+1
The Explorer trick can be used to pin practically any item to the task bar, including folders.
There is no need to explicitly prefix "explorer" with "%windir%", nor do you need to suffix "explorer" with ".exe" for the target. Simply typing "explorer" before a pathname will do, and you've got a pin-able shortcut file.
Pyprohly,
I agree - the extra stuff need not be there. Ir was a copy/paste from Windows' stock shortcut for Windows Explorer:
...but that is not why I'm posting.
MourningStar,
You might also consider assigning a shortcut key to your pinned shortcut. That way, if your hands are already on the keyboard, you can launch your screensaver shortcut without reaching for the mouse.
I use the Win key + L to lock the computer. Combined with a setting within this clock utility, locking the computer turns the monitor off.
That would be an idea... if Windows allowed shortcuts' hotkeys to function outside the "%userprofile%\Desktop" or "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu" folder hierarchies. While pinned, for the shortcut hotkey to work you'd have to hardlink your shortcut to one of these locations first.
My testing indicates that the shortcut key (shown below) works for a shortcut pinned to the taskbar:
No hardlinks required
My testing indicates that the shortcut key (shown above) fails for a shortcut in the Quick Launch folder.
P.S. the quotation marks are not needed around the path to this particular screensaver because there is no space in the path or file name. The quotation marks are there because I used shift+right-click and "copy as path" to put the path into the Windows clipboard. Windows wrapped the path in quotation marks
Last edited by UsernameIssues; 10 Dec 2015 at 12:03.
^^
You, who provide these helpful and awesome ideas/solutions, are the few and true stars of this site, thank you!
Question : Is there a chart/table-type file in my machine somewhere that tells me the names of all the keys?
-thx
I'm not sure what kind of a list you are looking for. Here is a list of some keys used by the OS: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/126449 I'm not sure if there is an easy way to enumerate/list user assigned shortcut keys (e.g. like Ctrl + Alt + B shown in my earlier screenshot). I usually try a key combo before assigning it to a shortcut.
perhaps it is simpler than I understand. Can a single key be a shortcut? or is a combination of two or more mandatory in order to avoid redefining the single keystroke's original definition? It appears that in the example you provided you simply used the keyname that is printed/etched on the key itself.
As far as I know, the operating system will not allow you to assign a single key as a "Shortcut key" within the shortcut's properties. When you select (click in or tab to) the field named "Shortcut key", you can then press the desired letter. (For my example, I pressed the letter B.) The operating system should automatically add the "Ctrl + Alt" modifier keys. I'm not sure if it is possible to use any other key combo in that field (e.g. Shift + Alt + B).
That said, I use AutoIt scripts to assign single keys to some repetitive actions. Once I'm thru doing those actions, I end the script and that single key returns to its normal function.
Thank you UsernameIssues - that helps my understanding.
You are welcome.
Enjoy your screensaver
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