The programs we use in our everyday lives often come with handy keyboard shortcuts that help speed things up. But how about creating a hotkey you can press to launch apps or folders?
If this sounds like something you need in your life, let's explore two easy ways to launch folders and apps using no more than just a few keys.
How to Open a Program or Folder on the Taskbar
Did you know that you already have a means of launching programs using hotkeys in Windows 10? It's a bit limited in its capabilities, but if it suits your needs, you can get to work using hotkeys to launch programs without needing to download anything.
To use this method, you need to pin the apps and folders that you want to open to the taskbar. To do that, right-click the app or folder and select Pin to taskbar. A faster way is to simply drag its icon over the taskbar.
To open a pinned app or folder, press the Win key together with the corresponding number. The icons on your taskbar are numbered from left to right.
To open the apps in this picture, you would have to use the following shortcuts:
- Win + 1 for Photoshop.
- Win + 2 for File Explorer.
- Win + 3 for Sticky Notes.
- Win + 4 for Google Chrome.
Note: For the tenth icon on your taskbar, press Win + 0.
There are certain advantages to this method. You don’t need to install anything on your computer and you can use it even if you hide your taskbar. Nevertheless, you might not want to clutter your taskbar and you can use this shortcut for a maximum of 10 apps and folders.
In this case, the following method could be a better fit for you.
Open a Folder or App With WinHotKey
WinHotKey is a free, easy-to-use app that allows you to assign keyboard shortcuts to various actions on your computer. This includes setting a custom hotkey that opens an app or folder.
Follow these steps to set a new keyboard shortcut using WinHotKey:
- Download and launch WinHotKey.
- Click New Hotkey.
- Select what action the keyboard shortcut will trigger using the drop-down menu below I want WinHotKey to.
- Choose which keys are part of the trigger.
- Click Browse to select the app or the program.
- Click OK to save the new keyboard shortcut.
Note: You can also use WinHotKey to open a document or control the current window.
Download: WinHotKey (Free)
Setting Quick Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows
Now you know how to quickly launch your most frequently used apps and folders. If you don’t want to install anything on your computer, try the first method. If you need more configuration options, WinHotKey will give you plenty of options.
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