Creating Shortcuts to Your Apps and Files

  • Article

 

Creating shortcuts on your Pocket PC and getting them to appear where you want them can be a bit tricky. No problem now. This article, part one of my "shortcut trilogy" will show you how to create shortcuts to files or applications. In the next two parts, Creating Shortcuts to Feature Settings and Shortcut Placement, I'll show you how to create special shortcuts, as well as where to place them so they're most useful for you. This is part one of a three part article. Please check back daily for part two and three.

Applies to:
   Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC 2000
   Microsoft ActiveSync
   An active connection with a desktop computer

Languages Supported

All languages are supported.

Creating Your New Application Shortcut

Shortcuts are quick ways to get to the programs and documents that you use most often.

To create a new shortcut on your Pocket PC, you begin the process from your desktop computer while your device is connected via ActiveSync. The process is straightforward. To create a shortcut, for example, to the built-in Microsoft Windows Calculator application, just follow these steps:

  1. From the ActiveSync toolbar select the Explore button, second from the right. Alternatively, you can select Explore from the File menu.
  2. When Windows Explorer loads, navigate to \My Pocket PC, then to the device's \Windows folder and locate the program calc.exe. Select the calc.exe program.
  3. With calc.exe still highlighted, from the Edit menu, select Copy.
  4. Navigate to the location where you want the shortcut to reside. For this example, we will use the \Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder on your device.
  5. Select Paste Shortcut from the Windows Explorer Edit menu. This will paste your new shortcut as "Shortcut to calc.exe" into the current folder.
  6. Now we need to give your shortcut a unique, identifiable name. With your new shortcut selected, you can press the F2 key, or you can select Rename from the Windows Explorer File menu (or, if you prefer use your right mouse button to access the Rename function). Rename the shortcut to anything of your liking. For the purposes of this article, let's rename it "My Calculator."

Start/Programs with newly created "My Calculator" shortcut.

Taadaa... You now have a new shortcut named "My Calculator" (see the Figure). Hmmmm... I bet you're wondering where you should place it for optimal usage. I know just the place. I explain shortcut placement in part three of my Trilogy, Shortcut Placement. Check it out.

Gotchas

Third-Party Tools that May Be Helpful

I've shown you how to create shortcuts with the tools provided on your Pocket PC. To edit and maintain them, here are some links to third-party tools to help you. Grundle Software Explorer offers one tool, which is currently in beta. To use the shortcut editing features you must own a registered copy of the product.

The Resco Remote Solutions product called Resco File Explorer enables you to create new shortcuts on your Pocket PC without the use of your PC. It cannot edit existing shortcuts.

Conclusion

As I've indicated, I rely heavily on my shortcuts. It makes what I do each day easier. In part two of my shortcut Trilogy, Creating Shortcuts to Feature Settings, I will show you how to create shortcuts to often-used settings.