   Uses for the Windows Key
  Do you guys get pissed off every time you hit the windows key while you''re in the middle of a game?  I do, but until I actually started using it for some shortcuts awhile back, it drove me insane.  Currently my favorite shortcut is the Windows + E combination that brings up Explorer.  Handy when you''ve just switched to XP and don''t know where in the hell they''re hiding "My Computer".I wanted to see what else this now not-quite-as-useless-as-I-thought-it-was key had, and found these:quote:Windows + TAB: Change between task bar programsWindows + F : It''s like START/FIND (Recommended use)Windows + CTRL + F: Find computersWindows + E : Windows Explorer (Recommended use)Windows + R : It''s like START/RUN (Recommended use)Windows + Pause: Access to System Properties (Recommended use)Windows + D : Minimize ALL windowsWindows + SHIFT + M : Undo Minimize ALL windowsAnybody use this key, or is it really the bane of existence for most people? 
  You can disable the key for games you know.   I Want My Island"Luck is for people without skill."- Robert (I Want My Island) ;quote:Original post by black_mage_s  You can disable the key for games you know.   I Want My Island"Luck is for people without skill."- Robert (I Want My Island)   Yeah, I know.  But now that I''ve found stuff it''s actually useful for, I don''t mind it so much. ;  I hate keyboards without this key... I use it mainly for Win+M for minimise all and Win+L for lock screen.It''s a godsend for productivity.I even use the application key from time to time when I can''t be arsed to reach for the mouse when typing... ;  It has some nice good shortcuts, the explorer thingie for example, but still...Couldn''t they put the f***ing key someplace else, not between ctrl and alt. You english keyboard layout users don''t know real trouble. In german layouts you need to press alt-gr together with 7 or 0 to get {-style brackets. So perfectly often you get to open the start menu while typing code. Thanks.Idea: Probably replace the caps-lock key with it, nobody needs that one. ;  I use it quite often to pull up explorer or get to the desktop and back to a window.  It''s also great for pulling up the start menu when you are in an app/game that is hogging the whole screen.quote:Probably replace the caps-lock key with it, nobody needs that one.   You aren''t a C++ programmer, are you? Dave Mark - President and Lead DesignerIntrinsic Algorithm - "Reducing the world to mathematical equations!";quote:Original post by Endurion  Couldn''t they put the f***ing key someplace else, not between ctrl and alt. You english keyboard layout users don''t know real trouble. In german layouts you need to press alt-gr together with 7 or 0 to get {-style brackets. So perfectly often you get to open the start menu while typing code. Thanks.That''s if you are a complete retard who can''t control your fingers.quote:Original post by Endurion  Idea: Probably replace the caps-lock key with it, nobody needs that one.Yes, if they put it where capslock is, people would stop complaining about it.Maybe "people" should realise that if they haven''t ajusted to not pressing a perfectly fit key after it''s been there for like 5 years, they should get their right hand up from their pants and stop searching for goat porn or maybe just get some help with their lack of coordination abilities.Do you complain because your ''a'' key is next to your ''s'' key and you mistype that? Uh, wait, that was not a Microsoft invention, so it''s fine right?If you cant hit alt gr, then you''re bound to have some serious issues typing..   Don''t Temp Fate.. ;  Why, thank you. At home i still have some old keyboards without Windows-key, so i have to "switch" between old-style and new-style. And if you look at keyboard layouts, alt-gr old style is in the place of the windows-key new style.Getting used to one style is ok, and sooner or later i''ll have to get new ones at home too.I dare you to a typing contest (slap with rubber glove) ;  I use Windows+E and Windows+R all the time.quote:Original post by Zul  Windows + Pause: Access to System Properties (Recommended use)Hey, cool, I didn''t know about that one. ;quote:Original post by InnocuousFox  You aren''t a C++ programmer, are you? You haven''t heard of the much-convinient shift key, have you?I like using Win+E to open an Explorer window. Though I use Aston as a shell replacement, so I''ve set a few shortcuts of my own (altgr+I, internet explorer; altgr+w, winamp; altgr+m, mirc...) 