This week's top tips

A hidden taskbar trick  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ​ I love keyboard shortcuts — and hidden mouse shortcuts, too. Windows is absolutely full of them, and once you find the ones that work for you, you can get around your PC much more quickly. Today, I want to show off another keyboard shortcut that will power up your Windows taskbar experience. There's a little trick with the mouse that does the exact same thing, too. You don't even need the keyboard for this one. Let's dive in. ⌚ This entire email will take you two minutes to read. Remember: If you'd rather not receive these Monday tip roundups, [you can easily opt out of them](=) without affecting the rest of your subscription. ✅ [Got it — don't show this again](=)​ #top This week's reader suggestion ⌨️ The modern Windows taskbar is a combined application launcher and window switcher. But what if you want to open a new window for a program that's already open? Every obvious way takes a few clicks. For example, if you want to open a new window for a program like File Explorer, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Word, you can right-click the program's icon on your taskbar and click the program's name in the context menu. But there's a faster way. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ Windows Intelligence reader Chris T. shared a time-saving taskbar tip: To quickly open a new window for a running application (in other words, one that already has at least one open window,) press and hold the Shift key while you click the program's icon on your taskbar. Or, to launch another window with just your mouse, all you have to do is middle-click the program's icon on your taskbar instead of left-clicking it. A new window for that program will pop right up. [Clicking the taskbar icon for Microsoft Word on Windows 11.] (Note: This only works if the program supports multiple instances. For example, this works with File Explorer, web browsers like Chrome and Edge, Notepad, Office applications like Word and Excel, and so on. But this won't work with something like the Task Manager or Spotify, which only lets you have the one window open.) 💡 Got an exceptional tip you'd like to share with other Windows enthusiasts? [Submit it here]( — or just reply to this email and share it with me! Your advice may be featured in a future newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- Some tips you don't want to miss Now, a rapid-fire summary of the best useful tips from our most recent issues — just in case you overlooked something or haven't explored it yet! 📄 Copy text directly from anything on your screen: Want to copy text from an image, photo, program, or anything else on your PC's screen? Use Microsoft's Text Extractor PowerToy. Just [install PowerToys](), press Windows+Shift+T, draw a box around whatever you want to copy, and then paste into any application. 🔍 Tame your taskbar's search box: You don't need a huge search box on your Windows taskbar if you don't want it — you can search from the Start menu in the exact same way. To save some taskbar space on Windows 10, right-click an empty space on your taskbar, point to "Search" and select "Hidden" or "Show search icon." On Windows 11, right-click an empty spot on the taskbar, and select "Taskbar Settings." In the Settings window that appears, click the box to the right of "Search" under Taskbar Items and select "Hide" or "Search icon only." 🔊 Switch sound devices from the system tray: You can switch between sound output devices (speakers, headphones, wireless devices, or anything else) right from your taskbar. On Windows 11, click the speaker in the system tray area, click the speaker icon to the right of the volume bar, and select a device. On Windows 10, click the speaker in the system tray area, click the device name above the volume slider, and select a device. (You won't see any options here if your PC only has one sound output device available at the moment.) 🧙Oh no, the village wants to burn you at the stake: See, ever since you started reading [The Hustle]( email every morning, people think you're a freaking wizard. Read by 3 million CEOs and other savvy professionals, The Hustle conjures the day’s most consequential business news stories, from saucy Wall Street secrets to Silicon Valley scoops. It's the fastest — and most entertaining — way to get your news in 5 minutes or less (and amaze people with your spellbinding wisdom). Oh, you actually are a wizard? Well subscribe anyway, ‘cause it’s enchantingly witty and [delivered to your inbox every morning]( — just like magic. [SPONSORED] ✅ Get the ultimate to-do list app: [Microsoft To Do]( is a powerful, cross-platform task-management app that's completely free. It has a powerful Windows app along with Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and web apps. It's the spiritual successor to the beloved Wunderlist app, which Microsoft purchased years ago. It's my to-do app of choice. (I used to love Wunderlist back in the day, too.) --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think? Was this email worth your time? Did you enjoy reading it? [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]() Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down above to let me know what you think. Thanks as always for reading, and I hope you have an awesome week! You received this email because your address was signed up for the Windows Intelligence early preview. If you didn't mean to sign up or no longer wish to be subscribed, you can [unsubscribe or update your preferences here](=).