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ABC ~ All
'Bout Computers
The Online Web-azine for Computer
Enthusiasts
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Put Your Windows Taskbar on Steroids
~ by Ramey Bell
Editor, "inboxMagazine"
If you use your computer as much as I do, then
you're probably always looking for ways to save a few clicks here and there,
or improve your productivity in Windows. The Windows taskbar is no
exception. Have you "tweaked" it like the rest of your system?
Before I share my experience with customizing the taskbar I must warn you.
You may have to change your semi-religious thinking that the taskbar must
live at the bottom of the screen, and that it should never be resized :^)
Here's the steps in no particular order:
1.Click on an empty portion of the taskbar, hold down your left mouse button
and drag it to the top of the screen. Think about it: You spend 90% of your
time on the top of the screen clicking on menus, buttons, and minimizing
windows. Why cruise all the way down to the bottom?
2. Now hover your cursor on the bottom line of the taskbar until it turns
into double arrows, and drag the taskbar down until it is twice the size.
3. Move the toolbar containing your minimized windows buttons to the top row
if it's not there already. Note that the toolbars all contain a vertical
line on the left end, which you can click and drag to move in any direction.
4. Right click on an empty area, select toolbars and check address. Place it
on the second row all the way to the left.
5. Download a freeware program called Command Prompt Bar at
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/ruindivision/. After installation, right
click again to reach the toolbars menu and select it's entry. Place this
toolbar in the middle of the second row.
6. Select toolbars again and this time select new toolbar. Click on My
Documents in the window provided. It should show up on the second row on the
right. Slide this toolbar all the way to the right. See what happens when
you click on the two small arrows?
That's all there is to it! Now type in website addresses without having to
launch your browser first, launch DOS commands without looking for the DOS
shortcut, and access your documents with one click. You now have more room
for icons on the quick launch bar and system tray as well.
It may take some getting used to, but it's well worth the effort. It never
hurts to save a few thousand clicks a year! :O)Ramey Bell is the editor of "inboxMagazine",
a free internet guide to interesting sites, software, tips, and technology.
Visit the site to preview the current issue or to subscribe, at
http://www.inboxmagazine.com
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