You use your mouse for just about everything: you drag, you drop, you highlight, you

scroll. But
even if you click your mouse a thousand times a day, I bet I've got a few secret mouse tricks
you've never heard of.
Click Tricks
You surely know that double clicking highlights a word, and you might even know that triple
clicking highlights a paragraph. But have you ever wanted to select a column of text in a Word
document, without getting all the text to the left and right of it? Here's how you can: Hold down
the alt and left mouse button (on a Mac, option-left mouse), and drag the cursor over the section
you want to select. The coolest thing about this trick is that the text you are selecting does not

even need to be formatted as a column for this to work.

[Related: 8 Microsoft Word Shortcuts You Probably Don't Know] Microsoft Word: Love it or
hate it, practically everyone uses it. I've been using it so long, I thought I knew everything about
it. But I stumbled across some super helpful shortcuts hidden tricks and timesavers that make
Microsoft Word easier and faster.
One caveat for these tips: different versions of Word may have different commands, so some of
these may not work in your version. That said, here are my top eight shortcuts: 1. Double Click
And Drag
If you're like most people, when you want to move a section of text from one place to another,
you use Control-C to copy and Control-V to paste. That's fine. It works. But there's a faster way:
Double click or highlight what you want to move, then simply drag what you've highlighted to
where you want it to land.

2. Double Underline
You know you can affect text by hitting Control-B to make it bold or Control-U to underline. But
if one line of underlining just isn't emphatic enough, Control-Shift-D will double underline. (On
a Mac, use Command-Shift-D.)
If that doesn't make your point, you may have to go to ALL CAPS, and I've got a shortcut for
that tooDDDDDDD

3. Change Case
Change Case button
Instead of retyping everything to change from lower case to Title Case or to UPPERCASE, just
highlight the text you want to change, click the case button, and then choose which case you
want.
4. Adding Buttons to Your Toolbar
Suppose you just tried using shortcut #3, but the case button isn't on your toolbar, no worries;
you can add it (and almost any other command). Go to View, Toolbars, Customize Toolbars,
Commands, then scroll to find the command you want and drag it to where on the toolbar you
want it.
5. Add the Date
How many times a day do you type the date? If you do it even once, that's too much. Next time,
just hit Alt-Shift-D (or Control-Shift -D on a Mac) to add the date automatically.
6. Quick Parts
This next tip builds on what the Autotext function did in older versions of Word: If you have a
certain paragraph of text you regularly need to add to a document like a boilerplate
disclaimer, or maybe directions to your office turn it into a Quick Part. Here's how:

Quick Parts
1. Highlight the text you regularly use
2. Click the insert tab
3. Hit Quick Parts, and choose "Save Selection To The Quick Part Gallery"
Now any time you want to insert that chunk of text into a document, either a new one or and old
one you're editing, just hit that Quick Parts button. Just one more click will select which saved
Quick Part to insert. This trick will even work as a shortcut for adding a logo or letterhead.
7. Conform Fonts
This one used to drive me crazy: I'd copy and paste some bit of text from another document or
from the Web, and then I'd have to click all over the place to get the font size and style to match
the surrounding text of my existing document. No longer. Here's all you need to do: Highlight
the non-conforming text, then hit Control-Spacebar. Done.

8. Customize Quick Access Toolbar

There is one way to get your most commonly used commands in the same place- that's to
customize the Quick Access Toolbar. It's like the center drawer in your desk that has all the stuff
you use most in one easy-to-access place. No organization, just (as the name implies) quick
access. So take the things you like most and add them to the Quick Access toolbar. Click the little
down arrow tab to get to the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop down menu:

uyl_ep54_quick_access2 crop
Hit "more commands" and add whatever you use most. You can also position this toolbar below
the ribbon if you prefer it to be closer to your document text.

Scroll Tricks
Most mice have a scroll wheel. Sure, it takes you up and down on a page, but in combination
with other keys, it can do much more:

Scroll sideways: In many versions of Excel, holding down the shift key while scrolling
will take you sideways. That's super helpful in a big spreadsheet.

