CREATING A SHORTCUT - Windows 98/ME/XP
 

Note: A Shortcut is just an duplicate icon which makes it easy to start a program or open a file from another location (not its original location). You can freely delete these Shortcuts without losing the original program or file.

1) Open Windows Explorer by double-clicking on its icon on the desktop (or click on Start, then on Programs, then on Windows Explorer).

2) Make the window a little smaller by clicking on the "Restore" button , which is to the left of the Close button ( the "X" button) at the upper-right hand corner of the screen.

3) Scroll down and double-click on the "Windows" folder.

4) Double-click on the "Start Menu" folder.

5) Double-click on the "Programs" folder.

6) Scroll down and find the program folder, e.g., Family Tree Maker, which contains the program that you want to make a Shortcut to.

7) Click and drag the icon for the program (usually it’s the most colorful icon in that folder and looks like the logo for that program.) with the right mouse button to an empty spot on the desktop where all of your other icons are.

8) When you let go of the right mouse button, you should see a small menu that says:

Move Here

Copy Here

Create Shortcut(s) Here

Cancel.

9) Click on Create Shortcut(s) Here with the left or right mouse button.

10) Close Windows Explorer. Click and drag the new Shortcut with the left mouse button to wherever you want it to be on the desktop.

Note: In step 7 above, you can replace "program" with "file" (i.e., a document, letter, Quicken file, etc.) or even "folder". In other words, you can drag the icon for any file or folder to the desktop, too, to make a Shortcut that opens that file or folder.

Remember: If you delete the Shortcut, you will still have the original program, file, or folder on the hard disk (or removable disk). However, if you delete the original program, file, or folder from your hard disk (or removable disk), the shortcut will no longer work, so you should delete the Shortcut.