Reading Time: 8minutes
If you're a system administrator of Windows Servers or or just a PC support in a small company and you have to fix PCs running Microsoft Windows XP / 7 / 8 daily, sooner or later you will be interested into how to optimize your windows maintainance work to be able to do more adminsitration work for less time.
M$ Windows OShas evolved a lot over the past 10+ years and many of the features available GUI are now either possibile to be done via a standard commands and the GUI interfaces. Various adminsitration and common daily work simplification goodies are now accessible through quick access shortcutsand commands.
Virtually all Windows operating system environment could be now customized by using such shortcuts, this reduces the multitude of annoying double clicks which are truely pissing off sysadmins and tech-supports involved in Windows Ticket solving.
Win Shortcuts and Commands helps to:
- Quickly invoke almost all System Settings available from Windows Control Panel
- Access all admins tools GUIs throguh command
- Speed upOpening Video, Pictures, Documents, Downloads folders start Windows Update, Configure Printers / Fax / Add Sharings
etc..
A lot of the commands were new to me thus I decided to try out all of the commands in command prompt (cmd). Many of the tools down-mentioned were news to me and let me understand better on Windows Internals, so if you time try them out.
| Function | Comand |
|---|---|
| Open Documents Folder | Start menu -> Search (Type documents) |
| Open Videos folder | Start -> Search (Type videos) |
| Open Downloads Folder | Start -> Search (Type downloads) |
| Open Favorites Folder | favorites |
| View Recent messages of your PC | Start menu -> Search (Type recent) |
| Open Recent Folder | N/A |
| Open Pictures Folder | Start menu -> Search (Type pictures) |
| Windows Sideshow | control.exe /name Microsoft.WindowsSideshow |
| Windows CardSpace (Windows ID Manager) | control.exe /name Microsoft.cardspace |
| Windows Anytime Upgrade | Start menu -> Search dialog (Type WindowsUpdate) |
| Taskbar and Start Menu | control.exe /name Microsoft.TaskbarandStartMenu |
| Troubleshooting | control.exe /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting |
| User Accounts (Run user accounts Interface) | control.exe /name Microsoft.UserAccounts |
| Adding a new Device | devicepairingwizard |
| Add Hardware Wizard | hdwwiz |
| Advanced User Accounts Management | netplwiz |
| Advanced User Accounts (Authorization Mgr) | azman.msc |
| Windows Backup and Restore | sdclt |
| Bluetooth File Transfer | fsquirt |
| Calculator | calc |
| Certificates Manager | certmgr.msc |
| Change Computer Performance Settings | systempropertiesperformance (Remove visual effects) |
| Change Data Execution Prevention Settings | systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention |
| Change Data Execution Prevention Settings | printui |
| Character Map | charmap |
| ClearType Tuner | cttune (Make text onscreen more readable) |
| Color Management | colorcpl |
| Command Prompt | cmd |
| Component Services | comexp.msc |
| Component Services | dcomcnfg |
| Computer Management Interface | compmgmt.msc |
| Computer Management Interface | compmgmtlauncher |
| Connect to Network Project via Network | netproj |
| Connect to a Projector | displayswitch (Alias for Fn key + F4) |
| Run Control Panel command | control |
| Create A Shared Folder Wizard | shrpubw |
| Create a System Repair Disc | recdisc |
| Credential Backup and Restore Wizard | credwiz |
| Data Execution Prevention | systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention |
| Date and Time | timedate.cpl |
| Default Location | locationnotifications |
| Device Manager | devmgmt.msc |
| Device Manager | hdwwiz.cpl |
| Device Pairing Wizard | devicepairingwizard |
| Diagnostics Troubleshooting Wizard | msdt |
| Digitizer Calibration Tool | tabcal |
| DirectX Diagnostic Tool | dxdiag |
| Disk Cleanup | cleanmgr |
| Disk Defragmenter | dfrgui |
| Disk Management | diskmgmt.msc |
| Display (Change font size of text onscreen) | dpiscaling |
| Display Color Calibration | dccw |
| Display Switch | displayswitch |
| DPAPI Key Migration Wizard | dpapimig |
| Driver Verifier Manager | verifier |
| Ease of Access Center | utilman |
| EFS Wizard | rekeywiz |
| Event Viewer | eventvwr.msc |
| Fax Cover Page Editor | fxscover |
| File Signature Verification | sigverif |
| Font Viewer | fontview |
| Game Controllers | joy.cpl |
| Windows Getting Started Iface | gettingstarted |
| IExpress Wizard | iexpress |
| Another alias for Getting Started | irprops.cpl |
