Effective fall 2025, MCFRS is using a new Jotform process for submitting and approving TEVs. Here is the documentation.
Reporting MDC Issues for Escalation to Motorola
With the upgrade on MDCs to Windows 11, there are some issues FRS IT has encountered that need to be escalated to Motorola’s engineering department. In order to do so, FRS IT needs you to get some information from the MDC and upload it within the MDC software, please. Here’s how to get the information.
(Techie explanation, if you’re interested: We need an error report accessible from the MDC. This tool provides logs of the system condition and the program condition at the time of the error. These logs are critical to troubleshooting efforts.)
Step 1a: If you are Still Running PremierOne and It Didn’t Crash:
- Click the Logged In status button on the MDC.
- Click Create Error Report.
Step 1b: If you are Not Running PremierOne Because It Crashed:
- Find the PremierOne Error Report icon on the MDC desktop.
- Double-click the icon to run the report.
Step 2: Upload the Error Report in PremierOne:
- Launch PremierOne if it is not already running. You will need this step, regardless of how you created the report in the two steps above.
- Click the Logged In status button on the MDC.
- Click Upload Error Report.
Step 3: File a Detailed TSR:
- Create a TSR and choose the MDC category.
- Include as much detail as you can:
- Your unit
- Time of the error
- Incident number
- Issue specifics
- (and note the fact that you created and uploaded an error report in PremierOne, please)
Sharing Your Outlook Calendar
Do you need to share your calendar with your supervisor and/or colleagues? Here are directions for both Outlook Desktop and Outlook Web. (Note: You do not need to change both. I am giving you directions for both, as some people only use Desktop and some people only use Web.)
Outlook Desktop
- Click the Outlook Calendar button in the left-panel navigation to switch to the calendar.
- Find and click your list of calendars (My Calendar) on the left side of the screen and right-click Calendar.
- Choose Sharing Permissions from the pop-up list that appears.
- Click the Add button to retrieve the Outlook Global Address List.
- Search for the person with whom you would like to share you calendar.
- Double-click the person’s name or click the Add button at the bottom of the Add Users window and then click the OK button.
- Change the Permissions Level by clicking the appropriate radio button (circle) in the list of five possible permission sets.
- Click the OK button.
Outlook Web
- Click the Outlook Calendar button in the left-panel navigation to switch to the calendar.
- Find and click your list of calendars (My Calendar) on the left side of the screen and right-click Calendar.
- Choose Sharing Permissions from the pop-up list that appears.
- Search for the person with whom you would like to share you calendar and change the permissions level in the drop-down box next to the name you are adding.
- Click the Share button.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 11
Looking for Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts? Here is a handy list, courtesy of cnet.com.
- Windows key + M: Minimize all open windows.
- Windows key + Shift + M: Restore minimized windows.
- Windows key + Home: Minimize all windows except the selected or currently active window.
- Windows key + Up arrow: Maximize selected window.
- Windows key + Shift + Up arrow: Maximizes the active window vertically while maintaining its width.
- Windows key + Down arrow: Minimize selected window.
- Windows key + Left arrow: Snap selected window to the left half of the screen.
- Windows key + Right arrow: Snap selected window to the right half of the screen.
- Windows key + Alt + Up: Snap selected window to top half of the screen.
- Windows key + Alt + Down: Snap selected window to bottom half of the screen.
- Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow: Move selected window to the left or right monitor.
- Windows key + Tab: Open Task view (virtual desktops).
- Windows key + Ctrl + D: Add new virtual desktop.
- Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow: Move to the next virtual desktop (to the right).
- Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow: Move to the previous virtual desktop (to the left).
- Windows key + Ctrl + F4: Close current virtual desktop.
- Windows key + S: Open Cortana in text mode, so you can type in the search bar. (Windows key + Q does the same thing.)
- Windows key + C: Open Microsoft Copilot.
- Windows key + E: Open File Explorer.
