Hello. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips still apply to older versions.  The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Windows Desktop – Create a shortcut for a desktop app

Perhaps you want a shortcut on your desktop to launch a frequently used app like Excel, Word, or any other app on your Start menu.

• Press Windows key to open the Start menu.
  • Tab to the all apps list and arrow through the list of apps to highlight the app you want and press the Applications key to open the context menu for the app.
• Choose Open file location, or if that isn’t present on the menu, open the More sub menu, and then choose Open file location.
• File Explorer opens at the location where the shortcut for the app is stored, and the shortcut to the app will be selected.
• Press the Applications key to open the shortcut’s context menu.
• From the context menu, choose the Send to sub menu, and choose Desktop (create shortcut).
• Press Alt + F4 to close File Explorer. A shortcut to the app is now present on your desktop.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.