Windows XP Hacks

Launch Applications with Command-Line Shortcuts

Launch applications quickly and customize what they do when they run, by using command-line shortcuts, parameters, and switches.

Windows is a graphical operating system, but a lot of times all these pretty icons, menus, and clicking get in the way of getting work done. That’s particularly true when you want to launch applications.

I started computing in the days of DOS, when real men and women didn’t use mice and icons. (Sometimes because it wasn’t an option.) So, I look for any chance I can get to use the command line, particularly when doing so saves me time and lets me take more control of my computer.

That’s why I frequently launch applications using command-line shortcuts, along with parameters and switches. Parameters and switches let you customize the way programs launch. They’re usually specific to each individual program, though some work on many or all programs.

An even bigger time-saver is to use the command line along with keyboard shortcuts. That way, you can press a key combination—such as Ctrl-Alt-W, for example—and launch Microsoft Word with a new document open, based on a specific template.

Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Running Applications

You’ll first, create a desktop shortcut to the application, and then you’ll customize the shortcut so that it launches when you use a specific key combination. Right-click on the Desktop and choose New → Shortcut. Enter or browse to the filename of the application for which you ...