Create keyboard shortcut

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

I've never made a keyboard shortcut before, but the directions in the
Windows 7 Help and Support file are pretty simple. The trouble is, I
can't make a keyboard shortcut that works. I have tried with different
programs and different keys, but nothing works. Is there something that
has to be enabled somewhere?

 

[Chet]

I've never made a keyboard shortcut before, but the directions in the
Windows 7 Help and Support file are pretty simple. The trouble is, I
can't make a keyboard shortcut that works. I have tried with different
programs and different keys, but nothing works. Is there something that
has to be enabled somewhere?

Are you holding the Ctrl and Alt keys down when you press the third
key you assigned for the keyboard shortcut?

hth

 

[Ed Cryer]

Are you holding the Ctrl and Alt keys down when you press the third key
you assigned for the keyboard shortcut?

hth

I'd never done this before but it worked first time for me.
You place the cursor in the Shortcut Key box and hold down Ctrl + Alt;
those appear, and then you press the key you want. To remove it you hold
down Ctrl + Alt and let go, and then None appears.

Ed

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Are you holding the Ctrl and Alt keys down when you press the third
key you assigned for the keyboard shortcut?

Yes. The only way I can get a keyboard shortcut to work is if the
shortcut is pinned to the taskbar and the shortcut key assigned there.

 

[Ed Cryer]

Yes. The only way I can get a keyboard shortcut to work is if the
shortcut is pinned to the taskbar and the shortcut key assigned there.

I just navigated to a folder in Program Files(X86), right clicked on a
program and sent a shortcut to the desktop. On the shortcut I did the
assigning of a shortcut key just fine; tested it and then unassigned it
and deleted the shortcut.

Ed

 

[Char Jackson]

I just navigated to a folder in Program Files(X86), right clicked on a
program and sent a shortcut to the desktop. On the shortcut I did the
assigning of a shortcut key just fine; tested it and then unassigned it
and deleted the shortcut.

Was it required that you create a shortcut (on the desktop?) and
assign the hotkey to that shortcut? On XP, you can assign a hotkey to
an entry in the Start menu, (those aren't much more than shortcuts,
too, after all), which is how I've always done it.

 

[Ed Cryer]

Was it required that you create a shortcut (on the desktop?) and
assign the hotkey to that shortcut? On XP, you can assign a hotkey to
an entry in the Start menu, (those aren't much more than shortcuts,
too, after all), which is how I've always done it.

Nothing was required. I was responding to Crashe's comment above, and
that was the first thing that occurred to me to do.
You name another and I'll try it.

Ed

 

[Stan Brown]

I've never made a keyboard shortcut before, but the directions in the
Windows 7 Help and Support file are pretty simple. The trouble is, I
can't make a keyboard shortcut that works. I have tried with different
programs and different keys, but nothing works.

You cannot imagine how frustrating it is to read something like that.
I want to grab you by the shoulders, shake you, and yell, "Don't tell
me you tried various things! Tell me specifically what you tried!
And for heaven's sake don't just say 'nothing works'. What happened?
Did you get any error messages?" In troubleshooting, the details are
crucial, yet people routinely fail to provide them.

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Nothing was required. I was responding to Crashe's comment above, and
that was the first thing that occurred to me to do. You name another
and I'll try it.

I can successfully create shortcut keys from shortcuts on the desktop
(pinned to taskbar) or the Start menu. I cannot do it on a shortcut
created in a folder in Explorer, which is what I was initially trying to do.

 

[G. Morgan]

I can successfully create shortcut keys from shortcuts on the desktop
(pinned to taskbar) or the Start menu. I cannot do it on a shortcut
created in a folder in Explorer, which is what I was initially trying to do.

Just drag the little folder icon in the address bar into the folder
itself, drop and one will be created.

 

[Char Jackson]

Just drag the little folder icon in the address bar into the folder
itself, drop and one will be created.

One 'what' will be created?

