I’ve been using Windows since version 2.something (way back in the 80’s). The single feature I’ve appreciated the most about Windows is the Escape key. It’s easy to find, always in the top left corner of the keyboard. But the wonders of the Escape key go beyond simple definition. It has the power to get you out of many unintended situations.
Let’s say for example, I am writing a letter in Microsoft Word, and I accidentally hit control-P. I’m faced with this “Print File” dialog, asking me for printer details. Clearly I didn’t want this to happen, so I could reach for the mouse and click the Cancel button. However I find it easier to escape from these situations by using the Escape key. The dialog goes away, and I’m right back where I was before I hit the wrong keys.
The Escape key will dismiss virtually any dialog box that contains an OK button, OK/Cancel buttons or Yes/No buttons. So if I accidentally hit control-F and the find dialog opens, I can dismiss it by hitting the Escape key.
But wait! There’s more! Let’s say I accidentally started moving a window by clicking and dragging the title bar (we’ll discuss this in a future tip). I didn’t mean to do that, so to escape the current situation, I hit the Escape key. The window snaps back to where it originally was. Perfect.
Similarly, if I accidentally start resizing a window by clicking on the screen edge (for details, see a tip coming soon), hitting the Escape key while still holding down the mouse button will cancel the window resize.
Remember the Escape key. In most cases when you start something you don’t want to continue or finish, the Escape key will get you back to where you were.
Next time, we’ll talk about a few more common keys on the keyboard. See you then…
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