Now where's the "ANY" key?

[plonq]

After using these confounded machines for years, I finally learned this morning that the Scroll Lock button actually does more than just occupy a spot on the keyboard. Among other things, it confuses plonq when he is trying to edit a spreadsheet, but his cursor keys are behaving oddly...

Comments

[pierrekrahn.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the least understood of all keys (followed closely by the Windows key). It took me forever to figure out what that did. Now that I do know what it does, I have never ever had the urge to toggle it. In fact, it always throws me off for a moment when I accidentally hit it.

The Windows key, however, I constantly use. I think it's the most under-appreciated key!

[plonq.livejournal.com]

I removed the left Windows key from my keyboard at work because I kept accidentally hitting it when I was trying to hit the Alt or CTRL keys. Really annoying and pointless, IMO.

[pierrekrahn.livejournal.com]

Ah, I guess you're just another person that doesn't know the potential of Windows key shortcuts :P

[plonq.livejournal.com]

Okay then smart guy, sell me on the Windows key. Bear in mind that on this keyboard it is almost as large as the CTRL and ALT keys combined (both of which I use regularly) making it very easy to accidentally hit that key when I wanted one of the two others.

What benefits does it bring to offset the annoyance of its existence?

Bear in mind that I am using Windows 2000, so my benefits may vary from yours...

[pierrekrahn.livejournal.com]

I use these combinations daily:
Windows+L locks the workstation (this one may not work in Windows 2000 - I use it all the time at work when I get up from my desk)
Windows+E opens Windows Explorer
Windows+D toggles between showing the desktop and restoring your windows
Windows+R opens the Run dialog box
Windows+F opens the Find dialog box
Windows+M minimizes all windows (just slightly different than Windows+D)

I rarely use these ones:
Windows+Pause displays the system properties
Windows+Tab cycles through the task bar (sometimes useful, but not as much as Alt+Tab)

I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two.

I typically try not to use the mouse to get around Windows, and I do a fairly good job at that. There are of course something that are impossible without the mouse.