Basic Windows XP right-click tips
The right-click button on your mouse can provide you with quick access to some great productivity functions within Windows XP. We've collected some right-click tips for you here from the New Riders Publishing book, Windows XP Killer Tips.
Customize folder views for photos, videos, or music
Did you know that you can customize folders to suit their contents? You can. Right-click the folder and click Properties.
Next, click the Customize tab. From the Use this folder type as a template
drop-down menu, select the type of folder: Pictures, Photo Album, Videos, and more.
Organize your icons
If your icons just won't stay in line, try putting them on a grid. To do this, right-click an empty space on your desktop, point to Arrange Icons By, and then click Align to Grid. Now your icons will automatically snap to an invisible grid, so no matter where you move them, they'll stay evenly spaced from one another.
Open a file with a different application
You've just downloaded photos from your digital camera. By default, JPEGs are associated with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, so if you click a photo, it will open in Picture and Fax Viewer. But what if you don't just want to view the photos, you want to make changes to them? Well, you can quickly choose a different program to open the photo without changing the file's association.
Here's how: Right-click the file's icon, click Open With, and then click the application with which you want to open the file. If you don't see your program listed, click Choose Program to locate it.
Automatically hide the taskbar
You don't always have to look at the taskbar; you can hide it when you're not using it.
| • | Right-click the Start menu and then click Properties. |
| • | Next, click the Taskbar tab in the dialog box, select the Auto-hide the taskbar checkbox, and then click OK. When you want the taskbar to reappear, just move your cursor to the bottom of the desktop and it pops back up.  |
These tips are from the book Windows XP Killer Tips by Kleber Stephenson, ISBN 073571357X. Published here with the permission of Pearson Education, Inc.