| Install or Uninstall Display Languages | lusrmgr |
| Internet Explorer | iexplore |
| Run Internet Explorer Internet Options | inetcpl.cpl |
| iSCSI Initiator Configuration Tool | iscsicpl |
| Language Pack Installer | lpksetup |
| Local Group Policy Editor | gpedit.msc |
| Local Security Policy | secpol.msc |
| Local Users and Groups | lusrmgr.msc |
| Location Activity | locationnotifications |
| Magnifier | magnify |
| Malicious Software Removal Tool | mrt (Might be not existent on some Windows versions) |
| Manage Your File Encryption Certificates | rekeywiz |
| Math Input Panel | mip |
| Microsoft Management Console | mmc |
| Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool | msdt |
| Mouse | main.cpl |
| NAP Client Configuration | napclcfg.msc |
| Narrator | narrator |
| Network Connections | ncpa.cpl |
| New Scan Wizard | wiaacmgr |
| Notepad | notepad |
| ODBC Data Source Administrator | odbcad32 |
| ODBC Driver Configuration | odbcconf |
| On-Screen Keyboard | osk |
| Paint | mspaint |
| Pen and Touch | tabletpc.cpl |
| People Near Me | collab.cpl |
| Performance Monitor | perfmon.msc |
| Performance Options | systempropertiesperformance |
| Phone and Modem | telephon.cpl |
| Phone Dialer | dialer |
| Power Options | powercfg.cpl |
| Presentation Settings | presentationsettings |
| Print Management | printmanagement.msc |
| Printer Migration | printbrmui |
| Printer User Interface | printui |
| Private Character Editor | eudcedit |
| Problem Steps Recorder | psr |
| Programs and Features (Install / Uninstall) | appwiz.cpl |
| Protected Content Migration | dpapimig |
| Region and Language | intl.cpl |
| Registry Editor | regedit |
| Registry Editor 32 | regedt32 |
| Remote Access Phonebook | rasphone |
| Remote Desktop Connection | mstsc |
| Resource Monitor | resmon |
| Resultant Set of Policy | rsop.msc |
| SAM Lock Tool | syskey |
| Screen Resolution | desk.cpl |
| Securing the Windows Account Database | syskey |
| Services | services.msc |
| Set Program Access and Computer Defaults | computerdefaults |
| Share Creation Wizard | shrpubw |
| Shared Folders | fsmgmt.msc |
| Snipping Tool | snippingtool |
| Sound | mmsys.cpl |
| Sound recorder | soundrecorder |
| SQL Server Client Network Utility | cliconfg |
| Sticky Notes | stikynot |
| Stored User Names and Passwords | credwiz |
| Sync Center | mobsync |
| System Configuration | msconfig |
| System Configuration Editor | sysedit |
| System Information | msinfo32 |
| System Properties | sysdm.cpl |
| System Properties (Advanced Tab) | systempropertiesadvanced |
| System Properties (Computer Name Tab) | systempropertiescomputername |
| System Properties (Hardware Tab) | systempropertieshardware |
| System Properties (Remote Tab) | systempropertiesremote |
| System Properties (System Protection Tab) | systempropertiesprotection |
| System Restore | rstrui |
| Task Manager | taskmgr |
| Task Scheduler | taskschd.msc |
| Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Management | tpm.msc |
| User Account Control Settings | useraccountcontrolsettings |
| Utility Manager | utilman |
| Version Reporter Applet | winver |
| Volume Mixer | sndvol |
| Windows Action Center | wscui.cpl |
| Windows Activation Client | slui (Runs on Windows license activation time) |
| Windows Anytime Upgrade Results | windowsanytimeupgraderesults |
| Windows CardSpace | infocardcpl.cpl |
| Windows Disc Image Burning Tool | isoburn (Command line tool to burn images) |
| Windows DVD Maker | dvdmaker (N/A on Windows 7, 8) |
| Windows Easy Transfer | migwiz (N/A on many Windows versions) |
| Run Windows Explorer | explorer |
| Windows Fax and Scan | wfs |
| Windows Features | optionalfeatures |
| Windows Firewall | firewall.cpl |
| Windows Firewall with Advanced Security | wf.msc |
| Windows Journal | journal (N/A on Windows 7) |
| Windows Media Player | wmplayer (N/A on many Windows releases) |
| Windows Memory Diagnostic Scheduler | mdsched (Check your PC memory on next boot) |
| Windows Mobility Center (Stats) | mblctr |
| Windows Picture Acquisition Wizard | wiaacmgr |
| Windows PowerShell | powershell |
| Windows PowerShell ISE | powershell_ise |
| Windows Remote Assistance | msra |
| Windows Repair Disc | recdisc |
| Windows Script Host | wscript |
| Windows Update | wuapp |
| Windows Update Standalone Installer | wusa |
| Show Windows Version | winver |
| WMI Management | wmimgmt.msc |
| WordPad | write |
| XPS Viewer | xpsrchvw |
Most of above commands works fine with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 / 8, Windows 2003 / 2012, however some cmds are missing across some win versions.
