How to create, modify, and move shortcuts
A shortcut is a quick way of opening items you use regularly, usually programs or files. You can put a shortcut on the desktop, inside a folder or on the Start menu. You can change the icon or modify the command line change how the program opens. You can also group shortcuts in a folder on the desktop. The shortcut simply provides the information to locate and open the file, it is not the same as the program or file. Because it is only a pointer the shortcut can be deleted or modified without deleting or modifying the original program or file.
Correct the path or filename by editing the Properties dialog box for the shortcut.
Add mouseover text to provide more information on what the shortcut is for
Create a shortcut, then put it where you want it:
Find the program or file for which you want to create a shortcut.
Right click on the program or file. Select Create Shortcut.
The new shortcut will be created in the same folder.
You can now move the shortcut to where you want it. Put your mouse pointer on the shortcut. Press and hold the left mouse button, and drag the shortcut to the new location. That new location could be
The office tool bar.
The Start menu
The Desktop
A folder on the Desktop
Any folder (or directory) you can see in your Windows NT Explorer.
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You can delete the shortcut icon. It is important to make sure you are deleting the shortcut, not the program or file. If the icon is a shortcut it will have an arrow in the lower left-hand corner of the icon.
Right-click the icon and select Delete.
Click Yes.
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Right-click the shortcut and select Rena me.
Type the name you want for it, and press [ Enter].
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Right-click the shortcut and select P roperties.
Click on the Shortcut tab, and then click on the Change Icon button.
A "Change Icon" window will open.If you don't like the default selection you can browse or search for other icons in the following files: pifmgr.dll, moricons.dll, progman.dll, shell32.dll, or any file ending in .ico. There are many other files that may contain icons, but finding them can be a tedious and unproductive process. Be sure to take a look at the program file for the program the shortcut opens. Most program files will have program specific icons in them. Program files usually end in .exe.
Click on the icon you have selected, then click on OK to close the Change Icon window then click on OK to close the shortcut properties window.
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Oops the shortcut doesn't work.
A Missing Shortcut window will open, Windows will try to find the file
You can click on Browse to find the file if, for example, the file name has changed.
Once the correct file is located the shortcut should work.
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Correct the path or filename by editing the Properties dialog box for the shortcut:
Right-click on the shortcut icon and choose P roperties to open the Properties dialog box for the shortcut.
Click the Shortcut tab.
Confirm that the file and path in the Target box are correct.
If the file and path are not correct then find the file related to the shortcut:
Click Find Target... A window to the file will open if Find Target can locate the file. It may be the same file renamed, or it may be a different file with the same name. If the file found is the correct file you can click of File then Close to close the file list window. The target on the shortcut properties will automatically be changed to the file it found unless you click on the Cancel button.
If Find Target can't find the file, it will search for something with a similar name. A dialog box will open stating that the item the shortcut refers to has been changed or moved and that the nearest match is (file found). You can select Yes to have the shortcut point to that file or No to leave the shortcut with the original target. If the file found is not the correct file it is usually simplest to delete the broken shortcut and create a new one according to the instructions in the list of shortcut tips.
Click OK
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Add mouseover text to provide more information on what the shortcut is for:
Right-click on the shortcut icon and choose P roperties to open the Properties dialog box for the shortcut.
Click the Shortcut tab.
In the Comment box write your mouseover text.
Click OK
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Right click any empty area of the desktop
Choose Ne w, then Folder. A New folder icon will appear on the desktop.
Give the folder a better name than "New Folder" by right clicking on the folder icon, then selecting Rena me.
Put your mouse pointer on the shortcut you want to place in the folder, hold down the left mouse button, drag the shortcut to the folder, and release the mouse button.
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Make sure you can see the place you want to which you want to move the icon.
Put your mouse pointer on the icon to be moved
Hold down the left mouse button. Continue holding the button down and drag the icon to its new location.
When your mouse pointer (and icon) are at the new location release the mouse button.
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Arrange shortcuts automatically
You can arrange your shortcuts automatically by date, type, size, name. If you chose to have them arranged automatically they will end up on the left hand side. If you have "auto arrange" selected, then the icon will return to its original place even if you accidentally move it.
Right-click on any empty spot on the desktop
Click on Arrange Icons.
Make sure there is a check mark next to Auto Arrange. If there is no check mark then click on Auto Arrange to add the checkmark. If you click on any of the "arrange by" selections then all icons will arranged against the left hand side in the order selected. Note: If you select "arrange by name" the icon order will reflect the target name, not the icon name.
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You can place your icons anywhere you want on the desktop.
Right-click on any empty spot on the desktop.
Click on Arrange Icons.
Make sure there is no check mark next to Auto Arrange. If there is a check mark then click on Auto Arrange to remove the checkmark. If you click on any of the "arrange by selections" then all icons will arranged against the left hand side. If "auto arrange" is not checked you can move them into new locations.
Move the icons to the desired locations.
Once you have the icons in their desired locations you can get some help in lining up the icons by right clicking on any empty spot on the desktop then clicking on Lin e up Icons.
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Created by the PeopleSoft Knowledge Management Team.
Copyright © 1999, 2004
All rights reserved.
Created: db 06/08/1999
Revised: db 02/10/2004