Windows 7: shortcuts that open more than one "thing"

I'm wondering if it's possible to create or modify shortcuts that will open more than one thing.
For instance I would like to open "tech overview" from my computer and it would open:
1: Control Panel
2: Manage Computer
3: System
4: Device Manager

and hopefully I would be able to add or remove things from the list to make it even more modified over time



Another example would be to open "my website" from my computer and it would open:
1: explorer view of camera shot images
2: explorer view of htdocs for the website
3: explorer view of images directory
4: explorer view of recent downloads
5: dreamweaver

You can put a shortcut to all of those in one folder on your desktop, but you would still have to click on each one individually to open it.

You could probably do it easily with a macro if you had a little programming skill.

This would be possible with a batch file

As long as the process can be opened by use of the run prompt

Simply open notepad and add a line for each command

when complete save the file with a .BAT extension - save the file where you need it and create a shortcut to the batch file

much more can be done with these little gems a good basic guide is here ...


The Windows Command Line, Batch Files, and Scripting- Using the Command Shell

Oh one way to find the correct command line entry for an item is to check the properties of the normal shortcut to the item

use notepad to create a file on your desktop and name it openem.bat. Make sure the filetype is ".bat" (not ".txt")

use notepad to enter the following 5 lines in the file

start control
start compmgmt.msc
start sysdm.cpl
start devmgmt.msc
exit

then save the file to the desktop. Each time you then click it, it will open your 4 programs

Awesome John... Is there a way to have the script open up two Explorer windows auto-positioned in a side by side format?

Thank-you very much for that sample file johnhoh.
This little batch file will reside on my tech USB stick, which will not drive me as mad teching clients machines now!
When you look at those four windows open in windows, it makes me realize that all those things are located in disparate locations on peoples systems.
Like "system properties" isn't found in "system" but rather by uh, I can't even find it right now...

and management is found by right clicking on "my computer" huh? People don't go around right clicking on everything in site hoping to find hidden menus!

All this stuff should be in "System TECH".
Instead over time all this stuff has been jumbled in with other not-very-tech stuff.

I was hoping that Windows 7 would create more isolation between "tech" and "user" with enhancements like that.

Yes. If you create a batch file like this:

start /b explorer c:\ati
cmdow ati /res
cmdow ati /mov 0 0
start /b explorer c:\temp
cmdow temp /res
cmdow temp /mov 640 0

this opens the explorer folders temp and ati with the ati folder postioned at the top left of your screen, and the temp folder positioned at the top right. (temp and ati happen to be on my hard drive)

I chose 640 because my resolution is 1280x960 so 640 is the middle of my screen. The cmdow /mov command is positioning the upper left pixel of your window, so "640 0" puts the left edge of this window at the center top of your screen. You will need the file cmdow.exe in your path. I put it in the windows folder. You can get it here:

CMDOW Commandline Window Utility for NT4/2000/XP/2003

it is a 32-bit utility but it works fine on my Windows 7/64bit system

is there a way to us the /tv command only on specific windows? i want to tile verticaly with cmdow, but i don't want all the windows in the task bar used, only the windows i have opening in the batch file?