Here is list of other useful Windows shortcut keys:
General keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl+C (Copy)
- Ctrl+X (Delete selected item and save a copy to the clipboard)
- Ctrl+V (Paste)
- Ctrl+Z (Undo)
- Delete (Delete)
- Shift+Delete (Delete the selected item permanently without moving the item to the Recycle Bin)
- Ctrl while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
- Ctrl+Shift while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
- F2 key (Rename the selected item)
- Ctrl+Right Arrow (Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word)
- Ctrl+Left Arrow (Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word)
- Ctrl+Down Arrow (Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph)
- Ctrl+Up Arrow (Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
- Ctrl+Shift with any arrow key (Highlight a block of text)
- Shift with any arrow key (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
- Ctrl+A (Select all)
- F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
- Alt+Enter (View the properties for the selected item)
- Alt+F4 (Close the active item, or exit the active program)
- Alt+Enter (Display the properties of the selected object)
- Alt+Spacebar (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
- Ctrl+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable multiple documents to be open at the same time)
- Alt+Tab (Switch between the open items)
- Alt+Esc (Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened)
- F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
- F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or in Windows Explorer)
- Shift+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
- Alt+Spacebar (Display the System menu for the active window)
- Ctrl+Esc (Display the Start menu)
- Alt+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
- Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
- F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
- Right Arrow (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
- Left Arrow (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
- F5 key (Update the active window)
- Backspace (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
- Esc (Cancel the current task)
- Shift when you insert a CD into the CD drive (Prevent the CD from automatically playing)
- Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Open Task Manager)
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl+Tab (Move forward through the tabs)
- Ctrl+Shift+Tab (Move backward through the tabs)
- Tab (Move forward through the options)
- Shift+Tab (Move backward through the options)
- Alt+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command, or select the corresponding option)
- Enter (Perform the command for the active option or button)
- Spacebar (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)
- Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)
- F1 key (Display Help)
- F4 key (Display the items in the active list)
- Backspace (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)
Microsoft natural keyboard shortcuts
- Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
- Windows Logo+Break (Display the System Properties dialog box)
- Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
- Windows Logo+M (Minimize all the windows)
- Windows Logo+Shift+M (Restore the minimized windows)
- Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
- Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
- Ctrl+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
- Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
- Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
- Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
- Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)
Accessibility keyboard shortcuts
- Right Shift for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys on or off)
- Left Alt+left Shift+Print Screen (Switch High Contrast on or off)
- Left Alt+left Shift+Num Lock (Switch the MouseKeys on or off)
- Shift five times (Switch the StickyKeys on or off)
- Num Lock for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys on or off)
- Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts
- End (Display the bottom of the active window)
- Home (Display the top of the active window)
- Num Lock+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
- Num Lock+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)
- Num Lock+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)
- Left Arrow (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
- Right Arrow (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)
Keyboard Shortcuts for Character Map
After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:
- Right Arrow (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
- Left Arrow (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
- Up Arrow (Move up one row)
- Down Arrow (Move down one row)
- Page Up (Move up one screen at a time)
- Page Down (Move down one screen at a time)
- Home (Move to the beginning of the line)
- End (Move to the end of the line)
- Ctrl+Home (Move to the first character)
- Ctrl+End (Move to the last character)
- Spacebar (Switch between Enlarged and Normal mode when a character is selected)
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) main window keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl+O (Open a saved console)
- Ctrl+N (Open a new console)
- Ctrl+S (Save the open console)
- Ctrl+M (Add or remove a console item)
- Ctrl+W (Open a new window)
- F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
- Alt+Spacebar (Display the MMC window menu)
- Alt+F4 (Close the console)
- Alt+A (Display the Action menu)
- Alt+V (Display the View menu)
- Alt+F (Display the File menu)
- Alt+O (Display the Favorites menu)
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) window keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl+P (Print the current page or active pane)
- Alt+Minus sign (-) (Display the window menu for the active console window)
- Shift+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
- F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
- F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)
- Ctrl+F10 (Maximize the active console window)
- Ctrl+F5 (Restore the active console window)
- Alt+Enter (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
- F2 key (Rename the selected item)
- Ctrl+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)
Remote desktop connection navigation
- Ctrl+Alt+End (Open the Microsoft Windows NT Security dialog box)
- Alt+Page Up (Switch between programs from left to right)
- Alt+Page Down (Switch between programs from right to left)
- Alt+Insert (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
- Alt+Home (Display the Start menu)
- Ctrl+Alt+Break (Switch the client computer between a window and a full-screen display)
- Alt+Delete (Display the Windows menu)
- Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (-) (Put a snapshot of the complete client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing Alt+Print Screen on a local computer)
- Ctrl+Alt+Plus sign (+) (Put a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing Print Screen on a local computer.)
