Tech-Ease: Files and Sharing Questions and Answers

Quick answers to real classroom technology questions. An online service of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse.

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What is a shortcut, and how do I create one?

A shortcut is a pointer to a file on your hard drive. This pointer can point to a program, a file, or a folder. The shortcut is a small file that takes very little space because it only has information about the location of the original file. It is not an exact copy of the original file. When you delete the shortcut, the original file it points to is not deleted.

With shortcuts, you can have the applications and folders you use the most in the locations where they are easiest to access, such as the desktop or the quick launch bar.

To create a new shortcut on the desktop, right click on an empty area of the desktop and select New, Shortcut.

This will start the Create Shortcut wizard. Use the Browse button to locate the file, folder, or program you want the shortcut to point to, then click on Next.

Provide a name for your shortcut, and click on Finish.

Name Shortcut

The new file that appears on your desktop will have a small arrow in one corner to let you know it is a shortcut.

A quick way to create a shortcut of any file is by holding down the Control and Shift keys and dragging the file to another location.

Additional Websites

Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101: Working with Windows—Files and Folders

Microsoft.com: Windows XP File and Folder Management Overview

Tiptalk: From Microsoft at Home and at Work—File Management

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire LTS Online Help Documentation: Windows XP

Geekgirls.com: Windows XP—An Introduction to File Management

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Tech-Ease for Windows is your source for just-in-time answers for classroom technology questions. A companion Tech-Ease for Mac site is also available. This collection is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse and is funded in part by a grant from the Florida Department of Education. Copyright 2008 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida.

			Quick answers to real classroom technology questions. An online service of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse.
ETC HOME	TECH-EASE HOME	FILES FAQ	SEARCH
What is a shortcut, and how do I create one? A shortcut is a pointer to a file on your hard drive. This pointer can point to a program, a file, or a folder. The shortcut is a small file that takes very little space because it only has information about the location of the original file. It is not an exact copy of the original file. When you delete the shortcut, the original file it points to is not deleted. With shortcuts, you can have the applications and folders you use the most in the locations where they are easiest to access, such as the desktop or the quick launch bar. To create a new shortcut on the desktop, right click on an empty area of the desktop and select New, Shortcut. This will start the Create Shortcut wizard. Use the Browse button to locate the file, folder, or program you want the shortcut to point to, then click on Next. Provide a name for your shortcut, and click on Finish. The new file that appears on your desktop will have a small arrow in one corner to let you know it is a shortcut. A quick way to create a shortcut of any file is by holding down the Control and Shift keys and dragging the file to another location.			Additional Websites Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101: Working with Windows—Files and Folders Microsoft.com: Windows XP File and Folder Management Overview Tiptalk: From Microsoft at Home and at Work—File Management University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire LTS Online Help Documentation: Windows XP Geekgirls.com: Windows XP—An Introduction to File Management
ETC HOME	TECH-EASE HOME	FILES FAQ	SEARCH
Site Map \| Submit a Question \| About Tech-Ease \| Privacy Policy \| ETC Home Tech-Ease for Windows is your source for just-in-time answers for classroom technology questions. A companion Tech-Ease for Mac site is also available. This collection is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse and is funded in part by a grant from the Florida Department of Education. Copyright 2008 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida.