Season’s Greetings!. 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– How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to the Documents Folder

In a previous tip, a general method was provided for creating desktop icons, but Windows also provides a way to create shortcuts through the Applications menu on certain items. For example, it is very helpful to have a desktop shortcut to open your Documents folder. To accomplish this:

• Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
• Arrow down to your Documents folder but don’t open it. Instead, press the Applications key or Shift+F10. A context menu opens for the Documents folder.
• Arrow down to the context menu’s Create Shortcut item and press Enter.
• You will be informed that a shortcut to the Documents folder cannot be created here, and you will be asked if you want to place it on the desktop. This is precisely what we want, so TAB to the Yes button and press spacebar to activate it. Your Desktop will now have a shortcut icon to the Documents folder.
• Press Alt+F4 to close the File Explorer program.
• Return to the Desktop by pressing Windows+M. You may want to add the Control+Alt+D keyboard hot key to activate your new desktop Documents shortcut.
• Press D multiple times until you reach the new Documents shortcut icon.
• Press Alt+Enter to open the properties dialogue for the Documents shortcut.
• TAB to the shortcut field and type the letter, D. Just type the single letter D because Windows will automatically add the Control+Alt keys.
• TAB to the OK button and press spacebar to activate.

The Control+Alt+D hot key sequence has been attached to the desktop Documents icon. Now, to reach your Documents folder from anywhere, just press Control+Alt+D.

That’s it for this tip. Next tip is next year. See you in 2020!