When you visualize the people who need computer advice, net-savvy Reddit regulars aren’t exactly who come to mind.
A thread about little-known computer tips and tricks, however, has r/askreddit buzzing. It goes to show that even if you use a computer every day, there’s still something new you can learn.
Here are five computer tricks the experts of Reddit think every PC user should know.
1) Windows + L (Shift + Control + Eject on a Mac)
Redditors extolled the virtues of this shortcut, which allows you to quickly lock up your office computer before stepping away from the desk.
“At my office, those who leave their PCs unlocked tend to send out emails to the entire IT department about how much they love pink puppies and rainbow unicorns.
—jtdc
2) Control + Shift + T (Command + Shift + T on a Mac)
Never lose track of a browser window again. This shortcut will automatically open whichever tab you’ve most recently closed.
“I found CTRL + shift + T out by accident once. I happened to know it as the shortcut to check all mail in Thunderbird, but I had Firefox open instead.”
3) Control + W (Command + W on a Mac)
A shortcut for when you need to close a tab in a hurry. Perfect for discreet Reddit browsing at work.
“Also, if you accidentally close a tab, control shift t [ command shift t on a Mac ] will open back up your last closed tab.”
4) Google it.
When non-computer experts have a computer problem, the likely solution is to Google the issue. According to the IT specialists commenting in the thread, this strategy is no different for pros who fix computers for a living.
“I work in IT. This means my googling is better than yours. That’s it. I don’t know why your proprietary software crashes with error code 0008359647, but google does and will tell me exactly how to fix it.”
5) Learn from other people’s mistakes.
In between sharing tips, redditors suggested checking out r/talesfromtechsupport. But aside from its entertainment purposes, this subreddit can also be educational. If you find yourself sounding like one of the people in these tales, it’s time to take a deep breath and review item four of this list.
Photo by Shawn Campbell