Faster Startup Your Programs

Supercharge your startup:

      Want to keep your programs within easy reach? Windows XP lets you customize the Start menu and task bar so you can launch your favorite programs whenever you want them. No more searching for your favorite programs; you can easily pin, or assign, programs to the Start menu. Or you can use the Quick Launch bar as a way to keep other programs at your fingertips; ready to go at the click of the button.

      You can also place convenient shortcut icons on your desktop. Shortcut icons provide instant links to important files, folders, and other applications - even your printer and Internet connection - with a touch of your mouse.

      Here's how to pin a program to the Start menu. As an example, we'll pin the Windows XP Calculator program to the Start menu.

• Pin Calculator to the Start menu

  • 1. Click Start, and then click All Programs.
    
  • 2. Click Accessories and point to Calculator.
    
  • 3. Right-click Calculator and click Pin to Start menu.
    
  • 4. Click anywhere on the desktop to quit the Start menu.
    

      That's all there is to it. The above works for any program on your computer, putting those programs on the Start menu until you decide to remove them. By the way, removing programs from the Start menu is even easier. Here's how:

• Remove Calculator from the Start menu

  • Click Start, and then point to the program you want to remove (in this case, Calculator).
    
  • Right-click Calculator and click Unpin from Start menu.
    
  • Click anywhere on the desktop to quit the Start menu.
    

      If you have opened more than one program, you might like to display and use the Quick Launch bar. The Quick Launch bar makes it easy to access frequently used programs like Windows Media Player and your e-mail, and to open an Internet Explorer window. Windows XP loads several programs in the Quick Launch, including Show Desktop. One click on Show Desktop minimizes all the programs on your desktop.Another click restores them just as you'd left them.

• Show Quick Launch on the taskbar -

  •  If the Quick Launch bar is not displayed, right-click an empty area on the taskbar and click Properties.
    
  •  On the Taskbar tab, under Taskbar appearance, select the Show Quick Launch check box and click OK.
    
  •  After Quick Launch is displayed, click Show Desktop to minimize all open programs.
    

      Another quick way to start your programs is to place a shortcut icon on the desktop. Here's how:

• Place a shortcut icon on the desktop

  • Right-click Start, and then click Explore.
    
  • Locate the folder, file, or program in the Folders directory, and then click the item to open it.
    
  • Click the icon representing the item.
    
  • Click File on the toolbar, and then Create Shortcut on the drop-down menu that appears.
    
  • Right-click on the shortcut icon that is created.
    
  • Choose Send To from the drop-down menu, and then click Desktop (create shortcut) on the submenu that appears.