Take advantage of the new Quick Launch Bar


One of the small but nice new things in Windows Vista is the Quick Launch Bar. It is not just a bar with nice little shortcuts on which you click, it is also a collection of quick keyboard shortcuts.



In Windows Vista the first 10 shortcuts on the Quick Launch bar have their own custom keyboard shortcut. It is very simple: you place 10 shortcuts on your Quick Launch Bar and each one will have its own keyboard shortcut. Press the Windows key + a number (from 1 to 0) and Windows Vista will launch the shortcut corresponding to that number.

Let's consider the screenshot below: Windows key + 1 is Show Desktop, Windows key + 2 is Switch Between Windows, Windows key + 3 is Firefox, Windows key + 4 is Winamp and so on.

Quick Launch Bar

If you want these shortcuts to work you should NOT hide the Quick Launch bar. When you hide it the keyboard shortcuts will be deactivated as well. Also, there is no need for all shortcuts to be visible. It works even if most of them are hidden. You just have to remember the order of the shortcuts from the Quick Launch bar.


Related articles:
Remove the arrow and the "shortcut" text from your Windows Vista shortcuts



Comments

Quick Launch bar

Wow that is a nice tip.

The keyboard shortcuts work

The keyboard shortcuts work when the task bar is hidden.

The keyboard shortcuts work

Take it you mean all the shortcuts are in view on the quick launch toolbar and you've just hidden the taskbar ...

If you don't want to clutter your task bar, just reduce the number of icons showing for quick launch down to one

BORING!

I have been using "Quick launch bar" in XP for ages! There's nothing new about this tip!

Quick launch bar

wow the windows key and 1 2 3 is a great hint. I consider my self an expert and had not heard or ever used this. I will start today !! Much Easier. Also thanks for the reg on remove shortcut arrows.

Vista Quick Launch Bar Disabled?

I have found my Quick Launch Folder in my
C:/Users/Default/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/Quick Launch
but when ever I Right-Click the space on my Windows Task Bar to select "Toolbars" and Select "Quick Launch",
nothing shows up. It is like the Quick Launch has disappeared.

Although I can still Hit "Windows Button + D" or just tab out using "Switch Between Windows" to minimize out of my open folders, I would be greatly satisfied if I could make the Quick Launch Bar appear again on my Task Bar for the "quickness" the Quick Launch is suppose to provide.

Thank You

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