Desktop Shortcut With a Hotkey
(Paul W. 02/09/07)

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    Do you have a document that you use almost every day but you don't want to leave open all day long? Do you have to hunt for it every time you want to use it? Time to make it just a shortcut key away.
    Minimize all your apps so only your desktop is showing.   (click on the icon on the taskbar or use the   + D combination). Open "My Computer" and resize it so it's not taking up the whole screen. Find the document you want to use and right-click on it and drag it to your desktop. When you let up on the right mouse button you will have a list of options to choose from. Pick the "Create Shortcuts Here" option. Now you have an icon shortcut to your document right on your desktop.

    Were not done yet. Right-click on your new shortcut icon and pick "Properties" from the drop-down list. Now move to the "Shortcut key" field with your mouse or the Tab key. Once you are in the "Shortcut key" field, press a keyboard combination you want to use to open your document with. BE CAREFUL! You need to pick a keyboard combination that isn't being used by Windows in another way. For example, Ctrl +C is used by Windows to copy stuff, so you can't use that. In fact, you'll have better luck using three keys in the combination. I use Ctrl + Alt + B for one of my shortcuts.

    When you pick a combination that is available, you'll see it show up in the "Shortcut key" field. Now click on the OK button and test your new keyboard combination to see if it opens your document. Voila! If you did everything correctly you should have a new keyboard combination that opens that oft used document any time you want.


P.S. You can shorten the name of the new shortcut on your desktop by clicking once on the icon, then hit your F2 function key and type what you want it to be named. Keep it short so you can read it easily and it doesn't take up too much room on your desktop.