How to start an application with a shortcut key without using the "Start" button

How to start an application with a shortcut key without using the "Start" button

The shortcut key is the key or the combination of keys that allows you to execute commands without opening the start menu on the screen. Defining a key or keys as a shortcut key to an application program allows you to start the application without using the start menu.

Refer to the following.

One of the typical shortcut keys defined on Windows as a standard, for example, is the combination of "Alt" and "F4" keys that finishes active applications (running applications).

You can define shortcut keys created by combining the "Ctrl" key, the "Alt" key and another key. You cannot use, however, "Esc", "Enter", "Tab", "PrintScreen (PrtSc)" and "BackSpace" keys as shortcut keys.

Besides, when you define the program access keys pre-assigned on Windows as shortcut keys for other purposes,
those access keys no longer work as the Windows' access keys.

Access keys are the operational keys that allow you to execute operation through keystrokes on the keyboard
instead of clicking with the mouse menus and buttons that appear on the window. In practice, pressing keys on the keyboard described at the end of buttons and menu on the window ("P", for example, in the case of the "Programs (P)" command on the start menu) together with the combination of necessary keys would execute a defined function.

The following is an explanation of setting a shortcut key to "Calculator".

* Note: When you set a shortcut key to an application program, you cannot assign a shortcut key to the executable file (exe. file) itself of the application program. Be sure to make a shortcut of the executable file.

(Procedure)
1. Right-click the "Start" button.
2. Click "Explorer" on the shortcut menu.
3. The shortcut of "Calculator" that sets a shortcut key appears. Double-click the "Programs" folder under the "Start Menu" folder and then double-click the "Accessories" folder.
4. Right-click the shortcut icon of "Calculator" and then click "Properties" of the shortcut menu.
5. Click the "Shortcut" tab on the "Calculator Properties" window.
6. Click the text box of "Shortcut Key" and actually press a key on the keyboard that you want to set as the shortcut key. The key you have pressed appears in the "Shortcut Key" text box accompanied by "Ctrl"+"Alt" keys. When you press the "A" key, for example, "Ctrl+Alt+A" appears there.
7. Click the "OK" button.

Now, you can start the calculator by pressing "Ctrl"+"Alt"+"A" keys instead of starting it from the "Start" menu.