[SmartCat]

Gents, this is where we list out all the lesser known tips & tricks to get the most out of your Windows desktop/laptop. Useful chrome extensions are welcome too. Also include your favorite (Windows + Android) integration hacks.

Tip No. 1: Utilize Taskbar and Microsoft Store

Instead of opening browser and typing in twitter.com or netflix.com or openai.chatgpt.com, go to Microsoft Store and download the respective apps instead. After downloading, it will ask you if you'd like to install icon on Taskbar.



- Microsoft Store apps are super-efficient when compared to a website loaded on chrome browser. Your RAM usage will drop noticeably if you use respective apps instead of opening a website in browser. Especially OTT/streaming platform apps like Amazon Prime or Netflix.
- You can clear bookmarks on your browser and use it for less-easy to remember URLs
- Gives a MacOS vibe to see all your apps on the taskbar
- Since the taskbar apps are in your face all the time, you will utilize them more (Eg: chatgpt)

[SmartCat]

Tip No. 2: Download Microsoft PC Manager

I'm surprised this tool is not bundled with Windows and one has to download it separately from Microsoft Store



- Enable "Smart Boost" and it automatically "clears" RAM when its usage is high. There is no need to close apps.
- Has usual PC maintenance tools like health checkup, virus scan, disable startup apps and delete unwanted files.
- Enabling "Storage Sense" (under Storage) automatically deletes file bloat every X days/months.
- Has an in-built popup blocker (under Protection)
- My laptop bootup time is 10 seconds apparently!

[SmartCat]

Tip No. 3: Appify all your favorite websites

You will not find Youtube app on Microsoft Store. There is no Google Photos app either. Now worries, because you can convert any website into a Windows app using Google Chrome.

- Open Google Chrome and type in photos.google.com
- Click on 3 vertical dots
- Select "Cast, Save and Share"
- Select 'Install Google Photos' (exact wording might be different for different websites)

A website is transformed into a Windows app and you can save it on Taskbar (right click on Google Photos icon on taskbar and select pin to taskbar):

[SmartCat]

Tip No. 4: Reduce frequent smartphone locks/unlocks by using Windows laptop for whatsapp/SMS/phone calls

You can reduce your phone usage significantly with tighter integration of Windows laptop and Android smartphone. Once done, your smartphone battery will probably last for 1.5 to 2 days.

(a) Dual Whatsapp on Windows: Of course, very likely, almost everybody here is using web.whatsapp.com or Whatsapp for Windows app. Do you know you can have dual whatsapp on your Windows laptop/device? Download and install Whatsapp for Windows from Microsoft store and sync with Whatsapp number 1. Then open web.whatsapp.com on chrome browser and sync with Whatsapp number 2. Now appify this whatsapp webpage (see previous post), and voila, you can access messages/groups from both the whatsapp numbers from a single desktop/laptop.



(b)Access SMS on Windows laptop/desktop:

- Open your android smartphone 'messages' app. If you are using some other SMS app (Truecaller/Samsung etc), make sure Google Messages is the default SMS app. If you don't have the Google Messages app, download it from playstore.
- Go to https://messages.google.com/web/
- Follow on-screen instructions, use QR scan from Android messages app to sync the Windows/Android devices
- Appify Google Messages so that it shows on your taskbar



One flaw with Google Messages for Windows is that it does now show OTP. With lots of websites now having 2FA or where (phone number + OTP) is the login, you will need to open the smartphone for this. No sweat, because there is a work-around for that too. Introducing...

(c) Make/Receive phone calls using your laptop:

- Download "Link To Windows" (made by Microsoft) app on your Android smartphone
- Open "Phone Link" on your Windows laptop (Start -> Search app)
- Follow intructions to sync your smartphone and laptop.



Along with making/answering phone calls, you can also:

- Read/Send SMS. Note that Phone Link displays OTP too, unlike Google Messages
- Access photos/videos recorded on your smartphone, and copy them to hard disk if necessary
- Access and run all the apps that are on the smartphone

[SmartCat]

Tip No. 5: Buy OneDrive with Microsoft 365 subscription for just Rs. 500 per month

You get:

- 1 TB cloud storage
- Microsoft Office on multiple devices (laptop/desktop/iphone/iPad/android smartphone etc)
- Flawless file syncing & backups (has never failed). Work on a XLS file on one PC and continue on 2nd PC or iPad or smartphone.
- Photo Gallery (Microsoft Photos on your laptop, OneDrive on your phone). Easy to transfer photos from smartphone to Laptop using File Manager.
- Document/business card/Whiteboard/Photo scanner (using OneDrive app)



More details here:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadge...ollection.html (How do you Organize/Transfer/Backup your digital photo collection?)


Tip No. 6: Download classic software like IrfanView and Winamp

If you have loads of mp3 files or you want super-fast photo browing, nothing beats IrfanView and Winamp. IrfanView is available for download from Microsoft Store. Something as simple as using 'spacebar' or "left or right arrow" to go to the next image in the folder adds to the usability of IrfanView. It is also a reasonably powerful photo-editing tool



Winamp can be downloaded from https://winamp.com/player (choose Winamp legacy player)

Tip No. 7: Ditch Wifi, use RJ45 ethernet cable

Not related to Windows as such, but if your desktop/laptop is close to the router, use RJ45 ethernet cable to connect to internet. You will get close to the promised speeds consistently, with no slowdowns or connection drops.



