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Do you have a favorite program that is used daily and is not on the Desktop? It's so convenient to just double click the Icon that represents your regularly used programs.
Some programs will give you the option of installing a shortcut Icon on the Desktop during the installation but, not always. If you would like to put a shortcut to your program on the Desktop, here's how.
With Windows 3.1 you cannot create a Icon directly on the Desktop. Instead it has to be put into a Program Group. To do this, highlight or make active the Program Group that you want your programs Icon in. Next, Pull down the "File" Menu Bar at the top left corner and highlight "New".
Here you have two choices, pick "Program Item". A Program Item Properties box will open at this point with four empty boxes. Type the programs name in the Description box.
Now go to Browse and select the drive, subdirectory and command file of your program. Press OK and you will return to Program Item Properties. Press OK and your program should now be represented by a Icon.
You can also change the Icon by going back to the File menu bar and selecting Properties and Change Icon. With Win95 it is a bit of a different operation and you can put the Icon directly on the Desktop.
To do this simply place the mouse pointer anywhere on the Desktop, except on an Icon. Hold the right mouse button down and a Options box should appear. Pick New and then Shortcut. As with Win 3.1 hit the Browse button and select the drive, subdirectory and file command. Press Open,
Next then Finish and your program should now be on the Desktop. If you are not satisfied with the Icon press the right mouse button whilethe pointer is on Icon. Go to Properties, Shortcut and Change Icon.
For the more experienced Win95 users there is a way to remove the arrow from the lower left corner of the Win95 Icon, but it requires editing the Registry.
To do this run REGEDIT.EXE
findHKEY.CLASSES_ROOT expand it and
look for \INKFILE and \PIFFILE.
In each you will find a string named "ISSHORTCUT".
Remove it from both and restart.
As always when editing the Registry make backups before starting. Also, one thing you should know is that anything added to the Desktop robs system resources. That is why a full Desktop results in a sluggish running computer.
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