 

[G. Morgan]

One 'what' will be created?

shortcut

 

[Char Jackson]

shortcut

But he doesn't want a shortcut, he wants a hotkey (even though he
calls it a shortcut key).

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

But he doesn't want a shortcut, he wants a hotkey (even though he
calls it a shortcut key).

I call it a shortcut key because that is what Microsoft calls a keyboard
shortcut in the shortcut properties. Nowhere in the help documents is it
called it a hotkey. A search for "hotkey" in the Help and Support
document yields referrals to keyboard shortcuts.

In any event, a keyboard shortcut created by creating a shortcut in
Explorer with an included shortcut key does not work. The shortcut has
to be dragged to or created on the desktop or the Start menu for the
shortcut key option to be operational.

 

[Ed Cryer]

I can successfully create shortcut keys from shortcuts on the desktop
(pinned to taskbar) or the Start menu. I cannot do it on a shortcut
created in a folder in Explorer, which is what I was initially trying to
do.

Same here with the Explorer option.
As far as I can see we only differ on one thing. I can get to an .exe
file in Explorer, right click, Send to Desktop (create shortcut), and
then create a hotkey from that desktop shortcut. But if I then cut it
from the desktop and paste it back into the folder, the hotkey doesn't work.

Ed

 

[Char Jackson]

Same here with the Explorer option.
As far as I can see we only differ on one thing. I can get to an .exe
file in Explorer, right click, Send to Desktop (create shortcut), and
then create a hotkey from that desktop shortcut. But if I then cut it
from the desktop and paste it back into the folder, the hotkey doesn't work.

As far as I can tell, the two of you are saying the same thing.
Hotkeys apparently only work from the desktop (including the taskbar)
and the Start menu.

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

As far as I can tell, the two of you are saying the same thing.

Exactly. The only difference is that I create the shortcut in the folder
by right clicking and selecting "Create shortcut" instead of "Send to
desktop" then copying it back. (I removed the "send to desktop" option
on my computer.)

Hotkeys apparently only work from the desktop (including the taskbar)
and the Start menu.

Which is annoying if you want to use a hotkey instead of, not in
addition to, a clickable icon.

 

[Char Jackson]

Exactly. The only difference is that I create the shortcut in the folder
by right clicking and selecting "Create shortcut" instead of "Send to
desktop" then copying it back. (I removed the "send to desktop" option
on my computer.)


Which is annoying if you want to use a hotkey instead of, not in
addition to, a clickable icon.

Agreed, it's annoying. I don't suppose you'd consider using a third
party tool to accomplish your goal? (That's annoying too! It should
just work.)

Oh, and thanks for letting me call it a hotkey but if the official
name is Shortcut Key then I suppose we should stick to that.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I call it a shortcut key because that is what Microsoft calls a keyboard
shortcut in the shortcut properties. Nowhere in the help documents is it
called it a hotkey. A search for "hotkey" in the Help and Support
document yields referrals to keyboard shortcuts.

In any event, a keyboard shortcut created by creating a shortcut in
Explorer with an included shortcut key does not work. The shortcut has
to be dragged to or created on the desktop or the Start menu for the
shortcut key option to be operational.

That's a clue. It seems to indicate that the special properties of the
Desktop and the Start Menu include the ability for the OS to find and
parse shortcut keys, in contrast to the properties of ordinary folders.

IOW, it's by design. Sadly...

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Agreed, it's annoying. I don't suppose you'd consider using a third
party tool to accomplish your goal? (That's annoying too! It should
just work.)

No. I can live with the annoyance. I only posted originally because I
didn't know about it. My first attempt at creating a keyboard shortcut
(hotkey) was the kind that didn't work. Now I know why and how to work
around it, so mission accomplished.

Oh, and thanks for letting me call it a hotkey but if the official
name is Shortcut Key then I suppose we should stick to that.

I have no problem with hotkey. I just wanted to use the official
Microsoft nomenclature when posting the question.