Below is a list of tips and tricks to customize and speed up your everyday computing activities. These tips are primarily for Windows XP. However, some tips will work on other versions of Windows as well.

• Enabling the Quick Launch Toolbar: The Quick Launch toolbar is a useful tool that lets you launch programs from small icons on the taskbar. To enable the Quick Launch toolbar, right-click on the taskbar, point to Toolbars, and click the Quick Launch option. Icons can be deleted from, or dragged and dropped to, the Quick Launch toolbar.
• Open Windows Explorer quickly: To open Windows Explorer without having to create a dedicated shortcut or dig through the Start Menu, simply right-click the Start button and click Explore. Alternatively, you can hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and press E.
• Quick System Properties access: Instead of going through the Control Panel every time you need to access System Properties, try one of these shortcuts. First, you can hold the Alt key and double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop. Second, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and select Properties. Finally, hold down the Windows key and press the Pause/Break button on your keyboard. (More Windows XP keyboard shortcuts)
• Disable Outlook Express' preview pane: Sometimes you don't want to open an email just because it was selected when you opened Outlook Express. To disable the automatic opening of emails in Outlook Express' preview pane, click View, select Layout, uncheck the "Show preview pane" option, and click OK.
• Viewing fullscreen windows: To maximize the amount of viewable space in a window, make it take up the entire screen. Hold down the Ctrl key and double click on the window's title bar or press F11 when the window's active to put the window in fullscreen mode. Press F11 again to revert to normal.