Microsoft Windows XP Unleashed

• Within the Programs folder and its subfolders, you can drag existing shortcuts from

one folder to another.

• To create a new shortcut, drag the executable file and drop it inside the folder you

want to use. Remember that if you want to create a shortcut for a document or

other nonexecutable file, right-drag the file and then select Create Shortcut(s) Here

when you drop the file.

• You can create your own folders within the Programs folder hierarchy and they’ll

appear as submenus within the All Programs menu.

• You can rename a shortcut the same way you rename any file.

• You can delete a shortcut the same way you delete any file.

Working with All Programs Menu Shortcuts Directly

Many of the chores listed in the previous section are more easily performed by working

directly within the All Programs menu itself. That is, you open the All Programs menu,

find the shortcut you want to work with, and then use any of these techniques:

• Drag the shortcut to another section of its current menu

• Drag the shortcut to another menu or to the Recycle Bin

• Right-click the shortcut and then select a command (such as Delete) from the

context menu

Customizing the Taskbar for Easier Program and

Document Launching

In Windows XP, the taskbar acts somewhat like a mini-application. The purpose of this

“application” is to display a button for each running program and to enable you to

switch from one program to another. And like most applications these days, the

taskbar also has its own toolbars that, in this case, enable you to launch programs and

documents.

Displaying the Built-In Taskbar Toolbars

In Service Pack 2, the Windows XP taskbar comes with five default toolbars:

Address This toolbar contains a text box into which you can type a local address

(such as a folder or file path), a network address (a UNC path), or an

Internet address. When you press Enter or click the Go button, Windows

XP loads the address into Windows Explorer (if you entered a local or

network folder address), an application (if you entered a file path), or

Internet Explorer (if you entered an Internet address). In other words,

this toolbar works just like the Address Bar used by Windows Explorer

and Internet Explorer.

CHAPTER 10 Customizing the Windows XP Interface244

Links This toolbar contains several buttons that link to predefined Internet

sites. This is the same as the Links toolbar that appears in Internet

Explorer.

Windows Media Player This toolbar contains controls for playing media. When you activate this

toolbar, it appears when you minimize the Windows Media Player

window.

Quick Launch This is a collection of one-click icons that launch Internet Explorer or

Media Player, or clear the desktop. Other applications—such as Microsoft

Office—also add icons to this toolbar.

Desktop This toolbar contains all the desktop icons, as well as an icon for Internet

Explorer and submenus for My Documents, My Computer, and My

Network Places.

To toggle these toolbars on and off, you must first right-click an empty spot on the

taskbar. In the shortcut menu that appears, click Toolbars and then click the toolbar you

want to work with.

Setting Some Taskbar Toolbar Options

After you’ve displayed a toolbar, there are a number of options you can set to customize

the look of the toolbar and to make the toolbars easier to work with. Right-click an empty

section of the toolbar and then click one of the following commands:

View This command displays a submenu with two options: Large Icons and

Small Icons. These commands determine the size of the toolbar’s icons.

For example, if a toolbar has more icons than can be shown given its

current size, switch to the Small Icons view.

Show Text This command toggles the icon titles on and off. If you turn on the titles,

it makes it easier to decipher what each icon does, but you’ll see fewer

icons in a given space.

Show Title This command toggles the toolbar title (displayed to the left of the

icons) on and off.

Creating New Taskbar Toolbars

In addition to the predefined taskbar toolbars, you can also create new toolbars that

display the contents of any folder on your system. For example, if you have a folder of

programs or documents that you launch regularly, you can get one-click access to those

items by displaying that folder as a toolbar. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Right-click an empty spot on the toolbar, and then click Toolbars, New Toolbar.

Windows XP displays the New Toolbar dialog box.

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