Scroll wheel as back button: In most web browsers, if you hold the shift key while using
the scroll wheel, it works like the back button: You can fly through all the sites you've
recently visited. (Some mice have side buttons that work like back and forward buttons in
your browser, too.)

Scroll to zoom: Holding ctrl and scrolling lets you zoom in or out of the page you're
viewing. Ctrl-scroll up zooms you in; ctrl-scroll down zooms you back out. On a Mac,
this trick will zoom in and out your whole screen, not just the document you're in.

Windows-Specific Tricks
While most of the tricks I've listed so far work in either Windows or Mac OS, here are a few that
are specific to Windows machines:

To maximize a window: drag the title bar to the top.

To minimize all windows except the active window: "Shake" the title bar. Then if you
want to restore all the windows you just minimized with this shortcut, just click again on
the title bar of the window in view.

To view two windows in a 50-50 split: Drag the title bar of one document to the left edge
of your screen, then drag a second document to the right edge; they will snap into
position in a nifty side-by-side view.

Bonus Sneaky Trick

Suppose you want to walk away from your hyper-secure work computer for a few minutes and
not have to re-log in when you get back. Sure, you could change the sleep settings, but this idea
is much more clever: Set your mouse on top of your analog watch or a clock. The mouse tracks
the second hand's movement and it tricks your computer into thinking you're still busy working.
Of course, there are valid security reasons for NOT using this trick, but I still think it's cool that
it works.
Did we miss your favorite mouse trick? Like us on Facebook, and share your secret there.
When you first got your computer, you practically flew around the Internet. But if loading
websites now takes forever, some simple housekeeping can help you speed up your browsing. So
let's roll up our sleeves and get going.
First, think of your browser as a bike; the more baggage you load onto it, the slower you go, so
start streamlining.
Browser History
You can delete a lot of baggage if you clear your browsing history. All browsers store data from
the sites you've been to. It's great if you want to remember where you've been recently on the
web, but it can also slow the browser. Getting rid of that data can speed up how fast pages load.

In Internet Explorer, hit Tools, Internet Options, general tab, and then, under Browsing
history, click Delete.

In Firefox, choose Tools, Clear Recent History.

In Chrome, hit the wrench icon in the toolbar, choose History and Clear All History.

Toolbars
Toolbars are notorious resource hogs. If you aren't using a toolbar multiple times each day, ditch
it. In Firefox, go to Tools, Add-ons, and Disable Toolbars. Chrome doesn't have toolbars per se.
Add-ons and Extensions
These are like toolbars but may be running in the background, meaning they are less visible. It's
a good idea to check to see you are really using these tools enough to merit their resource
consumption.

In Internet Explorer, go to tools Internet Options, Programs tab, and Manage Add-ons.
You'll see all the add-ons that are enabled. I say disable everything but the Shockwave
Flash add-on.

In Firefox, hit Tools, and uninstall everything you can.

In Chrome, go to Tools, Extensions and disable everything you can

Bookmarks and Favorites

Another drag on your browser comes from bookmarks. You thought you were being so organized
with a few hundred bookmarks neatly filed by topic. But they can make your browser slower too.
Limit them to 20 or so, and keep the rest in a Word document on your desktop.
To Export Bookmarks
In Internet Explorer go to File, Import/Export and choose Export To A File, then choose
Favorites. Open the HTML file it saves, copy everything and paste into a Word document. In
Firefox you can open Bookmarks and copy the ones you want, then paste into a Word doc. In
Chrome, go to bookmarks, Bookmark Manager, and Export. Open the HTML document it saves,
copy all, and paste into a Word doc.
Defragmenting
Defragging your hard-drive is a well-known tool for speeding up all aspects of computing
even web browsing. Hit Start, type "defrag" n the search bar and open Disk Defragmenter.
Change Browsers
Tom's Hardware is a tech site that tests the speed of browsers each year. Their most

