Most programs have a main menu bar at the top of the open window. You may notice that each option (e.g., ‘File’, ‘Edit’ ‘View’, etc.) has one underlined letter. The use of the ‘ALT’ key pressed in combination with the underlined letter key opens a drop-down menu from the main menu bar. Next, depress the key corresponding to an underlined letter in the drop-down menu (e.g., Save, Save As, File Search, etc.) and the selected action will be performed. For example, in MS Word if the ‘ALT’+‘I’ (‘I’ = ‘Insert’ from the main menu) key combination is selected, and the ‘S’ key is depressed, the symbol dialog box will open. This is useful for choosing a symbol to insert into your document.

In addition to this type of shortcut there is also the right and left click buttons on your mouse that completes specific functions. Generally speaking, by right clicking on any open window a menu will open with a list of options. Select an item on the menu by positioning the curser over the option until it is highlighted. You can then left click to make your selection. For example, right click on an unused area of your ‘Taskbar’ (the bar across the bottom of your screen). Then scroll up to the ‘Toolbars’ option and when the pop-up menu appears, move the curser to ‘Quick Launch’. ‘Quick Launch’ allows a user to select an icon with only one click versus the two clicks needed to open a program from the desktop. Now, if you like you can delete icons off your desktop by right-clicking and dragging them to the ‘Quick Launch’ area of the ‘Taskbar’. A pop-up menu will appear from which you can select the action to perform (e.g., ‘Move’, ‘Copy’, ‘Cancel’, etc.).

There are other ways to get to ‘Quick Launch’. Don’t be afraid to do a little experimenting. Go ahead and open up the ‘Start Menu’, right-click on any non-highlighted area, and select ‘Properties’. Choose either the ‘Start Menu’ or ‘Taskbar’ tab to customize. Alternatively, you can open the ‘Start Menu’ and click on ‘Control Panel’. Next, select the ‘Taskbar and Start Menu’ option. Afraid of what you might have done? Click ‘Cancel’ and your changes will not be saved.

The purpose of this exercise was to demonstrate that there is more than one way to complete a task with multiple shortcuts.

Rick Quirk—Network Administrator, NWROC quirk010@umn.edu