How cool would it be to become a top-tier whiz at computers? You could create entire videos without needing a camera, hack into any database on the planet, solve the most complicated equations and formulas in a few keystrokes…

Ok, so you won’t get that good. But knowing some wicked hacks for computers is essential to getting the most out of your computer. But what are some of these hacks?

Well, funny you should ask. We’re here to give you 5 cool computer tricks for getting even more use out of your PC!

But enough preamble, right? Let’s hop right into it!

1. Take A Snapshot

Tired of having to use your phone every time you want to send a screenshot of your computer to someone? Well, then you can use the screenshot function on your computer to capture the image without any quality loss!

If you’re using a Mac, all you have to do is press Shift, Command, and the 3 key at the same time and you’re golden (swap the 3 for a 4 if you only want a certain portion of the screen).

For Windows, use the Prnt Scrn (print screen) button to capture the image and then press that with the Windows key to save the image. If you only want one window, switch to the alt key plus the print screen key.

2. The True King of Cool Computer Tricks? Rewinding Time

Anytime you want to undo an action you took on your computer, hitting Control plus the Z key should revert things to normal. And if you want to get back what you reversed, use Control + Y.

If you want to get back a web tab you deleted on accident, using Control + Shift + the T key will do the trick (swap Control for the Command key if on Mac).

3. It’s Merging Time

Let’s say you find the need to do a PDF merge. For Mac, open the first PDF in Preview and make sure you can see the thumbnails. Pick the thumbnail you want to precede the second document and then go the edit tab.

From there, hit insert, then page from file, and then open on the second PDF to throw it in there. Make sure to save the fused document by clicking export as PDF before you close the application. However, if you’ve got a Windows computer, you’ll need an external application like PDFsam to do this.

4. Close the Gates

Need to lock your computer in a pinch? Well for Windows you’ll want to hit Windows and L, while Mac requires Command + Option + Eject.

5. Monitor What’s Happening

If your computer is slowing down or the fan’s working overtime, slow down and check your Activity Monitor on Mac (accessed by going into Applications, then the Utilities folder, and finding it) or Control, Shift, and Escape on a Windows for Task Manager.

From there, you can see what applications are eating up the most energy on your computer and shut them down as needed. This is useful for background applications you didn’t even know you had running at the time.

Keyboard Hero

And there you have it! Now that you know 5 cool computer tricks to get the most out of your computer, you’re ready to get out there and be a true keyboard hero!

Want to know more easy PC hacks? Then check out some of the other posts on our website!

If you only remember one thing, it’s to not let all that power go to your head. That happened to Jeff last week, and now he sits there re-opening tabs like he’s computer Jesus.