Create a keyboard shortcut to a folder or program

Shortcuts to programs are very convenient, but only if they are easily accessible. It can be a pain to have to minimize the window you are currently working in just to locate the shortcut you are looking for.

To make things easier, XP features the ability to link shortcuts to user-defined key combinations, so you can easily activate the one you are looking for without disrupting what you are doing.

Unfortunately this only works for shortcuts that are placed directly on the desktop, not in other folders, but it's still a useful little tip.

To do it: Select the folder or program icon that you wish to use. Create a shortcut for it by right clicking on the item and selecting 'create shortcut' from the menu.

Place your newly created shortcut on the desktop by dragging or cut/pasting. Right click the shortcut and select 'properties.'

Select the 'shortcut' tab and enter the key combination you wish to use (XP will automatically edit the combination if it is not acceptable. Just entering 'e' for example, will get you an actual key combination of ctrl + alt + e). Click 'ok.'

Now you can open the specified shortcut without altering your workflow. Good stuff.