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AutoCAD and Windows Tips and Tricks
Along with AutoCAD tips you will also find some useful tips that can be used for Windows as well. There are always new tips being added all the time or updates being made to existing tips. A large number of tips have been updated to place a reference to which release they will work under. Each tip was verified at the time it was added to the site.

AutoCAD - Application
Getting Help from AutoCAD the simple way
Accessing the Command History Buffer with the Arrow Keys
Specifying a different TEMP folder for AutoCAD
Right-click on the Command Line for a Shortcut Menu
Keeping up to date with Communication Center
Increasing the Size of the Crosshairs
Customizing the Status Bar at the Bottom of AutoCAD
Drag 'n Drop a Drawing into AutoCAD R14
Drag 'n Drop an AutoCAD Drawing into AutoCAD 2000 - 2002
Cycling through open drawings quickly
Enabling/Disabling the Taskbar Feature in AutoCAD
Starting up AutoCAD with a default folder for drawings - R13/14
Starting up AutoCAD with a default folder for drawings - 2000 & up
Starting the session of AutoCAD with Template pre-loaded
Disabling the Multiple Document Environment (MDE)
Controlling the Use of the Customer Error Report Tool
_Pkser - Undocumented System Variable\Command - Part 2
Making the drawings file size just a little bit small - Part 1
Turn off the Shortcut menus for those R14 users
+Options and +Dsettings command extensions
Turning off the AutoCAD splash screen for faster loading
Recovering lost AutoCAD entities from converted DWG files
Cascade/Tile/Arrange Icons for AutoCAD Drawings in R14
Using a Tilde at a File Open, New or Save Command Line Prompt
The Case of the Missing New Dialog Box
Using the QNEW command (Quick New Drawing)
Open more than one drawing from inside AutoCAD
Changing the Rate for Temporary Overrides

AutoCAD - Blocks and External References (Xrefs)
Explode a block as it is inserted from the command line
Binding an Xref with Insert Bind from the Command Line
1 2 3... Counting Blocks with Count command in AutoCAD R14
1 2 3... Counting Blocks with BCount command in Express Tools
Setting the default Reference Type with XREFTYPE variable
Switching between Xref Attachment Types
Which way to Bind an Xref to a Drawing?
Toggling between Detail/Tree View in the Xref or Image Managers

AutoCAD - Customization
Quickly open the PGP file for editing with Alias Editor
Additional commands in the ACAD.PGP file for Windows Apps
Calling External Applications from AutoCAD

AutoCAD - Drawing
Ignoring Hatch objects when using running Object snaps
Sketching with the Sketch command
Add a comment to an object
Create an Ellipse as a Polyline or an Ellipse Object
Using the new M2P to get the Mid Between 2 Points
Using the DONUT command to create filled Circles
Different Methods of Coordinates update in the Status Bar
Quickly Creating a 90 Degree or Closed Corner
Using the @ symbol to reference the last point in the drawing

AutoCAD - Easter Egg
AutoCAD R2005 Easter Egg
AutoCAD R2004 Easter Egg
AutoCAD R2000 Easter Egg
AutoCAD R14 Easter Egg

AutoCAD - Editing
Using the Oops Command
Quickly Edit Text or Attributes
Turning off/on the Double Click Edit feature
Double Clicking an Object Fails to Work

AutoCAD - Fields
Changing the Visiblity of the Field Background
Creating a Date in a Field that is All Uppercase

AutoCAD - File Conversion
Setting the default drawing file format for Saving
Saving AutoCAD 2004 drawings back down to R14 format
Convert 3D Solids to 3D Faces
Which Layout is saved when you SaveAs R13/14 from 2000?

AutoCAD - General Commands
Using Commands Transparently
Using Commands with a Hyphen
Repeating a Single Command Multiple Times

AutoCAD - Grip Editing
Where did my Grips Go? - Part 1 (A Look at GRIPOBJLIMIT)

AutoCAD - Images
Inserting an Image from AutoCAD into Word
Attaching an Image to an AutoCAD Drawing

AutoCAD - Inquiry
Finding the length of an Arc w/ Lengthen - Part 1
Finding the length of an Arc w/ Lengthen - Part 2
Finding the length of an Arc w/ Lengthen - Part 3
Finding the length of an Arc w/ Lengthen - Part 4
Finding the length of an Arc w/ Lengthen - Part 5
Quickly convert a decimal into a faction number or other format

AutoCAD - Layers
Selecting All the Layers in the Layers dialog box
Quickly list all the layers in the drawing
Creating a New Layer from an existing Layer
Using the DEFPOINTS layer to not plot objects

AutoCAD - Layouts
Cycling through the Layout Tabs in the drawing

AutoCAD - Miscellaneous
Pressing the Spacebar to Enter??

