Tips to Customize your windows Desktop (part 1)

ACCESS YOUR DESKTOP ICONS FROM YOUR TASKBAR


Do you ever want to access your desktop, or shortcut icons on your desktop when your screen is cluttered with windows which you don't want to minimize?
A simple solution. Place a shortcut to your desktop atop your START Menu. Here's how:
1) Right click on your TASKBAR and choose PROPERTIES.
2) Select the START MENU PROGRAMS tab, then the ADVANCED button.
3) In the right panel, under the PROGRAMS folder, you will see any shortcuts you have already placed atop your START menu. Right click here in the white space here and choose NEW, then SHORTCUT.
4. In the command line for your shortcut, type c:\windows\desktop (If your Windows directory has another name, substitute that name for windows).
5. Click NEXT. Then in the name box, name your shortcut Desktop.
6. Click the FINISH button.
7. Close the Explorer window, then click ok in TASKBAR PROPERTIES.
8. Now, open START on your taskbar. VOILA! Your desktop folder icon should be visible. Click it to open your desktop folder.


Success!
You will now be able to view and access your desktop shortcut icons (not non-shortcut icons). If you want ALL desktop icons to be visible (Recycle Bin, My Computer etc.), you will need to place shortcuts to these other icons on your desktop.

Hint:
If you normally hide your taskbar, so that it is not always on top of other windows, you can access it at any time from any program by pressing and holding control, then pressing escape (the ESC key at top left of your keyboard). You may then quickly choose your desktop folder and access desktop icons as well as any other programs accessible via your taskbar and programs menu.


OPEN ANY NEW DOCUMENT FROM YOUR DESKTOP


(Associate files with programs)
Yes, we can teach you how to edit your Windows registry in order to add any new document to your desktop - and in a future tip, we will!
But the easiest way to add any new document to your desktop, whether
or not it is listed in your NEW menu is to simply:
1) Right click on your desktop and choose NEW.


2) Choose TEXT document (assuming it is listed there, and associated with Notepad or the equivalent). Otherwise, choose any kind of document included in your NEW menu.


3) Retype the name by clicking inside the name box and typing OR by right clicking the icon, selecting RENAME, the typing. Type in a document name, and the extension for the kind of document you
wish to open (e.g. .doc for Microsoft Word).


NOTE: The above tip assumes that you have associated this document
with a particular program on your computer. If not:

1) In MY COMPUTER, select view, options, then the FILE TYPES tab.
2) Choose NEW TYPE.
3) In the DESCRIPTION box, type a name for the kind of document or file you are associating (e.g. Adobe Acrobat file)
4) In the ASSOCIATED EXTENSION field, type the extension of the kind of file in question (e.g. pdf).
5) Below the ACTIONS field, choose NEW.
6) Type OPEN (in capitals).
7) Using the BROWSE button, browse to find the executable program (usually ending with .exe, in the primary directory for the program) of the software which will open this particular file type. Select it. Click ok or close until you've exited all your open screens.
8) Now your document type is associated. When you type in the extension on a file you create from the desktop and then double click on the icon, Windows will open its program.


OPEN EXPLORER RATHER THAN MY COMPUTER TO VIEW FILES


(This is a great tip!! One of the most useful customizations...)
Have you created drive icons for your hard drives and floppy drives on your desktop
If so, you may wish that they opened in the two-paned Explorer view, rather than in My Computer.
To change the default view to Explorer:


1) Open Explorer (from Start, Programs, Explorer, or if you have created it, from the Explorer icon on your desktop).


2) Choose the View, Options menu.


3) Select the File Types tab.

4). Under registered file types, double click on FOLDER.

5) From the list of actions, select explore.

6) Click on the SET DEFAULT button at bottom right!


Now when you double click on a folder or open a drive icon shortcut Explorer will open instead of My Computer.


Bypass the recycle bin when deleting a file


If you do not wish a file or folder you are deleting (or a group of files or folders) to end up in the recycle bin, for security or privacy reasons, there is a simple keyboard shortcut to avoid it.
To bypass the recycle bin when deleting a file, press and hold the SHIFT key as you press delete or select the delete command from the menu. You will see a request for confirmation, and once you say 'yes' the files will be permanently deleted, and absolutely non-restorable from Windows.


Create a link to shutdown your PC


To create a useful link desktop link to shutdown or restart your PC, follow these directions: Right click on an empty area of your desktop, then select 'new' and 'shortcut' to open the new shortcut wizard. When prompted for the location of the shortcut, enter 'SHUTDOWN -s -t 01' to shutdown the system or 'SHUTDOWN -r -t 01' to restart the system. Name the shortcut and give it an appropriate icon from the '%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll' location.