Create a toolbar to smarten up your Desktop.

[Wigan]

If you have loads of shortcuts on your desktop, like me, the smartest way to hide them is to create a new toolbar. Like this;

 

 

First of all start off by creating a new folder in 'My Documents'. I've called mine 'Programs', but you can call it whatever you want.

 

 

 

I then had a look at what my Desktop shortcuts actually were and sorted them out in to different sub headings.

 

 

I created a new folder for each subheading and copied the shortcuts directly to that folder from the desktop (drag and drop being easiest).For example, in 'Google' I had the shortcuts to all my online Google services.

 

 

 

( For how to do this, see here: Create desktop shortcuts for Online services )

 

 

 

Now after I had finished sorting, I then closed 'My Documents' and right clicked on the toolbar next to the clock;

 

 

By choosing 'New Toolbar...' it automatically brings up a dialogue to search for a folder. Click the + next to My Documents and then select the folder in which you crated all your subheadings;

 

 

Press OK. Your toolbar has now been created and you can access all your shortcuts from one place, with less clutter.

 

Hope you find this tip useful.

 

Edited December 30, 2009 by Wigan

[TomGL2]

I also use this method, but with a minor variation.  Very limited space is available on the taskbar, so I dragged the new toolbar to the right edge of the screen to make it a "deskbar".  I resized the bar's width to accomodate the length of the shortcut names, then enabled Auto-Hide.  Moving the mouse to the extreme right causes the list to spring up.