Caleb Stephens '23
Technology Editor
If you’re like most of us, you probably have a few programs that you use on a regular basis on your personal computer. Among these are Microsoft Word, your browser of choice (see Virginia Law Weekly, Volume 74, No. 16, p. 2), Excel (if you took that Corporate Finance class), and maybe Adobe Reader (but hopefully a better pdf reader that isn’t run by Adobe).
But what if I told you there are other tools out there that are already on your computer?
Unfortunately, this guide is mostly for Microsoft users. I know, I know. You probably are more adept than those Mac folks, you know how to use things that aren’t just the default programs, and you might even have customized your device. But there are still some applications you probably don’t know are even on your device. (My apologies to Mac users, but I don’t know of similar tools on a Mac, so, after debating whether to research that, I decided to just warn you that you’ll probably use a Windows machine in your professional life anyway, and you should just get used to it.)
Notepad
Notepad is one of my favorite applications. In essence, it’s a very basic word processing program. When you click on the icon, you get a white box, into which you can type. And then you can save the file after you’ve typed in it.
“But Caleb,” I can hear you asking, “why would I use that instead of Word?”
Good question. Sometimes Word is just too much. It’s very difficult to minimize Word to a tiny box that you can type in while looking at a different program, due to all the useful tools at the top, like the font choices, paragraph options, and the myriad of tools that Microsoft has kindly included. Notepad has four buttons at the top: File, Edit, View, and Settings. Each gives you exactly the options you would expect from your training on Word. I like to use Notepad when I’m working on an Excel sheet, or taking notes during a phone call when I need to reference a pdf, because you can resize Notepad to whatever size window you want without messing up the text, and without worrying about margins (although enabling word wrap in settings makes this much easier). Notepad is perfect for taking notes, and if you want to copy the notes into something that looks nicer later, go right ahead.
Task Manager
This is where things get a little bit more complicated. If you use your computer for multitasking, you’ve probably noticed it beginning to overheat at times, having trouble loading an internet page, or running the internal fan until it starts to sound like a Boeing 747 beginning takeoff. Well, Task Manager is here to help. Task Manager can easily be accessed by hitting Ctrl + Alt + Esc on the keyboard (or by searching “task manager” and pinning the icon to your taskbar). It displays all processes the computer is running and can easily show you what is clogging up your computer’s computing power. If you right-click on the problematic program, it will give you the option to “end process,” which will force-close the program. Don’t do that if you need to save something on the open program, obviously. (I claim no responsibility for using this power recklessly, so just remember that with the power to recklessly end programs comes the power to accidentally close Word without saving your last changes).
Calculator
Yes, you probably have one on your phone. Yes, it probably has loads of functions and is easier to use. But the standard Windows calculator program has far more in it than you would ever expect. In addition to standard calculations from a scientific calculator, it can also automatically perform conversions, telling you that there are 9,072,000 seconds, 105 days, or 2,520 hours in fifteen weeks; 4,046.856 square meters, 4,840 square yards, or 0.37 soccer fields in an acre; and 116.73 Albanian Leks in a dollar. It can graph functions (if you’re really into math), tell you how to convert 42 into binary (0100 0010), or tell you that there are thirty-one days between September 7 and October 8 (the start of Fall Break). I only began researching the use of the calculator when my summer firm sent me a training video of tips and tricks for the practice of law and specifically called out the humble Windows calculator as essential for determining the exact date that briefs were due under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Snipping Tool (Snip & Sketch for older OS)
This tool is one of my commonly-used programs for communicating with others. With an icon shaped like a pair of scissors, Snip & Sketch lets you simply open the program, click “New,” and click and drag over the part of your screen you want to screenshot. You can then save that image, mark it up, share it, and disseminate it however your heart desires. I mostly use Snip & Sketch for taking quick screen grabs to show someone else what I’m seeing (frequently IT people, who will want you to save images of error messages).
Settings
Yes, the last entry is just your settings on your computer. Yes, Macs have this too. But rarely do most people open their settings and actually adjust them. Each computer will have a slightly different settings menu, depending on the model, but generally, tweaking a few settings will make some tasks much easier. Every so often, I like to go in and check my display settings, make sure that I have the brightness settings the way I want, and check the focus settings, what time zone my computer is in, what my automatic update settings are, how my notifications are delivered, and (essentially) how long it takes my screen to time-out. Who knows, you may discover your new favorite feature when you dive into your settings.
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cs8ws@virginia.edu