Everyone knows your friendly neighborhood admin is all about shortcut keys and uber productivity.
I don’t know how I never found this one before… Check it out you have your quick launch buttons displayed next to your start menu for easy access.
By default you have Show Desktop, IE and whatever other applications you installed. Now you obviously know that if you single click on any of these icons the appropriate app launches.
Common knowledge right?
BUT did you know that if you press the Windows Key and the corresponding number of the shortcut it will auto-launch? So if you have the show desktop icon in the first position pressing Win-1 will show your desktop. And if Internet Explorer is in the second position…
Guess how we launch her? Win-2! Nifty, easy trick for Windows Vista.
So instead of installing launcher programs if you just need easy access to a few apps put them in your quick launch menu and make sure it is being displayed because if you can’t see it you sure can’t launch it!
UPDATE: It works even when the toolbar is hidden!
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On the same vein, don’t forget that you can free up some of those slots by removing shortcuts that duplicate those already programmed to other keys. (I’m looking at you “Show Desktop”, which is bound by default to Win+D, or my personal Admin favorite “Run”, bound to Win+R)
I’ve been following your website closely though I am not a techie but a physician by profession.
I’d like to point out that you can launch upto 9 applications from the quick launch menu by hitting Win + (numbers 1-9)
The first three ones would be visualized, but from the 4th to the 9th it would be hidden and can still be opened. Try it….
Thanks and regards
win+E gets you Windows Explorer (my Computer)
Nice tips, I just got a new HP system on Monday with vista home premium, thanks for these quick easy tips.
My favorite shortcut is the windows key & D. It minimizes all open windows!