How to automate tasks
Time is money... and yet we waste a lot of time on repetitive tasks every day: performing the same actions, typing the same text, etc. The following tools can make your work much more efficient.
Programs, documents and sites
When you switch on your computer in the morning, you’re likely to launch the same programs every day: your e-mail software, your Internet browser, your Office applications, etc. Windows does have a Startup Folder (in Start; All Programs) into which you can drag programs or files which should be launched automatically, but there are tools which specifically address this issue.
For instance, check out Start My Day (http://www.thewindowsclub.com/start-my-day-utility-automates-daily-windows-tasks). First, click on the settings icon (hammer and wrench), and then check the Run at Windows Startup option. At the bottom you will find icons for programs (cog icon), webpages (globe), music (notes), videos (camera) and documents (folder).
Suppose you wish to have a program like Outlook start automatically: click on the magnifying glass at the top and select the appropriate file via the file browser.
Tip. Can’t you find the correct file? Right-click on the icon of the program concerned (for instance on your desktop) and verify the correct location via Properties. You can have documents started in the same way, as well as webpages - just copy the URL from your browser and paste it into Start My Day. You can even configure that a program or document should start on specific days or at a specific time only.
Text
You will often have to type exactly the same text in e-mails or documents - think of your own name or that of your company, salutations such as “with kinds regards”, etc. Adding a signature to your e-mails is an adequate solution, but why not use a tool which works in any Windows application? There are lots of utilities which can convert an abbreviation into the corresponding full text. So when you type “=me”, for example, you can configure the tool to type your full name and function, your company name and your address.
Tip. It’s best to use an abbreviation such as “=me” and not just “me”, because otherwise this word will also be replaced in a sentence like “Please let me know as soon as possible.”
Good examples of such text utilities are Texter (http://lifehacker.com/software/texter/lifehacker-code-texter-windows-238306.php) and Shortkeys Lite (http://www.shortkeys.com/lite.htm). They are both free and run in the background, so you won’t notice they’re active.
Macros
In programs such as Word and Excel, you can automate many tasks by using so-called macros. The easiest way to create them is via the Tools; Macro; Record New Macro menu. Next, perform the action you wish to automate and assign it to a key combination or a button in the toolbar. You can find good tips and examples by typing, for instance, Macro Excel examples in YouTube.
Change names
When you have to change lots of file names in one go, use a “batch convertor” in order to avoid this repetitive action. A good tool is the free AdvancedRenamer (http://aren.hulubulu.net).
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