If your laptop does not have an ethernet port, buy an USB to Ethernet adaptor on Amazon.in

[SmartCat]

Tip No. 8: Take screenshots on Windows more frequently, and use it for both personal and professional communication

I feel screenshots are highly underrated in online communication, whether on Whatsapp or Microsoft Teams or even on online forums like Team-BHP. One picture = 1000 words! Just look at the number of screenshots I've taken for this thread! Actually, if we look at the photos I've uploaded on Team-BHP, most of them are screenshots: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/galle...p?userid=12560

To take screenshots on your Windows laptop/desktop:

- Hit PRTSC button
- Click on 'Rectangular Mode' and draw a rectange over the area you want to take screenshot of.
- You can paste the above in Whatsapp directly using CTRL-V
- If you want to save the screenshot as JPEG, open MS Paint and use CTRL-V
- Right-click and crop the image if needed, and save as JPEG.



On older laptops/desktops, if Print Screen does not show the 'rectangular mode' dropdown, use LIGHTSHOT screenshot software
https://app.prntscr.com/en/index.html

[GTO]

Great tips, thanks! Am a power user of Windows - absolutely love this OS.

Two other excellent related threads:

1. Must-have Windows programs - Among other brilliant suggestions on that thread, 'everything search' has made my work flow so much easier.

2. Speeding up a 5-year old Windows laptop - Tips on that thread transformed my daily use laptop from a Honda City Diesel to a Skoda Octavia vRS. I have two newer Macbooks, but still use that '18 Latitude as my primary computer, docked in with a large screen, big keyboard etc.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

...
To take screenshots on your Windows laptop/desktop...

Windows 10 onwards, where Snipping Tool is now the default screenshot app, Windows + Shift + S opens a new snip window and associated controls, and once you take a snip, you can edit it within the snipping tool window that pops up, and save/share.

I find it very useful at work when testing something and need to take/edit/save/upload screenshots frequently.

P.S. Logitech keyboards also have a hotkey for Snipping Tool. It's Fn + Tab on my K380. Nifty!

[vennarbank]

To record screen with audio in meetings, if your default meeting app does not have that facility.
Windows 10 onwards:
1. Press windows + G
2. In the XBox bar which opens, select capture Capture box opens.
3. Here you can either take a screenshot or start recording.
4. Shortcut keys for screenshot is Windows + Alt + PrntScreen and for recording is Windows + Alt + R

[rroy92]

There is also this Microsoft developed application PowerToys


Can be installed from Github or Microsoft App Store
It give macbook like app launcher pressing Alt + SpaceBar
Also provides a lot of additional utilities including bulkRename / findRunningProcessFromFiles / filePeek / imageResizeRotate / clourPicker and many more.

[themanwithcar]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

Tip No. 8: Take screenshots on Windows more frequently, and use it for both personal and professional communication

There is one more software called "Point to Fix", which you can use to add text, or shapes in the screenshot without using other applications for adding text and shapes.

Link: https://www.pointofix.de/download.php

[meerkat]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

Tip No. 8: Take screenshots on Windows more frequently, and use it for both personal and professional communication

....

To take screenshots on your Windows laptop/desktop:

....

On older laptops/desktops, if Print Screen does not show the 'rectangular mode' dropdown, use LIGHTSHOT screenshot software
https://app.prntscr.com/en/index.html

Could you please suggest a free, standalone app (i.e. one that works offline) that can take scrolling screenshots? Thanks.
.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by meerkat

Could you please suggest a free, standalone app (i.e. one that works offline) that can take scrolling screenshots? Thanks.
.

What you are looking for is a "screen recorder" then. I have no recommendations since I don't use it, but you can Google "screen recorder for Windows 11".

[meerkat]

Originally Posted by meerkat

Could you please suggest a free, standalone app (i.e. one that works offline) that can take scrolling screenshots? Thanks.
.

Originally Posted by SmartCat

What you are looking for is a "screen recorder" then. I have no recommendations since I don't use it, but you can Google "screen recorder for Windows 11".

No, I am not looking for a "screen recorder" in the sense that I don't need any video capture capability. I just want to be able to take static complete (scrolling) screenshots that span more than what fits the screen vertically. A video screen recorder would be an overkill for that.

Static (scrolling) screenshot apps are available in Android (built into the Samsung One UI, for example). I was wondering if something similar (standalone) is available for Windows too.

Currently I make do with the Fireshot add-on for Firefox when browsing. I'm not comfortable using that for sensitive material (e.g. netbanking), and it doesn't work outside Firefox.
.

[searacer932]

Great set of tips.

For screenshots I make use of 'Snipping' tool. It's a neat tool for taking screenshots and comes pre-installed with Windows OS.