Windows 7 Launching A Program Keyboard Hotkey

[seekermeister]

I've never been good at using keyboard shortcuts, but I decided that it would be convenient to be able to launch certain programs by this method. I Googled and found a number of returns that give instructions on how to create custom key strokes for this purpose, like this:

http://www.solveyourtech.com/launch-a-windows-7-program-with-a-keyboard-shortcut/

which are quite simple, except that they don't seem to work. Is there some special trick for making it do so?

 

[davidhk129]

The method works on my Win 7. I assigned Ctrl + Alt + C for my CCleaner program.

I just have one question, or 2......
1. Since you need to create a shortcut to desktop first, why bother to assign a keyboard shortcut? Wouldn't clicking at the desktop shortcut suffice?
2. What makes one think that we can remember all those keyboard shortcuts?
I fail to see the practicality of such exercise.

 

[seekermeister]

Although the page that I linked made it appear that a desktop icon was necessary, some of the other tutorials I read didn't. I tried it both ways...w/a desktop shortcut and just by doing the same thing with a program already on my Quick Launch. Why it worked for you and not me, I have no idea, but at least if it worked for you, it still gives me something to shoot for.

If I had to have a shortcut displayed on the desktop for every program that I wanted to launch this way, then I would not be interested, because I like to keep my desktop clean.

I have no intention of trying to launch a long list of programs in this fashion, only a few that I work with daily. Even with my bad memory, I'm sure that I could handle a few. I know that it isn't really all that much work, but I dislike having to use the Start Menu any more than I have to. I could also make the desktop a bit cleaner looking by not showing any programs on the Quick Launch toolbar.

It's all about having options, and an option is not something that everybody has to use.

 

[davidhk129]

Mind telling me which program you tried and didn't work?

This is what I did on my CCleaner as per instruction from your link.

 

[seekermeister]

Been playing with this a bit more, and it now appears that whether it works or not depends on the program involved. It works on some and not on others. Unfortunately the ones that it doesn't work on are the ones that I want it to. Therefore I shall probably give up and continue as I've done before.

It worked on CCleaner and my email client, but not on my browser (Opera), file manager (Free Commander) or movie catalog (Movie Colletor). There are a few other programs I would like to launch this way, but after three strikes, I'm out of interest.

 

[seekermeister]

I got two of those programs to work...Opera and Movie Collector, by just editing the shortcut in the Start Menu itself, without any desktop shortcut, but it still doesn't work on my file manager. With those two successes, I may try a few more.

 

[davidhk129]

I installed the Opera and the keyboard shortcut did work.
This darn Opera is very intrusive. It changed some of my shortcuts to a big red O.
I uninstalled Opera, and those shortcuts no longer work.
I have to do a system restore to yesterday in order o restore those shortcuts.

 

[seekermeister]

Changed what shortcuts? I've never had a problem with Opera in that fashion, but then I have never installed the new versions (15 or 16). Those are totally new critters, and may still have some wild hairs.

 

[seekermeister]

I finally got the file manager hotkey to work by just changing the letter. I'm guessing that the one that I had used conflicts with a Windows hotkey preset...don't know.

 

[davidhk129]

Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts
Open this LINK

 

[seekermeister]

Voila! Problem solved. As it turned out, it wasn't a Windows hotkey conflict, but one with another program. Just happened to stumble across it and now the file manager opens the way that I want. It would be nice if Windows kept a record of all program's hotkey assignments, to avoid future confusion.