Augie Techknowledge

If you are a Mac user, please refer to the next entry: Creating a Desktop Alias.

Would you like to be able to create a desktop icon that would bring you directly to a website or computer program that you use daily? On Windows machines (PCs) this is called a “Shortcut” and it is relatively easy to create one yourself!

To Create a Shortcut to a Website:

1. Open up the website in your preferred web browser (at ITS we suggest Chrome)
   

   Go to the page you want a shortcut of

2. Select the URL (web address) by clicking on it once
   

   Click on the URL once

3. Copy the URL by pressing the keyboard combination ctrl + c
4. Minimize all open windows so that you can see your desktop
5. Right Click on your desktop and go to New –> Shortcut

   

   Right click, "New", "Shortcut"

6. Paste the URL that you copied in step 3 into the provided field by clicking on it and then pressing the keyboard combination ctrl + v. Then click “Next”
   

   Paste URL in provided field and click "Next"

7. Name your shortcut
8. Click Finish

To Create a Shortcut to a Program:

Note: Before you start this process, make sure that you can see your desktop. If you cannot, make sure to minimize or close the windows that are obscuring your desktop before you proceed.

1. Click on the “Start” menu and then go to “All Programs”
   

   All Programs in the Start Menu

2. Navigate to the program that you would like a short cut for, then click and drag it to your desktop
3. Click and drag to move the shortcut where you would like it to be