How To Add a new shortcut icon to your desktop

My clients are a mix of those with very few shortcut icons on their computer screen (desktop) and those that barely have any room for another one. I fall somewhere in the middle. My computer background is a beautiful nature scene and I like to be able to see it.

However, I also want to work efficiently, so I like being able to double-click on an icon that leads me to where I want to be. My newest desktop icon is the log in screen of this blog. With a double-click I launch my web browser and am prompted to enter my user name and password. This totally bypasses my designated “Home” page, since the shortcut icon holds a specific Internet address (URL).

Here is how to make an icon on your desktop that will bring you directly to the website of your choice.

1. Right-click on an empty spot on your desktop. That will pop-up a menu.

2. Highlight New, which opens another menu, then click on Shortcut.

3. In the new window that opens you will be asked to “type the location of the item“. If you know the full URL, such as http://www.linkedin.com, then you can type it in. You can also copy the URL from window you have open, and then paste it into the shortcut window.

4. Click Next. Now you can name the shortcut that will be associated with the icon. To continue with my example, I would name it “Linked In” (without the quotes).

5. Click Finish.

Now you have a new icon. Double-click on it and you are ready to log in, or search, or whatever you want to do at the website you chose.

This is the same procedure for creating a shortcut icon for any program on your computer. Instead of entering a URL you could select the Browse button and then search your computer for a specific application file, usually ending in .exe.

Having a few Internet icons on my desktop is easier for me than opening the web browser and then going through my list of favorites, which is just WAY too long! But that’s another story.

Try a few shortcut icons and let me know how they work out for you.

Efficiently yours,

Ellen DePasquale – The Software Revitalist™