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If you're a Windows user, you might already know that the Win key -- the keyboard key with the Windows logo on it -- opens the Start Menu. That's very handy, especially on a laptop. But the Win key holds a lot of secrets, too. If you think you know them all, I've got a surprise for you. There are even more in Windows 7, the new version of Windows coming out this fall. We'll get to the Windows 7 keys shortly. Let's get back to the standard Win keys. My favorite is Win-R, which opens a tiny window ready for you to type a command. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. The name of a program works fine. So when I want to open Notepad, I press Win-R and immediately type NOTEPAD and press Enter. There are about two dozen other Win key combinations. You'll find a complete list below, further down in this article. My second-most-favorite Win key combination is Win-M, which minimizes all open windows. When I've got lots of programs running,
nothing clears the clutter away as quickly as Win-M. To bring all those windows back on screen, you add Shift to the mix (Win-Shift-M). In third place is Win-E, which opens an Explorer window. Explorer (not Internet Explorer -- just Explorer) is the file manager for Windows. Having it pop open by pressing two keys together is a big plus for me. Fourth place goes to Win-Ctrl-F, which opens the network Find Computer dialog box. My Windows (and Mac) computers are nearly always networked to each other, and I love being able to locate a networked computer quickly. In fifth place is a combination that works only on a Microsoft Natural keyboard (and possibly on others that use the same key codes). It's Win-L, which starts logging you off Windows. For Windows 7's early adopters, here are two new Win shortcuts: Win-Shift-Up Arrow maximizes the window in the vertical direction only (and Win-Shift-Down Arrow restores the previous state). Win-P opens the Projector