Table of Contents

dummy

Fixed width fonts in outlook

Use consolas or courier

take a screenshot

Approach 1: You can use win+shift+s to take a screenshot and then paste it using ctrl+v .

Approach 2:

Start Menu -> Snipping Tool

search button in taskbar not working

Symptom: The search button in the task bar does not respond to the keyboard.

Fix: Reboot the search process

ctrl+alt+del → Task Manager → Processes → Search → Search → End Task

Ref:- https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/317gce/windows_10_search_bar_not_working/

wifi password

Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center
-> View your active networks -> click the link after "Connections:"
-> which will be something like Wi-Fi (SSID)
-> Wireless Properties -> Security -> Network security key
-> Show characters -> enter the admin password

Check windows version

winver

Set environment variables

Using the run prompt (windows key + r)

rundll32 sysdm.cpl,EditEnvironmentVariables

Using the cmd prompt

C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe sysdm.cpl,EditEnvironmentVariables

unset environment variable

To temporarily unset an environment variable

set FOOBAR=

This will remove the variable from the current environment (not permanently).

Ref:- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13222724/command-line-to-remove-an-environment-variable-from-the-os-level-configuration

dump environment variables

user environment variables

reg query HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Environment > user_env_vars.txt

system environment variables

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment" > system_env_vars.txt

tested on | windows 7

script - dump_env_vars.bat (github.com/KamarajuKusumanchi)

Ref - https://stackoverflow.com/questions/573817/where-are-environment-variables-stored-in-registry

open explorer from git bash

To open the current directory in explorer from git bash

explorer .

refresh environment variables

tags | git bash reread environment variables

If you update an environment variable and want to use the new value in an existing git bash session, download the refreshenv.sh script from https://github.com/badrelmers/RefrEnv and call it from bash with source /path/to/refrenv.sh

Tested it on:

list of installed packages

Control Panel → Programs and Features shows the list of installed packages.

Tested on | Windows 10 Enterprise

create a file starting with dot in explorer

To create a file with a dot at the beginning in explorer, add another dot at the end. Like .condarc. . Explorer will allow it and remove the trailing dot.

Ref: https://superuser.com/questions/64471/create-rename-a-file-folder-that-begins-with-a-dot-in-windows

last reboot time

tags | when was a windows machine rebooted, check when a windows machine was rebooted.

In git bash

systeminfo | grep -i "boot time"

In the Windows run box

cmd /k systeminfo | find /i "boot time"

In windows shell

systeminfo | find /i "boot time"

or

systeminfo | find "System Boot Time"

Works in Windows 7, Windows 2012.

Ref:-

Linux to Windows

tags | equivalent of foo in windows

software I am currently evaluating

clear recent files list

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-clear-recent-files-windows-10

formatted date and time

Get the date and time information in YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS format

>echo %date:~6,4%%date:~3,2%%date:~0,2%_%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%

Sample output

20180205_154243

extract a page from PDF

Option 1: Use pdftk

Option 2: Use chrome and print those specific page(s) to pdf. Chrome has print to pdf by default.

open the pdf in chrome
click on print icon
Destination = "Save as PDF"
Pages: e.g. 1-5, 8, 11-13
Save

batch script

batch file calling another batch file

call foo.bat
call bar.bat

Ref:- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1103994/how-to-run-multiple-bat-files-within-a-bat-file

windows 10

disable news icon

right click on the Taskbar → News and interests → Turn off

tested on

$ winver
Windows 10
Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.4651)

configuration settings I am trying out

today | 2024-11-18

Windows + i → Accounts → Sign-in Options → Restart apps → Automatically save my restartable apps when I sign out and restart them after I sign in → on