Making hard and soft (symbolic) links in Windows

One great feature of Unix-like file systems is the ability to make links to other files and directories. Windows has had the ability to make shortcuts for a long time, but only since Vista has it had the ability to create soft (symbolic) links to files and directories and hard links to files.


You may be asking yourself, "What are links and why should I care?" In short, links work better than shortcuts and can allow you to do things you otherwise wouldn't be able to do.


For example, if you use Dropbox, you know that only files and folders in your Dropbox folder get synchronized. But, if you make a hard link in your Dropbox folder to a file outside of your Dropbox folder, it will get synchronized because the file now lives in both places. It does this without taking up any more space on the disk. Cool, right?


The following pages explain how links work and how to use them in more detail:


Using Symlinks in Windows Vista - The How-To Geek

How-To: Use Symbolic Links to Master Vista's File System

Logging into a Vista PC on a domain as a local user when you don't know the computer name

If you're logging into a computer that's on a domain and you go to "Switch User", it will try to log you in as a domain user.  So, if you want to log in as a local user, you have to specify that.


However, there's no "Log on to" drop-down box anymore, so you have to type the computer name followed by a backslash in front of the username.


Okay, but what if you don't know the computer name?


Aha!  There's a shortcut.  Instead of the computer name, use a period (.).  That's right, a dot.  A dot is shorthand for "where I am now" in UNC paths, DOS and UNIX/Linux.  So, you type the username like this:


.\username


Voila!

Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are great time savers.  Knowing a few useful ones can help you get more done in less time and feel more in control of your computer.


Windows 7 has added some new keyboard shortcuts that are worth learning.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Windows + Shift + Left/Right arrow = Move active window to left/right monitor
• Windows + Left/Right = Snap active window to left/right of screen
• Shift + Click icon on taskbar = Open a new instance
• Middle-click icon on taskbar = Open a new instance
• Ctrl + Shift + Click icon on taskbar = Open a new instance with Administrator privileges

Microsoft has a comprehensive list of all of the Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts at the following address:


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows7/Keyboard-shortcuts