[RandyG]

Ever frustrated having to minimize Windows to access those nifty shortcuts you have painstakingly created on your Desktop? Include Microsoft Office Startup in your Startup folder. This will open the Microsoft Toolbar upon Windows start. Right click on the bar, not any of the buttons, and you will see several options, one of which is Desktop. Make sure there is a check mark only next to the Desktop option. This displays all of the shortcuts that are located on your desktop. I set my Desktop toolbar to the far left of my screen, and the Taskbar at the bottom. I right-click them both and select Auto Hide, so they don't cramp my view.

To edit the Toolbar, right click, and select Customize. Select the Buttons tab to view all the shortcuts. Remove the check mark from those you don't use regularly, and move the others into logical groupings. Add a space between the groupings to separate them. On the View Tab, you can select Always on top. You can also select large icons, or the smaller ones.


You can also display toolbars in the Taskbar itself, but this tends to get crowded with multiple programs.

Hope you find this useful

[MikeV]

I think you've got the Office Startup app confused with the Office Shortcu Bar.

The Office Startup does nothing but make Office apps start faster.

Ths Shortcut bar is the one with the apps.

-M

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It is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.

Linux: The Ultimate NT Service Pack

[RandyG]

You know MikeV,

I thought that would be the case, but when I went to MSConfig, the only MS products that I had in Startup were Money Express and Office Startup. The normal program is Msoffice.exe, which could be found in Program Files/Microsoft Office/Office. I assumed that Osa9.exe (Office Startup)opened the shortcut bar as well. I even specifically checked so I would not make a fool out of myself! You can't cheat Fate

Ah well, my premise is sound, even if the methodology is flawed.


That does bring up an interesting question . . .how is the shortcut being started, if it's not showing up in msconfig's startup tab?

[MikeV]

Thst _is_ interesting...

It could be a Service that's running in the registry...

Wait, I just checked that. It's not... just a plain old shortcut in the startup folder (FWIW, I had Office Startup in my startup folder as well, but no shortcut bar.)

Interesting, in any event.

-M

------------------
It is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.

Linux: The Ultimate NT Service Pack

[Bryan]

And I hate to further this but the Desktop option on the taskbar was added as part of IE4.01

It's not a shortcut. It's a component of IE and nothing in the startup tasks cause it to appear or not appear.

[This message has been edited by bhesson (edited 09-01-2000).]

[RandyG]

thanx bhesson, but none of the startup info was about the taskbar option, and nobody mentioned that the taskbar option for desktop was a shortcut.

Maybe you could explain how the shortcut bar is being started at startup, even without an entry in any of the startup folders, or the startup tab in msconfig? You once said that msconfig lists all the startup applications, but it seems that something else is starting the shortcut bar.

thanx

[Bryan]

Ok, what shortcut bar are you talking about? Are you talking about if you right click on the Taskbar and select Toolbars>Desktop?

If that is what your referring to, then like I said, it's part of InternetExplorer desktop enhancements added with the introduction of 4.01

There is nothing that starts or does not start it. It's part of IE and is integrated into your Windows operating system. If you have Windows and IE(Version 4.01 or higher) then you will have a Toolbar option on the Taskbar.


BTW, I was going to just let it go, but then I saw you guys were discussing it today so I figured I would try to explain it. Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by bhesson (edited 09-01-2000).]

[RandyG]

As I said, the taskbar toolbar was thrown in at the end of my original statement to say that it also included a Desktop toolbar.

The query I am on about since MikeV pointed it out, concerns the MS Office shortcut bar, which, used to view Desktop instead of MS products, is a very useful toolbar. It is appearing at startup, even though I can find no reference in any Startup folder or in msconfig. I was wondering if you knew how it started up, without being located in any of the above.

[Bryan]

Sorry but I guess I have never seen the Bar your talking about. Good Luck.......

BTW, msconfig does show all of the startup groups including any registry RunServices tasks.

[This message has been edited by bhesson (edited 09-01-2000).]

[RandyG]

No, Maybe it's my bad for assuming that the Microsoft Office Shortcut bar was standard with all MS packages. In fairness, I have only seen it in the Office Pro packages since, I believe, Office '95.

The shortcut bar is usually located at c:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/Office/Msoffice.exe and has, by default, a shortcut for all the MS applications that are loaded with Office Pro. You can change the toolbars that it displays, just as you can with the taskbar.


Since the shortcut bar is an application, it should need to be located in the startup folder, and msinfo startup tab, in order to start at windows beginning.

I'm sorry for making the assumption that evrybody knew what I was referring to, just because I am used to it.

[Bryan]

That may explain it since I have always just had the standard edition of Office97. Even so I probably still would not see it because I tend to use the custom install option when installing any software to avoid alot of stuff being added. I guess sometimes it may be a loss for me since I miss these addon's but I tend to like vanilla, if you know what I mean. Good luck......

[This message has been edited by bhesson (edited 09-01-2000).]

[MikeV]

bhesson: to see the desktop option of the Office shortcut bar, go into its properties, and I think it's the 3rd tab over, you can change the toolbar from "Office" to "Desktop" which will remove your Word/Excel/PPt stuff and put deskotp shortcuts on it instead.

-M

------------------
It is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.

Linux: The Ultimate NT Service Pack

[RonK]

How about the simple solution to see whats on the desktop without minimizing the window.
Drag the My Computer icon into the left side of the screen as far as it will go then release. The new toolbar will show up. Right click an open part of the menu and select Always On Top and Autohide.
Right click an open part of the toolbar or on the top (If it's full) and select Toolbar and add Desktop.
Now you can see everything thats on the Desktop and if you want to see whats in My Computer - double click My Computer on the top and there it is. The Desktop Menu will be at the bottom so if you want to see that one - just double click it . Add more toolbars if you want then just double click which ever one you want.
Why bother with MSOffice toolbar when there's one already there. All you've got to do is turn it on.
Forgot to mention - if you put a lot of crap in the toolbar , you can select Small Icons in the View menu of it.


[This message has been edited by RonK (edited 09-01-2000).]

Hi,

Guess I'm Lucky, cause with WIN98SE you get a Quick Launch Bar. Looks like the System Tray but resides next to the Start Button. It has a "Show Desktop" icon at default. You can Drag-Drop shortcuts to the Quick Launch Bar (and arrange them the way you want). Simply Right-Click-Delete the ones you dont want.

If it isn't "there", Right-Click Taskbar and select it.

Enjoy!
ebot[:-]