Microsoft Windows Taskbar Shortcuts

Put Your Windows Taskbar on Steroids
Copyright 2002 By Ramey Bell

If you use your computer as much as I do, then you're probably always looking for ways to save a few clicks here and there, or improve your productivity in Windows. The Windows taskbar is no exception. Have you "tweaked" it like the rest of your system?

Before I share my experience with customizing the taskbar I must warn you. You may have to change your semi-religious thinking that the taskbar must live at the bottom of the screen, and that it should never be resized :O)
Here are the steps:

1. Click on an empty portion of the taskbar, hold down your left mouse button and drag it to the top of the screen. Think about it: You spend 90% of your time on the top of the screen clicking on menus, buttons, and minimizing windows. Why cruise all the way down to the bottom?
2. Now hover your cursor on the bottom line of the taskbar until it turns into double arrows, and drag the taskbar down until it is twice the size.
3. Move the toolbar containing your minimized windows buttons to the top row if it's not there already. Note that the toolbars all contain a vertical line on the left end, which you can click and drag to move in any direction.
4. Right click on an empty area, select toolbars and check address. Place it on the second row all the way to the left.
5. Download a freeware program called Command Prompt Bar at http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ruindivision/. After installation, right click again to reach the toolbars menu and select it's entry. Place this toolbar in the middle of the second row.
6. Select toolbars again and this time select new toolbar. Click on My Documents in the window provided. It should show up on the second row on the right. Slide this toolbar all the way to the right. See what happens when you click on the two small arrows?

That's all there is to it! Now type in website addresses without having to launch your browser first, launch DOS commands without looking for the DOS shortcut, and access your documents with one click. You now have more room for icons on the quick launch bar and system tray as well.

It may take some getting used to, but it's well worth the effort.

It never hurts to save a few thousand clicks a year! :O)
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About the Author
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Ramey Bell is the editor of "inboxMagazine", a free internet guide to interesting sites, software, tips, and technology. To read the latest issue, please visit http://www.inboxmagazine.com. To subscribe, send an e-mail to subscribe@inboxmagazine.com