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Windows Workflow Skills

This placeholder guide will cover practical Windows skills that come up repeatedly during Archives processing work. It is intended as a quick-reference guide for student workers and staff who need consistent workstation habits across multiple workflows.

Goal

Capture the most useful Windows skills, shortcuts, and navigation patterns in one place.

Planned Topics

  • important keyboard shortcuts used in Archives workflows
  • switching between apps and browser windows
  • managing File Explorer windows
  • copying paths, renaming files, and checking file properties
  • split-screen layout for side-by-side metadata work
  • basic screenshot capture and paste workflow
  • where to find downloads and recently used files

Placeholder Shortcut List

These are starter examples and can be expanded later:

  • Alt + Tab: switch between open applications
  • Windows + Left Arrow / Windows + Right Arrow: snap windows side by side
  • Windows + Shift + S: capture a screen snippet
  • Windows + V: open clipboard history
  • Windows + Ctrl + T: pin the active window on top, then press again to turn it off
  • Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V: copy and paste
  • Ctrl + Shift + V: paste as plain text instead of formatted text
  • F2: rename a selected file
  • Alt + Enter: open file properties in File Explorer

Clipboard History

Press Windows + V to open clipboard history. The first time you use it on a workstation, Windows may ask you to turn clipboard history on.

Clipboard history is useful for fast copy/pasting during metadata and description work because it keeps recently copied text available in one panel. Use it when you need to reuse several values, such as item IDs, titles, dates, citations, Handle URLs, or donor names, without switching back and forth to copy each value again.

Pin a Window on Top

Press Windows + Ctrl + T to keep the active window visible on top of other windows. Press Windows + Ctrl + T again to turn it off.

This shortcut requires Microsoft PowerToys. PowerToys should be installed by default on DPLAB workstations.

This is useful when copying and pasting between systems because the reference window stays visible while you work. Use it for forms, metadata sources, file lists, or instructions that you need to keep in view without repeatedly minimizing and maximizing windows.

Paste Plain Text

Press Ctrl + Shift + V to paste plain text instead of formatted text.

Use this when copying from websites, Word documents, PDFs, email, or other formatted sources into metadata fields. It helps prevent unwanted fonts, colors, spacing, links, or hidden formatting from carrying into the destination field.

Intended Audience

  • student workers
  • staff carrying out digitization and metadata workflows
  • anyone using Digital Processing Workstations for recurring processing tasks

Future Additions

  • screenshots of common Windows dialogs
  • quick troubleshooting for missing mapped drives, downloads, and file extensions
  • workstation setup expectations and local software checklist