Opening Application Hotkeys #2 Hotkeys - Desktop Icon Shortcut Keys

Opening Application Hotkeys #2 Hotkeys - Desktop Icon Shortcut Keys

Hotkeys to Open Applications - Desktop Icon Shortcut Keys

I’m a fan of hotkeys, Here is the desktop shortcut icon (file) shortcut key. Many people double click on desktop shortcuts all the time. We can create hotkeys for desktop icons which will have a positive effect on our productivity. Instead of double clicking the desktop icon your can use a hotkey.

For Opening Applications the best 3 hotkeys are the:
Shortcut - Shortcut key (opens any app)
Win + E (opens windows explorer)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Opens Task Manager)

3 Steps to Use (once created) Desktop Icon Shortcut key

1. Press & hold Ctrl & Alt
2. Press & release letter (or number ex I )
3. Internet Explorer opens (different then clicking the blue E IE desktop shortcut icon)

6 Steps to Create a Desktop Icon Shortcut key

1. Open Properties window on a desktop shortcut file (right click & select properties (r))
2. Type a character in the Shortcut Key field Ex ‘I’ for Internet Explorer
3. Click OK
4. Press & hold Ctrl & Alt.
5. Press & release character Ex ‘I’
6. The program will open such as our web browser IE8 in our example.

With this one shortcut key option a user can create & use easily over 30 custom productive hotkeys. The cost is good for me too – free. We can use this hotkey over 100 times in a day. I use this for my web browsers, office applications & just about any windows programs. Below are many of the key bindings I customized along with the associated application.

I – Internet Explorer
O – Outlook
W – Word
E – Excel
M – Mozilla Firefox
C – Chat / Connect
Q – SQL Server Studio/Enterprise Manger
D – Remote Desktop
P – Control Panel
0 – Visual Studio
1 – Notepad
4 –Screen capture
5 – Snag It
G – Google Chrome
F – Flock/Fax
2 – Sea Monkey
X – Calculator
V – VPN

Desktop Shortcut Icon Shortcut keys 201 Advanced – Creating first IE Shortcut Key
Creating an IE shortcut key may require extra actions. When the properties is selected on the IE desktop shortcut file tow either of two windows will open:
IE Properties Window on Shortcut tab – if this window on this tab opens it’s the best and we only have enter our shortcut key & click OK.
The Internet Properties (internet Options) window opens – In this case we’ll close the internet Properties window. Then right click on the shortcut file again & select Create Shortcut. Then right click on the desktop & paste it which will create a new shortcut. Then on this newly created shortcut if we right click & select properties we’ll view the shortcut tab where we can create a shortcut key.

Desktop Shortcut Icon Shortcut keys 301 Guru No Desktop Icons
Desktop With No Icons – Personally I do not show icons on my desktop. I enjoy the images I select for my desktop backround. Therefore I select not to have any icons on top of the image. Even thought there are no icons shown, I use all of them by the hotkeys I created. I don’t double click the Blue E for IE I press Ctrl + Alt + I same with opening Word not by double clicking the word icon but by pressing Ctrl + Alt + W. Any time you wanted to create another hotkey or view your desktop shortcuts you still could in Windows Explorer.

3 Steps To Not Show Icons on Desktop:

1. Right clicking on the desktop
2. Arrange Icons By
3. Uncheck Show Icons on Desktop (so there is no checkmark)

Every time you double click a shortcut Icon (feel shame?) you could be replacing that slow action with a quick fast positive productive hotkey! With this powerful Keyboard Shortcut we’ll have positive personal productivity.
All comments welcome.

.Bye for now!
Catto