Absolute Beginners Guide to Computer Basics (2nd Edition)

Desktop icons those little pictures on your desktop function as shortcuts for starting applications and opening documents. Placing a shortcut on your desktop is an alternative to launching items from the Start menu.

Creating New Shortcuts on the Desktop

To put a new shortcut on your desktop, follow these steps:

  1. From within My Computer or any Windows folder, navigate to the application or document for which you want to create a shortcut.

  2. Right-click the file icon, and then select Send To, Desktop (Create Shortcut).

To remove a shortcut icon from the desktop, just drag it into the Recycle Bin.

tip

You can also create a shortcut by right-dragging a file icon directly to the desktop, or by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting New, Shortcut from the pop-up menu.

Changing the Name of a Shortcut

When you create a new shortcut icon, its name is automatically prefixed with the words "Shortcut to…." To change the name of a shortcut, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the shortcut on your desktop.

  2. When the pop-up menu appears, select Rename.

  3. The shortcut's name is now highlighted on your desktop. Use the Delete or Backspace keys to erase parts of the existing name, and then type a new name. Press Enter when you've finished entering the new name.

Arranging Icons on the Desktop

All those desktop icons let you quickly open your most-used programs, but they can really clutter up the look of your Windows desktop. To better arrange your icons, right-click a blank area of the desktop and choose from one of the following options:

  • Name Sorts items alphabetically by filename

  • Size Sorts items by file size, from smallest to largest

  • Type Sorts items by file type so that files with the same extension are grouped together

  • Modified Sorts items by date, from oldest to most recent

In addition, you can choose to Auto Arrange the items, which automatically arranges the icons along the left side of your desktop, or Align to Grid, which makes all your icons snap to an invisible grid.

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You can't choose Align to Grid and Auto Arrange at the same time. If you want to spread your icons across the desktop (but aligned to the invisible grid), turn off Auto Arrange and Align to Grid on.

Cleaning Up Your Desktop Shortcuts

Windows XP includes a Desktop Cleanup Wizard that sweeps all your unused desktop icons into an Unused Desktop icons folder, thus cleaning up a cluttered desktop. Windows XP automatically runs the Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days, but you can also run the wizard manually. Just follow these steps:

  1. Open the Display Properties dialog box, select the Desktop tab, and then click the Customize Desktop button.

  2. When the Desktop Items dialog box appears, select the General tab.

  3. Click the Clean Desktop Now button to run the Wizard now.

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