The web has always been about the browser, yes? Browsers are our windows on the online world. And what everybody truly admires in a good window is... cleanliness. Clean is good on its own merit, but there's another view here. With Internet Explorer 9, being clean means delivering a truly unobstructed...

People like to become more productive for varying reasons. Some want to get to The Top, wherever that is, more rapidly. Others have a mission they fervently want to fulfill—the sooner, the better. And some of us just want to make more time for a workout at the gym, or quality time with the family. All...

Some of us have been around long enough to remember the Web in its infancy. It was an amazing time—and I'm experiencing some serious deja vu with the introduction of Internet Explorer 9. Have you seen Internet Explorer 9 ? You really must! Here's a little of what you'll find. True speed, realized. Internet...

Another candid encounter with a Windows 7 feature. I can't believe my good luck: last minute reservations at the hottest place in town—and I even get a Window table. My lunchtime interview with a genuine power broker in the Windows world— Start menu —gets the setting it deserved...

Living in the moment has its joys - but for most of us, that doesn't apply to searching for documents, folders, and other computer inhabitants. Mostly, we just want to get to the finding part as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Windows 7 uses its powerful indexing capability and some handy tools to...

If you want to go beyond the basic mailbox search, click the Search box magnifying glass icon in Outlook 2010: This opens up a Search Tools toolbar with a number of options. Let's say you want to look at all mail from a particular person, even if it's filed away outside of your Inbox or selected mail...

There are those who will say that, when browsing the Internet, it's all about the journey. Whether that's true for you or you just want to get in and get back out with useful information, these keyboard shortcuts will help. Zoom: Ctrl + and -. Sometimes, the words and pictures are just a touch too small...

Give hardworking mice the rest they deserve! Just about every Windows user develops a favorite set of timesaving keyboard shortcuts—but you may be a holdout. And, no, there's no requirement to give two 10-minute breaks per 8-hour shift to your mouse. But consider what you might do with the time you save...

If you find yourself scouring your Inbox and various Outlook folders for specific types of mails, there is an easier way. You can create Search Folders for all sorts of common tasks, and then they'll just be a click away! Consider these ideas for useful Search Folders: All mails flagged for follow up...

It's great to be having an office picnic... and really nice of you to volunteer to organize it. First, better find a venue— Bing will surely give you a fast head start. Firing up Internet Explorer, you quickly identify five park-like locations that could work. But which is best? You'd better bring up...

A Feature Interview—with a Windows 7 feature! Here at Microsoft we like to think of our features as genuine celebrities.They're busy, of course, but now and then they honor us with their presence here on campus. Today I have the good fortune of corralling fabled guide and on-demand traveler Windows Explorer...

It seems like only yesterday we explored ways to get things done more quickly despite desktop clutter. But there are those (are you reading this, Mom?) who say it's easier to avoid clutter in the first place. Windows 7 gives me the tools I always wanted to fight clutter—as in: Summoning courage. Because...

If you frequently read Web articles that you want to save to review later (say, your favorite Productivity Hub tips!), there's an easy way to send them to OneNote. Just right click the page in Internet Explorer and select the Send to OneNote option. You'll be prompted to pick a section to store your...

Students, you've worked hard for your diplomas, but now it's time to reach for that next level. Here at the Windows 7 Institute of Folderology, we've put together a quick curriculum for your next advanced degree. Take your seats, and we'll begin. Lesson 1: Changing folder options. Everyone seems to have...

With just about any task done with a PC, getting started means finding programs, documents, and other files. Windows 7 makes getting started easy with its flexible Start Menu—and customizing it for your work style is absolutely worth the few moments it will take. So go ahead! Grab your mouse, right-click...

Those of us who dream of a faster, more efficient search experience—and who doesn't?—are seeing our dreams come true with Windows 7. First, we're all waking up to search that runs much, much faster than with previous Windows versions. I could go on and on about the carefully engineered, constantly updated...

Recently, I shared some tips for tagging Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to make searching in Windows easier. Today, I'm going to help you narrow in on what you're looking for when your search within a Word document returns several results. The usual practice is to keep pounding on the Find Next button...

One of the very first lessons I learned about computers is that they tend to take things very literally. You find that 0 and 1 are as different to the computer as 1 and 100. And that if you search for "run," the computer won't even think to look for "ran." That is, unless you use...

Do you forget where you put things? I think most of us do, and it’s not because we’re getting older (although that doesn’t help). Most of us are busier than ever, and we’re so busy juggling projects that it can be tough to remember exactly where we saved a particular document or what we named it. Windows...

I know, I know, this blog is usually about Microsoft Office, but knowing your way around Windows 7 is a great way to get more done with Office. So watch this space for our weekly intrusions, and learn how to take full advantage of the new OS. Today, let’s briefly stand back and stare at Windows 7. Looks...

Today, I'm very grateful for technology. I'm sitting in my home office because there is way too much snow on the road in Redmond for a girl from So Cal to be driving, adding to the confusion and out of control vehicles. But I've still managed to attend all my meetings via Live Meeting, including doing...