You may already be aware that there are a number of keyboard shortcuts for Windows that can help you to bring up the start menu, launch Explorer windows, view the desktop and so on. But did you know that you can use keyboard shortcuts to launch any application? This feature is built right into Windows, but many people do not take advantage of it simply because they are unaware of it.
Setting up a keyboard shortcut for any application in your start menu is fast and simple. Steps below explain how to create program shortcuts in Windows:
- Navigate the start menu to the application you want to shortcut. In this example, we will create a shortcut for the Calculator (one that I use all the time).
- Right-click on the application, and click on Properties.
- In the Properties window, you’ll see a field titled Shortcut key. Go to that field and type the letter C (or any other key you wish to use to launch the Calculator).
- Click OK
Now, whenever you want to quickly launch Calculator, just hit Ctrl-Alt-C (or whatever key you chose). I use application launch shortcut keys all the time for Calculator and Notepad. You can use it for those programs you constantly use and are sick of navigating through the Start menu to launch.
Do you use application launch shortcut keys? What other Windows shortcut keys do you find useful?