Tips & Tricks: how to use the Shortcut Gadget at full capacity
In all the descriptions available for this gadget i told you that you can change the buttons' targets to launch any valid command, webpage or file. The file is easy to select you can just browse to it, the url of the page you're visiting shouldn't be a secret, but the commands you have to type in (just like in a Run dialog) aren't, sometimes, that obvious.
For example (it should work on Windows XP), to run My Computer write 'explorer /root,,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}' (leave the apostrophes out). In the same way you can launch the Recycle Bin with 'explorer /root,,::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}'. To launch the Control Panel you just need to write 'control'. For settings you can find in it you can usually write 'control something'. For example: 'control timedate.cpl" for Date & Time, 'control netconnections' for Network Connections, etc. You can search for more here.
28 comments:
I'm liking the shortcut gadget so far, but a have a couple of quibbles (maybe they can be fixed in an upcoming version? ::cheesy hopeful grin::)
1. I can't make the little blip noise go away.
2. I can't resize the box (i.e. make it 1 icon high and 8 across).
3. (or perhaps 2b) the titles are written vertically, and there's no way to re-orient them.
Thanks so much for this terrific gadget!
Hi, thanks for the suggestions, i'll include the first for sure (soon), and if i have time the other ones too. When i do it i'll post it on this blog so if you want to be notified you could subscribe to the 'gd gadgets' section..
Thanks, Teo.
I like this gadget, too, but am disappointed about one thing. I would like to select a folder for it to open where I keep or get files a lot and find that it only opens files. Is it possible to do? or can you incorporate that in an update?
Yes, you can open folders too. Just specify the path to it in options. For example, if you want to open C:\ you just type C:\ in options for the shortcut you want.
Have you tried something and it didn't work?
Hey, I like the layout of the gadget, but how do you make it go to a folder? For instance, I want D:/My Extra/My Videos as the destination, is it possible to do that?
See my previous post for that. What you typed is basically fine but you need to replace the / character with \
i have having a problem with Microsoft Word. I have assigned it to a key but when i click it does not work. Any recomendations?
What have you written in the gadget options for the corresponding shortcut? (i'm especially interested in the launch path)
I am trying to shortcut to Shared Pictures in the Shared Documents folder. I am entering the following path
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Pictures
I get an error asking me if I want to debug
I love this gadget and know there are ways I haven't even thought of to use it yet. Thanks!!
Hi, i think you need to place the path between " characters, like this:
"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Pictures"
because of the spaces included in the path
Hiya..Cool Widget :D. Is there a way to change the size and color of the font for the item names when in expanded or detached view? Also if it displayed the name of the button when in dock view would be great :)
Thanks
Nam
To the first question, if i understand it correctly, the answer's no :S To the second, doesn't it always show the name of the button when you move the mouse over it?
Hi. I'm Jesse.
I have found the file location of the program "Google Earth" and the run command is googleearth.exe.
However, when I type this into the options menu and then save my changes, clicking on the corresponding link on the gadget does nothing. What can you suggest?
The gadget works very, very well for all of my other shortcuts though. Thanks and good luck with the next version.
how do i get games, my doc, and my comp
I love this gadget! I use it to launch windows to grouped shortcuts for graphics tools, security software, system tools etc.
A question; when I use
explorer /root,,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} to launch my computer is ther an easy way I can control the size of the window it opens in? at the moment its full screen (ie maximised) and I'd rather have it smaller.
Hi, that's great!
About the size, i think these system windows should remember the last size. Doesn't resizing work for you?
i have my web browser set to mozilla but i have links (for example to my e-mail) shortcutted and when i click them it opens in internet explorer :O how do i fix this?!
Hi, are you sure it's your default browser?
You can also try launching not an email, but the client (e.g. Firefox) and send the URL as a parameter, as you would in the Run dialog.
I have added this to the path "C:\Program Files\VERITAS\Cluster Manager\bin\ClusterManager.exe" but when I clik the icon nothing happens?
Hmm, try doubling the \ character, like this:
C:\\Program Files\\VERITAS\\Cluster Manager\\bin\\ClusterManager.exe
Still nothing after doubling the "\" character. WHat's interesting is none of the "shortcut" gadgets will work for me.?
I think this fails becuse of the start in variable" The target for the shortcut on the desktop is ""C:\Program Files\VERITAS\Cluster Manager\bin\ClusterManager.exe" but the "Start in:" shows "C:\Program Files\VERITAS\Cluster Manager\lib"
Hmm, that's strange. I would also try with / instead of \ maybe it works. Other than that i don't know solutions :S Normally it works with the default settings.
Hi Teo, I love this gadget and its so versitile! Only one thing: I can't find the right path for Microsoft Word. I can get it to go to the Office link page, but not straight to Word. Any ideas?
Hi Judith,
try typing this into the path:
msword
I love this gadget. My only problem is changing the icons. I can't find an icon for Word or Powerpoint. Where are they located?
Hi, if you can't find them in the installation folders, you can surely find them on the web. For example, you can try an image search for small images with the program name as the query.
How do you get your person things on it? (Like right click, choose....,etc.)
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