One common thing that all computer users must do is launch programs. To make this as easy as possible, users find different ways of making their most commonly used programs more accessible.

The All Programs menu

One not-so-convenient way is to use the built-in Program Files menu. In Windows XP this is accomplished by clicking the Start button on the Taskbar, then clicking "All Programs." A list of all installed programs then appears. Because the items in this list are automatically generated every time a program is installed, and because it is not so easy to organize this list, most users let it get out of control, so that it either extends in three or four menus across the whole screen, or so that it scrolls endlessly up or down through myriad items, depending on how their program menu is configured to work.

Another way to get at your programs, which is also not very convenient, is to open up "My Computer" (this icon is usually found on the desktop), then open up the C drive, then open up "Program Files", then locate the folder that contains the program you want, and finally double-click the program executable. Clearly, this is not a viable procedure for everyday use.

Icons on the Desktop

One better method is to create a shortcut icon on the desktop for all of the commonly used programs. However, this too soon gets out of hand, and I have seen computer desktops literally crowded with icons that cover the whole desktop area. This may work for some people, provided their icons don't get rearranged, but it certainly is not beautiful, and is distracting with its intense busy-ness. You wouldn't organize your physical desk this way, would you? Furthermore, if the icons happen to get re-arranged, then it is no longer an easy task to find the one desired. Another disadvantage is that these icons are all hidden when programs are open, so it takes some work to access them.

The Quick Launch bar

Yet another method is to use the "Quick Launch" bar on the taskbar. This is usually turned on, but if not, can be activated by right-clicking the taskbar, choosing "Toolbars" and then "Quick Launch." Quick Launch is a sizable area just to the right of the Start button. Shortcuts to programs can be put here, with the advantage that they take up little space, and only require a single-click to execute. However, this too can get out of hand. I have seen computers where the Quick Launch area was so big, it took up half of the taskbar, which leaves so little room for the taskbar buttons (that indicate open programs) that they became unreadable. Or on some systems, the taskbar had to be resized to fill two rows in order to accomodate all the Quick Launch icons.

Any system of dealing with program shortcuts that becomes too complicated, soon defeats the purpose of speed and simplicity. A menu of 50 to 100 programs, is a burden to navigate and a pain to maintain. And if screen real estate has to be sacrificed to accomodate the system, this also hinders productivity.

I want to propose another system. This system can leave the desktop clean and uncluttered, does not crowd the taskbar, is always available no matter how many programs are open, and requires only a small bit of initial maintenance. Interested? Then read on!

The Run dialog

A feature built in to Windows (from Windows 95 all the way to XP), is the Run dialog. This can be accessed by clicking the Start button and then choosing "Run," but is most easily accessed by clicking the key combination: Windows key + R. The Windows key is found on most modern keyboards, and is usually between the Ctrl and Alt keys. Hold it down and press the R key (no need to use capitals). A dialog appears. In this dialog you can type the name of a program, a file, or a folder, and Windows will attempt to launch it. However, this only works if Windows can find the file. But there are some paths in the Windows file system which are automatically searched. These include:

1. The root of "C" drive.
2. The "Windows" directory.
3. The "Windows\System" directory.
4. The "Windows\System32" directory.

"Windows\System" was originally the main directory for system-related files, back in the days of Windows 95 and 98. Windows XP prefers the Windows\System32 directory. So the Windows\System directory is a convenient place to put shortcuts to our commonly-used programs (at least with 32-bit Windows, which includes Windows NT, 2000, and XP).

A shortcut is a link that points to something else: either a program, file, or folder. It does not have to have the same name as the item it is pointing to. So, I can create a shortcut to my email program, and simply call it "email". Or, I can create a shortcut to my web-browser and call it "web". The shorter the better, because it is easier to remember.

To set up this quick launch system using the Run dialog, you must first create shortcuts to your commonly used programs and then put them in the Windows\System directory. Once this is done, they can be invoked from the Run dialog, quickly and easily. This also means that if you install a new program, you have to remember to copy a shortcut to it to the Windows\System directory. A minor chore, but one that only takes a minute, and only needs to be performed once.

This is handy for those of us who can type well, because we do not need to take our hands off the keyboard to grab for the mouse. It is also very useful for laptop computers, where navigation by trackball, pointer, or touchpad is slow and cumbersome. It is clean and lean, and frees up the desktop and Quick Launch area only for those things that are really needed. The Desktop area is best reserved for projects that are currently being worked on, so that only work that requires immediate attention is there, getting your attention like it should. Quick Launch is best used (if at all) for programs that are used every day, such as internet, email, and word-processing. You don't need all those media players in Quick Launch, such as QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Real Player, etc., since these will generally run as they are needed by their specific media files.

Welcome to the Run dialog! Become acquainted with it, and make it your friend, and your reward will be a smoothly running, uncluttered system, with the tools you need literally at your fingertips.