TechTipADay

Windows cheat sheet

A printable Windows 11 checklist. Press the Windows key plus the letters in the shortcut column. Settings paths start at the Start menu.

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1. Turn on Do not disturb from quick settings

   The tile is next to network and volume. The schedule is under Settings > System > Notifications. Easy. About 2 min. Windows 11.

   Why it matters. Banners stop covering the thing you are trying to read.

   1. Click the network, volume, or battery area to open quick settings.
   2. Click Do not disturb. Click it again to turn it off.
   3. For a schedule, open Settings > System > Notifications > Do not disturb and set the hours.
   4. Open the priority list on that page if alarms or a particular app should still appear.

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2. End a frozen app from the taskbar

   Turn on End Task under For developers. Then right-click the taskbar icon. Easy. About 2 min. Windows 11.

   Why it matters. You can kill one stuck app without opening Task Manager and finding it in the list.

   1. Open Settings > System > For developers.
   2. Turn End Task on.
   3. Right-click the app's icon on the taskbar and choose End task.

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3. Let Storage Sense empty the recycle bin on a schedule

   Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense. Uncheck Downloads if you keep installers there. Moderate. About 3 min. Windows 11.

   Why it matters. Temporary files and a recycle bin full of old deletes stop being a manual chore.

   1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
   2. Turn Storage Sense on.
   3. Open the Storage Sense settings under the switch.
   4. Leave temporary files and the recycle bin on a schedule if you want. Turn off cleanup of the Downloads folder unless you are sure it only holds junk.

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4. Schedule Night light in Windows 11

   Settings > System > Display > Night light. Set the hours and the strength. Easy. About 1 min. Windows 11.

   Why it matters. The screen stops being a cold lamp after sunset without you toggling it.

   1. Open Settings > System > Display.
   2. Open Night light.
   3. Turn it on and set a schedule, either fixed hours or sunset to sunrise.
   4. Move the strength slider. More strength is more amber.

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5. Copy the text out of a Windows screenshot

   After Windows + Shift + S, open the snip and use Text actions. The recognition runs on the PC. Easy. About 1 min. Windows 11 with current Snipping Tool.

   Why it matters. An error message or a serial number does not have to be retyped.

   1. Press Windows + Shift + S and drag a box around the text.
   2. Click the preview to open Snipping Tool.
   3. Click Text actions, then select the text or choose Copy all text.
   4. If the capture bar itself shows Text extractor, you can use that instead and copy the text without keeping the image.

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6. Dictate into any text field with Windows + H

   Put the cursor where the words should go, then press Windows + H and talk. Easy. About 1 min. Windows 11.

   Why it matters. A rough first draft is faster spoken than typed, and you can fix it after.

   1. Click in the text field you want to write in.
   2. Press the Windows key + H.
   3. Speak. Say the punctuation if it does not appear: comma, period, new line.
   4. Press Windows + H again to stop.

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7. Open a second folder in a File Explorer tab

   Ctrl + T in File Explorer. Drag a file onto the other tab to move it. Easy. About 1 min. Windows 11.

   Why it matters. Moving files between two folders stops meaning two windows and a careful drag across the screen.

   1. Open File Explorer.
   2. Press Ctrl + T for a new tab, or click the + on the tab bar.
   3. Press Ctrl + Tab to switch tabs. Ctrl + W closes the current one.
   4. Drag a file and hover another tab, then drop it once that folder opens.

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