card ? – Don’t Worry Just Go through this post and all your problems will be resolved within a few minutes.Memory Cards are the Most Widely Used Secondary Storage Devices generally found in Smartphones,Tablets or Camera’s for Storing Your Personal Data or any other Important Information.Now all the Latest Smartphones or Tablets comes with an External SD Memory Card Support for Storing extra data on your Devices. How to Install Android Apps on SD Card/Memory Card We Use memory cards for storing music,videos,movies or documents and much more.Even sometimes we require to save our Personal or Official Data on these memory cards and thus their Privacy becomes the most Crucial thing for which we usually set up a password for memory card in order to Prevent Unauthorized access to the Stored Information in Memory Cards.But what if you forgot your Memory Card Password ?? – Forgetting the Memory Password can prove to very disastrous for most of the users if some very useful data is stored in their Memory Cards because no company provides any support or software to remove the Password Protection from the Memory Cards.How to Install Windows Phone 8 Apps from SD Card Also you can’t even access any password protected memory card in your Windows PC until you remove the Password Protection from the Memory Card or Format Your Memory Card.So if you are the one facing difficulty in unlocking your Password Protected memory card then don’t worry anymore I am here to help you to get your Problem sorted out.Read the Guide on How to Unlock Password Protected Memory Cards.

How to Remove Password From Memory Cards – Methods

Till now there are only two Available methods by which you can easily remove Password Protection from your Memory cards which are listed below.

• By Formatting Your Memory Card – Not Recommended

• By Using FExplorer a Free Utility tool for Symbian Devices. – Recommended

How to Unlock Password Protected Memory Cards – FExplorer

FExplorer is the best method to Completely Remove Password Protection from your Memory Card without losing your Valuable Data from your memory cards.FExplore Works by Providing you to access to the Memory Card system folder from where you can recover your password from a mmcstore text file which stores the password for your memory card.Follow the below given steps to learn How to Unlock Password Protected Memory Cards without formatting them.

Requirements Important :

• FExplorer Work in Only Nokia Symbian S60 1st and 2nd Edition Smartphones

• Download FExplorer in Your Mobile From Here – Download Link

• Next Run FExplore in Your Nokia Symbia S60 Device from the Downloaded file.

• Now Move to C: System Folder

• Here Search For a File with name mmcstore

• Copy the mmcstore file and Move it onto your PC.

• Open this mmcstore file Using Notepad.

• Now You will find your Password in the Notepad.

• That’s all and You are all done.

Incoming Searches :

• How to Unlock Memory Card Password.

• How to unlock password protected micro SD card.

• How to unlock the password protected memory card of your mobile.

• How to Recover Lost Password from Memory Cards.

Whatsapp not available in your country playstore error – How to fix and Install ?

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Whatsapp is a popular cross platform instant messaging app available throughout the world but what if you face an error something like “Whatsaapp is not available in your country” or “Whatsapp is unavailable for your country” while installing it on your latest branded smartphone from Google play store ? – Shocking!!! Yeah you may face such error while installing whatsapp on your android device via Google Play store because on the basis of your location from where you are trying to access or install whatsapp via Play store.

You will often see while searching for whatsapp on Google play store you might end facing “Whatsapp not available in your country playstore error” which is quite annoying to have so here is a simple and working fix to Install Whatsapp on your Android Smartphone no matter from where you are installing it on your android device.

Whatsapp not available in your country playstore error- How to Fix ?

How to make whatsapp available in your country and thus Installing ?

You don’t necessarily need to made whatsapp available in your country instead of that you can simply install whatsapp on your android smartphone directly via APK file or from Whatsapp official website as listed below.

• Go to Whatsapp Official Website and Download the latest whatsapp version for your device and Install it as usually like other apps installation.

Alternatively – You can also Download the Whatsapp APK file directly on your smartphone and Install it simply.

Note - Make sure you have turned on the feature “Allow Installation of non-market Apps” and if you haven’t turned it on just Go to Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Check mark Unknown sources