We’ve created a list of all our favourite computer tips and tricks that help to increase productivity at work! From keyboard shortcuts to pieces of software on your PC that you didn’t even know existed. Here are 10 ways you can boost productivity at work through handy computer tips for Windows.

Bring back that tab you accidentally closed
Undo anything, anywhere
Open your emoji keyboard on screen
Minimise all your windows
Lock your computer quickly
Screenshot any section of your screen
Open a New item
Get work done with Focus Clock
Find that web page you were just on
Reboot!

1. Bring back that tab you accidentally closed

Accidentally close a tab you actually really needed? Have no fear! You can bring the tab back with this nifty computer trick.

Simply press CTRL + SHIFT + T on your keyboard to bring your previously closed tab back. Now you can focus on productivity at work instead of scrolling through browsing history!

2. Undo anything, anywhere

One of our favourite computer tips is being able to ‘undo’ pretty much anything, anywhere! The undo function is handy even outside of Microsoft Word, you know.

On your keyboard, press CTRL + Z to undo your latest action. You can undo all kinds of actions, from the last thing you typed to that important file you accidentally just deleted!

Plus, here’s a bonus round: you can redo your undo by pressing CTRL + Y!

3. Open your emoji keyboard on screen

Whether you’re a trigger-happy emoji-lover, or you’re just getting started with those laughing-crying faces. Learn how to open the emoji keyboard in super speed with this keyboard computer trick.

Just press WIN + . or WIN + ; to open the emoji keyboard and flick through pages of different categories. You can also ‘search’ for an emoji by typing in words at the top of the emoji keyboard window.

4. Minimise all your windows

About to get caught online shopping when you should have been writing that report? Oops! If you need all your windows to go away all at once, you can minimise them all in one go with this sneaky computer trick.

Press WIN + D and you’ll be back to your empty desktop in no time. Just press WIN + D again to restore all those minimised windows when the coast is clear!

(Okay, we realise this one might actually inhibit productivity at work, but it’s still a great computer tip!)

5. Lock your computer quickly

As your friendly, neighbourhood IT company, we can’t help but throw a cyber security computer tip in there.

Learn to lock your computer in flash using only your keyboard. Just press WIN + L and your computer will be locked up, safe from prying eyes or cyber criminals who could steal your files, gain access to your accounts and cause havoc.

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6. Screenshot any section of your screen

A friend once told us that the Snipping Tool changed their life at work. So this computer tip simply has to go on the list of how to improve productivity at work!

If you want to take a screenshot of a specific area on your screen, you can use your keyboard to open the Snipping Tool, primed and ready to select an area of your screen.

Press WIN + SHIFT + S to begin snipping away! When you’ve snipped your screenshot, you can open it in the Snipping Tool window which will automatically open to save, copy or edit it.

Bonus round: If you’re using Windows 11, you can record a portion of your screen using the Snipping Tool, too!

7. Open a new item

There’s no need to click File > New anymore! If you want to open a new document, window, sticky note, email draft, excel window… the list goes on! Simply use this quick keyboard computer trick.

It’s as simple as pressing CTRL + N on your keyboard.

Microsoft Office products support this nifty keyboard trick, along with some other staple software like internet browsers and more.

Bonus tip: If your internet browser is Chrome or Edge, you can press CTRL + SHIFT+ N to open a new private window. This means you can browse without saving your search history or caching. It’s useful for things like checking if a website is loading correctly, as it will load uncached. Or, signing into various accounts for the same service (for example, signing into two different Netflix accounts at the same time).

8. Get work done with Focus

If you’re running Windows 11, you’ll be pleased to know your computer now has a built-in Focus option to help increase productivity at work! Wondering what on earth that does?

Here’s what enabling this computer trick does:

A focus timer / clock will appear on your screen
Do not disturb will turn on
Apps in the taskbar won’t flash to alert you
Badge notifications on apps in the taskbar will turn off

You can find your Focus settings in Windows 11 by searching ‘focus’ in the main toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Just click ‘Start focus session’ to get started!

If you’re not running Windows 11 yet, you can find a slightly simpler version in Windows 10 by right-clicking the notification button in the far bottom-right of your screen. Alternatively, there are all sorts of similar tools online. Just search ‘focus clock’ in your favourite web browser.

9. Find that web page you were just on

Surfing those waves on the interwebs and got yourself down a massive wormhole and want to get out? OK, now in English: searching the internet and clicked through lots and lots of pages, but want to get back to a previous page you’d been on?

We gotcha! This computer trick comes in handy more than you’d think.

All you have to do is right click on the ‘back’ button of your internet browser and it will show you the last 10 pages you visited on that tab. Clever!

10. Reboot!

This one’s just a joke. But it’s the oldest trick in the book for a reason!

If you’re having trouble with… Well, pretty much most things on your PC… It’s always worth asking yourself the trusty, old IT expert question: Have you tried re-booting your computer?

Re-booting is not the same as shutting your computer down every day after work. You have to specifically click on ‘Restart’ to access the magic!

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