- Windows key + F: Open the Windows 10 Feedback Hub.
- Windows key + Ctrl + F: Search for PCs on a network.
- Windows key + H: Open the Share sidebar.
- Windows key + I: Open the Settings menu.
- Windows key + K: Open the Connect sidebar (for connecting to new Bluetooth devices or Miracast).
- Windows key + L: Lock your computer.
- Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation.
- Windows key + P: Open presentation or projection sidebar.
- Windows key + R: Open the Run window.
- Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access center.
- Windows key + W: Open the Windows Ink Workspace for scribbling on tablets or touchscreen laptops.
- Windows key + (+) or (-): Zoom in and out with magnifier.
- Windows key + Esc: Exit magnifier.
- F2: Rename a selected item.
- F3: Quickly search for files in File Explorer.
- F4: Highlight the address bar in File Explorer.
- F5: Refresh your active window.
- F6: Cycle through elements (tab, buttons, search bar, etc.) in a window or your desktop.
- Alt + F8: Show login password on the start screen.
- F10: Activate the menu bar in the active window.
Setting a Default Browser in Windows 11
Do you prefer Google Chrome over Microsoft Edge? Windows 11 defaults to Edge as its browser of choice, but you have the power to change this.
- Click in the Windows Search on your taskbar and type Default.
- Click Default Apps from the resulting list.
- Click the search box in the Settings window.
- Type Chrome (or the name of whatever application you are setting as a default) and the list will filter to show your application of choice.
- Click the name of the application you would like to make a default.
- Find the words Make Google Chrome Your Default Browser (or similar wording if another program) and click the button to the right, marked Set as Default.
- Close the Settings window.
Turning Off Windows 11 Widgets
Do you find that the Windows news, weather (and more) simply get in your way? To turn off the feature:
- Right-click a blank area of the taskbar.
- Click Taskbar Settings from the pop-up menu.
- Find the Taskbar Items section at the top of the page.
- Locate Widgets
- Click the blue On switch to toggle the feature and turn it off.
- Close the Settings window.
Note: If you would like to turn the feature back on, go through the same steps and click the On-Off switch again.
Adding More Pins to Windows 11 Start Menu
When you click the Windows Start button in Windows 11, you don’t see the full list of programs that you used to see in Windows 10. Instead, you see programs you commonly use in what Windows 11 calls your Pins.
To see your full list of programs, click the All button the right side. However, if you just want to change the number of pins you see:
- Click the in the Search bar on your Windows Taskbar and type Settings.
- Click the resulting Settings item.
- Click to select Personalization, located in the left-panel navigation.
- Click the select Start in order to customize your Windows Start menu.
- Choose More Pins or More Recommendations (departing from the default) if you want to see more pins or fewer pins, respectively.
Adding a Shortcut to the Windows Taskbar
Is there a program you use a lot, but you’re tired of having to find it in the Start menu or, like people who want to walk down escalators, you think double-clicking a desktop icon takes too much of your time? You can add a shortcut to your Windows Taskbar, giving you one-click access to the item in the future.
- Locate a shortcut on your Windows Desktop or find the item in the Windows Start Menu Program List.
- Right-click the item.
- Choose Pin to Taskbar.
- Find and (single) click the item on your taskbar hereafter.
Moving the Windows 11 Start Button to the Left
The Windows Start button has been on the left of the taskbar since Microsoft introduced the look and feel with Windows 95. In Windows 11, the default location is in the middle of the taskbar. If you prefer to move it to the left, here are directions:
- Right-click a blank area of the taskbar, such as the area to the right of the Search box.
- Click Taskbar Settings from the pop-up menu.
- Click Taskbar Behaviors.
- Find Taskbar Alignment and click the drop-down arrow on the right side.
- Select Left.
- Close the settings window.
Submitting or Approving a TAR
Effective spring 2025, MCFRS is using a new Jotform process for submitting and approving TARs. Here is the documentation.