Windows Vista tip: Launch apps faster
Say what you want about Windows Vista but if you spend some time with the operating system you can find a lot of little cool things that will impress. Personally, I like the ones that speed up my hectic workday as a freelance journalist. Here’s a quick tip you may or may not know about launching applications faster.
Say what you want about Windows Vista but if you spend some time with the operating system you can find a lot of little cool things that will impress. Personally, I like the ones that speed up my hectic workday as a freelance journalist. Here’s a quick tip you may or may not know about launching applications faster.
If you’re running Windows Vista and want to launch a program quickly — such as Windows Photo Gallery, Internet Explorer, iTunes, Google Earth or Photoshop — you need not minimize the window you’re on to go to the desktop, find the icon and then double-click it.
Instead, simply click the Start button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and in the window that says Start Search, type in a few letters of a program you want to open, such as N-O and you’ll see all relevant program names pop up, such as Notepad. Now press Enter to launch it. That’s it.
Give it a try!
Filed Under: Computers & Software
There is an even faster way to launch apps – click on the little blue icon beside the start button – you do NOT have to minimize anything – it takes you right to the desktop – something I've used since purchasing a new puter with Vista!
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when I start to type something in google,everything Ive typed before comes up??How do I get rid of this??
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Hey Kricket,
Good point, I know about these taskbar shortcuts, too, thanks, but I find this search trick is even faster because you dont have to look for the icon on your desktop at all!
Marc
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In the Google Toolbar, to clear your search history click the drop-down arrow on the search box, and click the Clear search history link at the bottom.
On Google.com itself, you have to go to Internet Explorer 7's tools menu, select Options and on the General tab click on the "Delete" button from the browsing history area. Now click “Delete forms.”
Hope that helps!
Marc
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Searching is ok to find things you don't often use. If there are programs you use a lot, the easiest way is to pin them to the start menu so they are always there. To do this just find your program on the start menu, right click on it and then choose "pin to start menu"
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Unless you have a million Icons on your desk top it is still faster to click on the icon.
A better way is to have a desktop icon in your quick launch bar, then click your icon of the program you need.
3 clicks, done. No typing required.
JMHO
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A quick tip from Win2KPro and XP and Vista…you can map shortcuts to the keyboard with and the function keys
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Canada Chas is right.
I use it alot too when i have like 20 word docs open while studying…
just right click on start button, click on properties, and then choose the "toolbars" tab and check the Desktop box.
This way you can have your fav links on the taskbar too.
Just add the book mark to the links folder instead of the regular one and add the links toolbar to the taskbar (where all the open windows appear at bottom).
Enjoy.
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visa sucks
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rikay at least spell Vista right.
I do agree with Marc Saltzman.
Although the search function is convenient on a desktop it is even more convenient on a laptop. This is because on a laptop the keyboard becomes the most important input device. The more commands the user can perform on the keyboard the more efficient the laptop becomes. The search function eliminates the use of the mouse which can be a pain to operate on most types of on laptops. Of course one can buy an external mouse for the laptop. But students like me using the laptop in lectures have no space or time for the external mouse.
Also the search function is handy to bring up programs that you do not normally use all the time. These programs would not be located on the taskbar or the pin menu.
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Not sure I care for that tip. Besides, Vista has other significant issues like the explorer – navigating through files, etc. What a terrible interface in my opinion. XP had it right. Vista has some nice gadgets, but it's been more of a headache than anything. All I do now is help people avoid buying machines with Vista installed. Sorry guys, but that's my opinion. I've been a Windows guy all my life, but a friend convinced me how a Mac was actually nicer to use for the basic (non-IT) needs. I'm now strongly considering a Mac.
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It works great when you have all of your files indexed, you can even open up specific files that way, but it's only worthwhile if it's a file you don't normally access, or if your system is indexed and the search feature is on and ready. To get to the desktop I just right click the taskbar and select Show the Desktop. But the search feature lets me get rid of tonnes of folders on my desktop.
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Hey guys,
Agreed: this is more for launching ANY app opposed to your regulars, which you can place on the taskbar as a one-click icon.
Marc
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You can also press the windows key (usually besides the left ctrl key) and your start menu will pop up and from there, you can type what you want. This is especially useful if you're already on the keyboard because then you don't have to switch from keyboard to mouse and back to keyboard.
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