Creating HotKeys in Windows 8

I recently found myself missing a feature I often used in Windows 7 for tagging hotkeys to the start menu icons. This allows for someone like myself, who prefers the keyboard, to open applications with a simple keyboard command.

As an example:

1. Go to the start menu in Windows 7.
2. Find a program such as CALCULATOR.
3. Right click on it, then select PROPERTIES.
   1. You should now see top tab menu for SHORTCUT and an option for SHORTCUT KEY.
4. Click into the shortcut key text box and press the ‘C’ key on your keyboard. This will now fill in the line with CONT+ALT+C.
5. Click OK.

You can now press CONT+ALT+C from anywhere and the calculator program will pop right up!

The trouble is, I would like to do this with Windows 8 and don’t have the same option for properties under the new start menu. I do, however, have an option for OPEN FILE LOCATION. So here is how you do this in Windows 8:

1. Press the WINDOWS KEY on your keyboard.
2. Type in the name CALC (you simply do this while looking at the start menu screen.)
   1. You should now get a list of programs that have the name CALC in them.
3. RIGHT CLICK on the calculator program and select OPEN FILE LOCATION.
   1. You should now see the shortcut to the program in Windows Explorer.
4. Right click on the shortcut and select the PROPERTIES menu option.
5. Select the SHORTCUT tab.
6. Click into the SHORTCUT KEY text line with your mouse and press the ‘C’ key on your keyboard.
   1. This should now auto fill in the line with CONT+ALT+C.

Done! Click OK and go back to your desktop. You should now be able to hold down the Control and Alt Keys, and then tap the C key on your keyboard to open the Calculator program.

I have found it nice to setup shortcuts for Word, Excel, Calculator, as well as Notepad. (The main thing I use the notepad program for is when the phone rings, and I can’t find a piece of paper to take a message. I will use this instead as it loads very quickly and I tend to just print the note and then close the program.)

I hope this helps you keyboard people avoid some mouse clicking!