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Operating Systems

Quickly preview files in Windows Vista

Forget about launching some slow program to see what's in a file. Molly Wood shows you a Vista trick for previewing files the faster way.
1:01 /
Transcript
Windows Vista takes a tip from the Apple's playbook, and lets you preview documents without opening an application. Everybody wins. I'm Molly Wood from CNET.com with a quick tip on how to preview files the fast way. Windows Vista includes a nifty little time-saving feature--the capability to preview any file without opening an application. So if you want to, say, grab a name or number from an Excel spreadsheet without opening it, or check out a photo without launching Photoshop or some other slow program, you can get an instant preview. Here's how. First, click the Start button, or press the Start key, and then click Computer. (The keyboard shortcut for this is Windows-E, for Explorer window). Now, on the Windows Explorer toolbar, click Organize, then scroll to Layout, and then select Preview Pane. Once the pane is open, you just drag it to change the size. And there you go; a faster way to find what you need. For CNET.com, I'm Molly Wood. And you're welcome.

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