How to Make a Quick Launch Desktop Icon

Icons are small pictures that represent documents or programs stored on your hard drive. They can appear on the desktop itself or on the Quick Launch toolbar at the bottom of the desktop. Double-clicking the icon opens the program or document.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
   My Computer Window

   Open a file browser such as Windows Explorer or My Computer. This example uses My Computer.

2. Resize the file window so that you can see the desktop. Move the window to one side.

3. Navigate to the file for which you want to create an icon. This example uses DIALER.EXE.

4. 
   Dragging

   Right-click on the program, and while holding the right mouse key down, drag the file to the desktop. Release the key to make a popup menu appear.

5. 
   Desktop Icon

   Choose "Create Shortcuts Here." A shortcut icon appears on the desktop referring to the original program, which remains in its previous location. The curved arrow symbol on the upper left of the icon indicates that this is a shortcut.

6. Rename the shortcut icon as needed by right-clicking on it, choosing "Rename" and entering a new name. This example renames the shortcut to "Dialer."

7. Make sure that the "Quick Launch" toolbar is visible by right-clicking on the bottom task bar until the popup menu appears. Choose "Toolbar" and "Quick Launch" so a check mark appears by it. The "Quick Launch" toolbar appears to the right of the task bar after the "Start" button.

8. Drag the desktop icon you created to any point the "Quick Launch" toolbar. A black bar indicates where the toolbar icon will appear.

9. 
   Quick Launch Icon

   Release the mouse key so that the shortcut icon appears in the toolbar. Note that the original shortcut appears on the desktop. If you cannot see the icon on the "Quick Launch" toolbar, it may not have enough space. Drag the vertical separator to the right to reveal more icons, or click on the double arrows to show the missing icons in a popup.

10. Test the new icons. Click on the added "Quick Launch" icon or by double-click the desktop icon. The program runs.

References

• Creating Desktop Icons
• Creating Quick Launch Icons (second message)