Microsoft Internet Explorer navigation
- Ctrl+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
- Ctrl+E (Open the Search bar)
- Ctrl+F (Start the Find utility)
- Ctrl+H (Open the History bar)
- Ctrl+I (Open the Favorites bar)
- Ctrl+L (Open the Open dialog box)
- CtrlL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same web address)
- Ctrl+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)
- Ctrl+P (Open the Print dialog box)
- Ctrl+R (Update the current webpage)
- Ctrl+W (Close the current window)
Complete list of Windows Keyboard Shorcuts is on Microsoft website
A must have collection of WordPress plugins that enpowers your blog and improves SEO
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011Reading Time: 3minutes
Since I’m using wordpress as a blogging platform for about two years now and I’m constantly experimenting with valueable wordpress plugins.
I’ve decided to publish a compilation of wordpress plugins that empowers my blog
The plugins included in the compilation are quite various, some of the plugins aims at easy post sharing via the general social networks and main websites used by users today, others significantly helps in increasing the blog ranking in major search engines, there are some that adds like button to the blog.
These plugins also strenghthen the easy blog RSS file sharing, some post straight to twitter all your blog posts, generate tags automatically, puts a better features to the default wordpress commenting mechanism, prevent from spam comments, add features for easily adding Google adsense to the wordpress installation to help you advertise on your blog.
There are also plugins which delete duplicate posts (if you have such), puts better wordpress blog search bar, generates a sitemap to the blog, add an option to include php codes straight into your posts, adds wordpress an option to easily put mod rewrite rules straight from the wordpress interface, boost wordpress speed by adding static html generation cache, boost performance etc. etc.
Here is the complete list of wordpress plugins which I have currently installed on my wordpress blog:
ad-squares-widgetadd-to-any-subscribe
advertising-manager
ajax-comments
akismet
all-in-one-adsense-and-ypn
all-in-one-seo-pack
askapache-google-404
auto-tag
bm-custom-login
commentluv
comments-statistics
cyr2lat-slugs
delete-duplicate-posts
easy-adsenser
extended-search-plugin
facebook-share-new
favourite-bible-verse
feedburner-plugin
feedburner-widget
feedburner_feedsmith_plugin_2.3
feedlist
force-publish-schedule
google-analytics-for-wordpress
google-sitemap-generator
headspace2
my-link-order
php-code-widget
platinum-seo-pack
post-plugin-library
post-to-twitter
profile-pic
profile-pics
redirection
rss-atom-avatar
seo-automatic-links
seo-slugs
share-on-facebook
share-this
similar-posts
simple-tags
subscribe-to-comments-reloaded
subscribe-to-comments
subscribe2
text-control
tidy-up
tinymce-advanced
what-would-seth-godin-do
wordbook
wordpress-23-related-posts-plugin
wordpress-mobile-edition
wordpress-thread-comment
wp-codebox
wp-keiths-easy-rss
wp-likes
wp-o-matic
wp-postviews
wp-super-cache
wp-syntax
yourls-wordpress-to-twitter
I do have enabled most of the plugins, though some are disabled but still might be helpful somewhere in the close-future thus I still keep them installed.
I would skip the time to describe one by one what each of the above list of plugins will do for your wordpress, since the list is quite long.
However I defnitely think this is a list of plugins you might want to have installed in a newly established wordpress blog for sure.
Note that the versions of the plugins which are included in this must have wordpress plugins collection might not be the latest as the included ones are the ones I do have installed at the time of writting of this article.
Also be aware that some of the plugins might create some issues with newer versions of wordpress (your blog might beak up!), however most of the plugins should work out of the box by just enabling each one of them from the wordpress interface via the menus:
Settings -> Plugins -> InactiveTo straight install my bundled package of plugins you have to issue the commands:
linux:~# cd /var/www/blog/wp-content/pluginslinux:/var/www/blog/wp-content/plugins# wget https://pc-freak.net/files/a_must_have_wordpress_plugins_collection.tar.gz
linux:/var/www/blog/wp-content/plugins# tar -zxvf a_must_have_wordpress_plugins_collection.tar.gz
...
linux:/var/www/blog/wp-content/plugins# unzip *.zip
Now as they should be installed under the plugins directory go and enable the plugins.
Further on many of the plugins will require configuration from the menus:
Settingsor in the menu
Tools
After being setup up your new wordpress installation will look significantly better, you will notice a tons of useful features which you might have previously missing and desperately needed 😉
Most of the bundled package of wordpress plugins works fine with wordpress version 3.1, if you’re trying to install enable and configure the plugins on some other versions of wordpress, there might be problems!
If you experience problems by trying out my bunch of wordpress plugins please drop me a comment.
I hope you enjoyed this improvised article, if these bunch of plugins are useful to you please give me a thanks 🙂
Thanks!
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Posted in SEO, Web and CMS, Wordpress | 10 Comments »