October 20, 2025

Some general tech tricks. Read all the questions first, then check the answers at the end

Questions

  1. What keyboard shortcut opens a new incognito/private window in most major browsers?
  2. In Windows, what command quickly opens the Task Manager using only the keyboard?
  3. On macOS, which shortcut hides the current window without closing the app?
  4. What is a simple way to quickly switch between open applications on Linux (GNOME/KDE)?
  5. Name a quick way to free up disk space by removing temporary files on Windows.
  6. In Android or iOS, what setting helps protect your privacy by limiting app access to location data when not in use?
  7. What is a basic method to troubleshoot a slow internet connection without restarting your router?
  8. What file extension is typically indicative of a compressed archive on Windows and macOS, and what tool can you use to extract it from the command line on Windows?
  9. What command-line trick can you use to view hidden files in Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell?
  10. How can you quickly take a full-page screenshot in most modern browsers?

Answers

  1. Ctrl+Shift+N (Chrome, Edge); Command+Shift+N (Safari 15+ on macOS with privacy features; Firefox also uses Ctrl+Shift+P for private window in Windows/Linux and Command+Shift+P on macOS)
  2. Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Windows) opens Task Manager; Ctrl+Alt+Del then select Task Manager is another route
  3. Command+H
  4. Alt+Tab (Windows/Linux); Super/Windows key with Tab or the task switcher (GNOME/KDE)
  5. Use Disk Cleanup (Windows) or Storage Sense; clear temporary files in Settings > System > Storage; or run cleanmgr
  6. Use “While using the app” or “Allow only while using the app” for location access; in iOS go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and set per-app permission
  7. Run a few tests: check other devices, run a speed test, try a different site, reset your modem/router, and flush DNS (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows; sudo dscacheutil -flushcache on macOS)
  8. .zip (common) or .rar; on Windows you can use tar, 7z, or PowerShell’s Expand-Archive to extract a .zip; for .tar.gz you’d use tar -xzf
  9. In PowerShell: Get-ChildItem -Force or dir -Force to show hidden/system files; in Command Prompt: dir /A:H
  10. In most browsers: Ctrl+Shift+I to open DevTools and then Ctrl+Shift+P to run the “Capture full page screenshot” command, or use the built-in menu (three dots) > More tools > Capture full page; or use the browser’s built-in screenshot tool (often F12 or Ctrl+Shift+P)