Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows
Chances are, your desktop contains a program you use all the time. For the benefit of convenience, you may want to consider assigning a ‘hotkey’ or keyboard shortcut to this program. This will enable you to access your favorite software program without having to use your mouse, all the while impressing your friends and co-workers at your magical ability.
Here’s how:
Start by right-clicking on the program you want to create a keyboard shortcut to and then selecting ‘properties’. Now, click on the ’shortcut’ tab and enter the key combination you want to use to automatically start that program in the future.
Only one warning before choosing a new keyboard shortcut combination, make sure you don’t select a keyboard shortcut that already serves a function. If it does, selecting it again can cause trouble like overwriting the other keyboard shortcut.
If you want to quickly check if your new keyboard shortcut already exists on your Windows computer, just try it before you do anything and you may be in for a nice surprise. Oh yeah, and make sure to write down the combination somewhere visible until you become familiar with it.
You can use either of the options described in the table below to create a new keyboard shortcut.
*********************************************
Ctrl+Shift+(Choose Your Favorite Key)
Ctrl+Alt+(Choose Your Favorite Key)
Shift+Alt+(Choose Your Favorite Key)
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+(Choose Your Favorite Key)
*********************************************
Based on the examples given above, I usually set up a shortcut to the Windows calculator as I do use it now and then. It makes sense to me to use the letter C for calculator so I won’t forget it in a years time. So, the shortcut I always make on a new computer is CTRL+ALT+C which will automatically open the calculator application anytime I hit that key combination from anywhere inside Windows.
This tip should work with all recent versions of Windows such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server.
Technology is my passion, computers are part of our everyday lives and I want to help you bridge the gap by offering you short articles and blurbs in the most recent computer related topics.