Do you spend a lot of time on your Windows XP researching on the Internet? If so, chances are that you probably spend time copying text from interesting WebSites and pasting Word for later reference. That's four separate keyboard strokes—[Ctrl]C to copy and [Ctrl]V to paste—each time you want to save snippets of text. Wouldn't it be nice if you could reduce each operation to a single keystroke?

If you have a Microsoft keyboard that provides a special set of buttons across the top, you can use the IntelliType software to reassign any of the special buttons to perform the copy and paste operations, and this is how we do it:

1. Download and install the most current version of the IntelliType software for your keyboard at the Microsoft Hardware site. (Keep in mind that this step is optional because the IntelliType software you have installed will allow you to reassign the special buttons.)

2. Access the Control Panel and double-click the Keyboard icon to display the Keyboard Properties dialog box.

3. Select the Key Settings tab, choose a key in the list, and click the Edit button to launch the Reassign A Key wizard.

4. Select the Choose From A List Of Commands option button in the Custom section and click Next.

5. In the Select A Command From The List scrolling list box, select the Copy command, and click Finish.

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 and assign another key to the Paste command.

7. When you return to the Keyboard Properties dialog box, click OK.

Now, anytime that you want to perform a copy or paste operation, all you have to do is press the buttons that you reassigned.