Control-Alt-Whatever

Once upon a time, whenever I was faced with a new bit of computerized something-or-other, I would sit down and study the animal until I understood it thoroughly. Then one day I took an introductory class in Windows programming and found that instead of it being a model of how-things-ought-to-be-done, it was a pile of social networking. Instead of nice orderly queues for things that needed to be done, there was a giant cluster of individuals all scheming on how they could run the show. I was so disgusted I removed myself from the Windows programming cult and have been hiding out in the hinterlands ever since.
    Since that time I have tried to avoid spending any time learning about Windows. I know enough to get it to do what I want, and that is mostly enough. Occasionally though, little bits of knowledge will make it past my barricades and I will learn something new. Here with are a couple of key combinations I have come across that might help you. Press the Control and/or Alt keys and hold them down while you press the remaining key to activate the magic.

• Alt-Space pulls down a menu from the upper left corner of your current window. Among other things it allows you to minimize a Window without having to use the mouse. I find it very handy. Tina taught me this one.
• Alt-Tab will take you to the next running program. Hold down the Alt key and each press of the Tab key will take you to the next program. The next time you use it, the first press of the Tab key will take you back to your previous program. Useful if you are cutting and pasting between two programs. I think this is the first shortcut I learned.
• Ctl-Alt-Escape will interrupt a program that has gotten stuck in some kind of error condition. This one is new to me. Usually when I get in these kind of jams I end up resorting to the to switch on the power strip. Off, I said!
• Ctl-Alt-Cursor key will change the orientation of the display on your screen. I discovered this one by accident. It could come in handy if I had a pivot monitor, and someday I might.