recent comparison shows Firefox is fastest, then the Chrome

browser, Internet Explorer second to last, and then Apple's Safari is slowest.
Even just getting a clean browser one you haven't fiddled with can be faster than your
previous browser.
Related: you use a wifi network at home, there are undoubtedly limits to where you can access
the signal. You might get a strong connection at the kitchen table, but take your laptop to the
living room and you lose the signal. If you're looking to boost your signal a few feet or get a
strong connection all the way upstairs in the back bedroom, we've got a handful of simple tricks
and more advanced techniques to get you on connected to your home wifi from anywhere in your
house.
Move your router:
* It's so simple, but many people don't realize that where you put your router really does make a
difference. Obviously a central location is best, but for many, you are tied to putting the router
where the Internet connection comes into the house.

* Beyond simple proximity, consider the router's height. The higher your router is on a shelf or
cabinet, the less physical interference it's likely to encounter. Move the router to the best possible
position to take advantage of doorways and open spaces instead of walls and corners. Wifi might
move through the airwaves, but furniture, walls and appliances can weaken your signal
substantially.
* Signal interference is one of the biggest culprits that might be at work if your wifi is weak.
Walls and physical obstructions block your signal, but signals emitted by any electromagnetic
household object do too. Scoot your router away from anything that might interfere: cordless
phones, microwaves, wireless game controllers, other wifi-enabled devices (TVs, etc.), Bluetooth
devices, and even flourescent lights and elevators.
Technical tweaks:
Once you've got your router in an ideal spot, take a look at your equipment. These next steps can
help you further improve your wifi signal.
* Did you know routers have channels? If you live in close proximity to someone else with a wifi
network you may both be trying to use the same channel and degrading your signals.
To find out if you are "crossing the streams" use WiFi Stumbler or inSSIDer to find the best and
least-trafficked channel for your router to broadcast on. Once you've found the optimal channel,
follow these step-by-step instructions to get your router on the right track.
* Depending on the age of your router, it may be slower than newer models. Upgrade an older b
or g router to an n router to extend your range for relatively reasonable cost. There are some new
n routers for as little as $30. An n router can handle local electrical and physical signal
interference better than b and g and may get you quite a bit more range.
* Lesser-known fact: The "current standard" 802.11n routers can operate at either 2.4 GHz or 5
GHz bands, and 2.4 GHz is far better at travelling through walls. So if you already have a
Wireless-n router and need it to extend farther, make sure it's set to use 2.4 GHz instead of 5
GHz.
* The internal antenna on your laptop itself can be a factor in how much range you get. Even if
your laptop has built-in wifi, it could be well worth picking up an external USB adapter, like this
$30 option from Netgear.
This could also help an older laptop without Wireless-N support take advantage of faster speeds
and improved range from a new 802.11n router.
Invest in network extension options:

* Wifi repeaters amplify and extend your wireless signal. Put a repeater within range of your
existing wifi router and it will relay that signal out to hard-to-reach locations around your home
or office. They cost about $90 and while they can theoretically double your range, real life
results tend to vary considerably. If you've had good or bad luck with a repeater, we welcome
any advice or testimonials in the comments section below.
* Powerline networking uses the electrical wiring in your house to extend your Internet
coverage. This is especially good if you want to get Internet access in a back room or you want
to connect a gaming console that's on an old TV in the garage. Plug one powerline adapter into
your router and the other into an electrical plug. Then in the far room where you want
connectivity, plug the other powerline adapter into an electrical plug and voila - you've got
Internet, you can even put a second wireless router on that connection. Setting up an alternative
powerline network using your home's own AC power adapters can circumvent many of the most
common wireless connectivity problems, and you don't even need to give up wifi altogether. If
you look into getting started with a powerline setup, be sure to stick with one manufacturer when
buying your equipment to avoid any compatibility issues.