Easy Access to Windows Utility Applications

Easy Access to Windows Utility Applications


Applies to: Windows versions 7, 8, & 10.


Overview:

Many of the utility applications that come installed with Windows are not the easiest to locate and open; and to compound things, you don’t use these applications often enough to remember how to open them. The utility applications I am referring to are ones such as: Device Manager, Task Manager, Registry Editor, WordPad, Notepad, Event Viewer, Command Prompt, and many, many more; and also include many different Windows Settings pages. Yes, you can use the Search function of the Start menu each time you want to use one of these utility applications, but in the same amount of time to perform the search you can set that application up to be one click away for anytime you need it in the future. What follows are instructions to make a faster and easier way to open any utility application that you will use more than once; and you decide which applications.

To accomplish this you will need to:
 For each utility application that you think you will use more than once, create a shortcut using the Run command for that application.
 Place all these shortcuts in a folder.
 Create a new toolbar with the above folder containing the shortcuts.
 No matter what you have on the Desktop, click this toolbar on the Task Bar to show all shortcuts in that folder so you can click the one you want and that application will open.
Detailed instructions follow.


Easy Access to Windows Utility Applications

Step 1 – Create Folder
Create a folder to store the shortcuts in. Keep the name simple and short. Short names will take up less space on Task Bar or in the tier. I named mine “Utility Apps”. Place this folder where ever you want. I already have my data storage drive (D:\) as a toolbar on the Task Bar, so all I did was add this “Utility Apps” folder to that drive. The Utility Apps folder shows with other folders in the tier of that drive. So, I click the D:\ drive toolbar, hold the pointer over “Utility Apps” folder to display all the shortcuts in that folder, and click the shortcut for the application I want to open.

Step 2 – Create Shortcuts
Create the shortcut for each application you want as follows:
1️⃣ In the folder created above, right click and select New>Shortcut
2️⃣ In the box under Type the location of the item: enter the Run command for that application. Refer to Run Commands for Windows (different posting in this section) for a list of Run commands for most utility applications and settings pages. For an example I will use the Run command to open Device Manager which is devmgmt.msc. Press the Next button once the Run command has been entered.
3️⃣ Enter the application name for the name of the shortcut. In my example the name will be Device Manager.
4️⃣ Press the Finish button to save the shortcut you made.
5️⃣ Repeat for each utility application you think that you might use more than once. Review all run commands for other functions you might want one click away. I have one shortcut for a Command Prompt in Administrator’s mode with only one click…no UAC confirmation window.


Step 3 – Create Toolbar
1️⃣ Right click a blank area on the Task Bar and select Toolbars>New Toolbar… to open the new toolbar explorer view.
2️⃣ Proceed to the location of the folder you created that is holding the shortcuts and select that folder.
3️⃣ The new toolbar bearing the name of the folder will be on the right side of the Task Bar next to the running applications icons. Click the double arrow (») to the right of the folder name to expand the content in list above the Task Bar. Clicking one of the shortcuts will cause that application to open.


The method above will save you time and hassle when the need arises to use one of those applications.