How to Work More Efficiently on a Laptop - Part 1 - Ditching the Touchpad

Having to use the touchpad on a laptop always resulted in my work taking longer than normal. Learning to rely on it less has allowed me to work more efficiently on my laptop. In this article I will explain how to assign shortcut keys to programs you regularly use, allowing you to launch them with three simple keystrokes. Although this how-to is geared towards laptop users, it can also be beneficial to desktop users.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A basic understanding of how to use Windows XP and any programs you regularly use.
• A desire to work more efficiently.
• Basic access rights, which may be blocked if you're using a work laptop.

1. Determine the programs you use the most, and figure out what you would want their shortcut keys to be. The shortcut will be in the "Ctrl + Alt + " format, so the key you choose will be the third key in the sequence. Choose something easy to remember, such as "W" for Microsoft Work, or "E" for Excel.

2. 
    

   Click the "Start" button, then select "Programs". Find the program you wish to make a shortcut key for, and right click on it. When the menu appears, select "Properties".

3. 
    

   After selecting "Properties", a dialog box will appear. Select the "Shortcut" tab. By default, the "Shortcut Key" box should say "none". Click into this box, and type the key you'd like to use for the program. You do not need to add "Ctrl + Alt +", as this will automatically be added infront of the key you choose. Click "Ok".

4. The key you chose should now be associated with your program. Hold down Ctrl and Alt, then press the key you chose. The program should open up. If not go back to the properties dialog and check what is in the "Shortcut Key" box.

5. If your first shortcut key works, go ahead and assign shortcut keys to any other programs you wish. If you have an icon on your desktop for a program that is not in the programs menu, simply right click on the desktop icon, and follow the above steps.

Tips & Warnings

• This article is written for those using Windows XP. If you're running a different operating system, these steps may not apply to you.
• Although using the first letter of the program's name may be easiest to remember, I personally assign the four programs I use most to the up, down, left, and right arrow keys. When I work on my laptop, I find my hand is usually near the keypad, so this is most convenient for me.
• This how-to only covers creating shortcut keys to open programs. Other windows functions have similar shortcut keys. For example, pressing the windows key and "D" will minimize all windows and show the desktop. See the link below for a list of Windows XP shortcuts.

Resources

• Windows XP shortcut keys