How to Create Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can be created for anything, and can help you to get your work completed faster. Shortcuts can be made for any program with a shortcut on the desktop or start menu. They are very quick and easy to set up, and once you get them in place, you will wonder why you didn't use them sooner.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Microsoft Windows
• Shortcuts to programs, showing on the desktop or start menu

Instructions

1. Turn on your computer and locate a desktop or start menu shortcut that you would like to make a keyboard shortcut for.

2. Right-click the shortcut and select "Properties." This will open up the Properties window.

3. Toward the middle of the window you will see a box labeled "Shortcut Key." It should either be blank or say "None." This is where you will need to type in the combination of keys that you would like to use for the short cut. You have to use two of the following three keys: Ctrl, Alt and Shift. For example, Ctrl + Alt + Y could be used as the shortcut for Yahoo! Messenger.

4. Once you have typed in the keys for your shortcut, click "Ok" to close the window and save.

Tips & Warnings

• You cannot use a shortcut that is already being used for another function, so test the combination before trying to assign it to the program.