AutoCAD - Modify
To Be Multiple or Not... Is the New Debate for Copy
Using the Convert Command to Update Polylines and Hatches
Simplified Extend and Trim with EDGEMODE
Why does Exploding Take Longer at Times with AutoCAD 2005?
Undocumented Array Command Line Option
PEDITACCEPT and how it affects the PEDIT command

AutoCAD - Object Selection
Removing a Selected Object from a Selection by Holding Shift
Why can I only select once without deselecting objects?
Pick 'n Dragging to Create a Selection Window
PICKFIRST, object Layer information second, set layer third
Cycling through objects that overlap each other with the CTRL key

AutoCAD - Tables
Adjusting a Column in a Table without Affecting overall Size

AutoCAD - Text, Attributes and Mtext
Displaying all attributes with in the blocks of a drawing
Request values for Attributes when Inserting a Block w/Attributes
Displaying the Attribute dialog when inserting a Block w/Attributes
3 ways to Accept changes and Exit the new Mtext Editor
Drag and Drop a TXT File into the DTEXT command
Continue from the Last Text Object Created
Changing the Draw Order of Text that is using Background Mask
Enabling/Disabling the Node snapping for Mtext objects
Stopping Text (or Attributes) from being mirrored backwards
Get more out of DDEDIT when editting Attributes and Text
The Lost Single Line MText Editor
Using MS Word or another word processor with Mtext
Using special and control characters in Text objects - Part 1

AutoCAD - Toolbars and Tool Palettes
*_TOOLPALETTEPATH - Undocumented System Variable - Part 3
Undocumented System Variables in AutoCAD 2000 and up - Part 1
Opening Toolbar dialog box (or menu) by right mouse clicking
Stopping toolbars from docking within AutoCAD by holding CTRL
Saving Real Estate with Auto-hide feature for Palettes - Part 1
Saving Real Estate with Clean Screen - Part 2
Quickly Find a Lost Toolbar

AutoCAD - Windows Environment
Folders Containing Lots of DWG Files Seem to Load Slowwww
Viewing folder contents with Drawing Thumbnail views
Open more than one drawing with AutoCAD from Explorer

AutoCAD - Zoom and Display
Helping to Make Points Easier to See
Using the HIDEPRECISION to increase the Quality of a Hidden or Shaded view
Improving Regeneration with QTEXT - Part 1
Improving Regeneration through Controlling Layers - Part 2
Improving Regeneration through Zoom option Vmax - Part 3
Improving Regeneration through Textfill variable - Part 4
Improving Regeneration through Fillmode variable - Part 5
Improving Regeneration through Viewres command - Part 6
Limiting the number of Regens with RegenAuto
Displaying a raster image while using Real-time Pan or Zoom
Using Ortho while using Real-time Pan
Using Ortho with the Pan command
Getting the Most out of Editing in a Viewport (VPMAX / VPMIN)
Control the behavior of the middle btn/scroll wheel
Zoom to the maximum limits with in AutoCAD
Increasing the Zoom factor used with Scroll Wheel on Intellimouse
Zoom up on an Object or Objects with the new Zoom option
Zoom from the Left with a lost Option of Zoom
Using Aerial Viewer when working with Floating Viewports

Autodesk Express Viewer - Easter Egg
Easters gone, but still eggs to be found in Express Viewer

Internet Explorer
Getting More Downloads Going
Launching a web link in a second browser window

MS Office - Excel
Getting one icon in the Taskbar to represent all open documents

MS Office - Word
Getting one icon in the Taskbar to represent all open documents

Windows
Using Msconfig to alter what runs at startup
Perform a Find on a Drive/Folder for more than one file
Deleting Files and Folders without sending it to the Recycling Bin
Grabbing an image of your screen (Print Screen)
Quick Cut, Copy Paste with the Right mouse button
Restarting Windows in Safe Mode
Activating the Start Menu from they Keyboard Anytime
Launching the Windows XP Tour
Adding a Shortcut to the Start Menu
Switching Applications Quickly with Alt+Tab Key Combo
New Animated Popup menus take to long to display
Closing all Children Windows and it's Parent
Disabling Zip Folders in Windows Explorer
Expanding and Collapsing Folders in Windows Explorer
Launching Windows Explorer by Dbl-Clicking on a folder
Adjusting Folder Columns Width and Location
Keying around with Folder Views
Minimize all open Windows (or applications)
Bring back the Windows Welcome screen
Activating NetMeeting for Windows 2000 and XP