A power user is someone who knows a lot about the advanced features in operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you want to transition from an average user to a power user, check out these tips, tricks, and tools that will help you expand your computer knowledge.

Steps

  1. 1
    Seriously consider using the command-line. You can still tweet, instant message, play mp3 (with mplayer), browse the web (with Lynx or Links2), p2p (amulecmd), torrent (rtorrent), image edit (ImageMagick), read feeds (raggle), chat (irssi), ofm (midnight commander), manage downloads (axel, wget) and everything else. Linux and BSD make it easy to use the command-line, whereas OS X and especially Windows don't.
    action Windows/DOS Windows Powershell,
    Mac OS X, Linux, BSD etc.
    list directory dir ls
    clear console cls clear
    copy file(s) copy cp
    move file(s) move mv
    delete file(s) del rm
    create directory md mkdir
    remove directory rd rm
    change current directory cd cd
    current directory cd, chdir pwd
    search find grep
    concatenate cat cat
    permissions chmod chmod
    display/output text echo echo
    add user net user adduser
    If you must use a GUI read on to the next step. But the efficiency advantages of the CLI are as follows.
  2. 2
    Consider a tiling window manager (TWM). Most systems use floating window managers where windows aren't automatically aligned and can overlap one another. If you spend a lot of time moving, resizing, maximizing, minimizing, restoring and generally switching windows then a tiling window manager might be for you. A TWM presents multiple windows on one screen aligned in a tile formation. The following is the manifesto of Ion, a dynamic tiling window manager with tabs for each frame.

    "So-called “modern desktop environments” converge on total unusability, and present-day mainstream graphical user interfaces in general are far less usable than they are praised to be. Usability simply does not equal low learning curve, and hiding system details from the user, as the Official Truth seems to be these days."

    Key Tiling
    function
    Alt+k next tile
    Alt+j previous tile
    Alt+space switch layout
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  3. 3
    Ditch the mouse. Use the keyboard. Set up key bindings for everything, basic windows operation and browsing . Learn the key bindings. Familiarize yourself with them.

    Key Operating system
    function
    Win+e Opens My Computer
    in Windows Explorer
    Win+f Find
    Win+m Minimize all windows
    Win+d Toggle minimize
    all windows
    Win+r Open run dialog
    Ctrl+A Select all
    Ctrl+B Bold
    Ctrl+O Open
    Ctrl+C Copy
    Ctrl+X Cut
    Ctrl+V Paste
    Ctrl+Z Undo
    Ctrl+PgUp Next tab
    Ctrl+PgDn Previous tab
    Alt-tab Switch open windows
    Alt+F4 Quit app
    Alt+F5 Restore window
    Alt+F7 Move window
    Alt+F8 Resize window
    Alt+F9 Minimize window
    Alt+F10 Maximize current window
    .
  4. 4
    If you don't want to ditch the mouse totally, Use Mouse Gestures. Strokeit (Windows), Opera (Cross platform), gMote (Windows), Easystroke (Linux), Mouse Gestures Redox (Firefox) are all applications.
  5. 5
    Write scripts. You won't become a programmer, but scripts help to automate common repetitive tasks. In Windows they're sometimes called batch files.
  6. 6
    Use an Orthodox File Manager (OFM). Also known as Commander-like, Midnight Commander is one for command-line users. Alternatively use something like Directory Opus, as long as you don't use a basic (usually bundled) file manager. Again, it is all about key bindings, so learn the keyboard shortcuts.

    Key OFM Function
    F1 help
    F2 user menu/scripting
    F3 view
    F4 edit
    F5 copy
    F6 move
    F7 new directory
    F8 delete
    F9 top menu
    F10 quit
  7. 7
  8. 8
    Choose appropriate software. Don't just use the bundled software just because it's bundled, unless it's a conscious decision.
  9. 9
    Use a job scheduler for regular tasks. In Windows use Task Manager, in Mac OS X use Launchd, in Linux/BSD use cron/anacron.
  10. 10
    Power users in word processing use styles (or even Latex) for formatting documents.
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Warnings

  • Many myths exist about performance[3] including;
    • defragging,
    • turning off services,
    • registry cleaning,
    • memory optimization software tools.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 20 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 86,462 times.
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Co-authors: 20
Updated: January 21, 2022
Views: 86,462
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