The typical method for opening a folder involves finding the folder, then opening the folder itself. Depending on how many folders deep your desired folder is, this can take quite a few clicks to get to. Your other option is to create a shortcut on your desktop. You still have to locate the folder hidden among all the other icons located on your desktop, unless of course you are the rare user with an uncluttered desktop.
Instead of clicking anything, create a keyboard shortcut. While many people install a separate program in order to create shortcuts, this presents a problem all its own. First, you have yet another application installed on your computer. If you remove the program, odds are your shortcuts will no longer work. Luckily, as a Windows user, you don’t have to install anything to create keyboard shortcuts to folders. This means no hunting icons or trying to dig through numerous folders for the one you want. The best part, it’s quick, easy and free to do.
Create Your Shortcut
Before I start, please note the steps were completed using Windows 7 64-bit. If any options appear differently, you are likely using a different operating system.
First, navigate to the folder you want to create the shortcut for. You must create a shortcut on your desktop before you can create a shortcut key. To do this, right click your folder and choose Send to and select Desktop. Close any folder windows you just opened so you can see your desktop quickly. You can also clear the screen quickly by pressing the Windows button near your spacebar along with D.
Locate the newly created shortcut on your desktop. It should be labeled FolderName-Shortcut. Right click the shortcut folder and select Properties. Open the Shortcut tab. Note if you try to add a shortcut key to a standard folder, the Shortcut tab is not available.
Place your cursor in the Shortcut key field. It should say None at the moment. This is where we encounter the hardest part of the process. Since many applications use shortcut keys, you must use something which isn’t going to conflict. Most application specific shortcut keys would only result in a problem if the application is open when you try to open the folder. However, some shortcuts are more universal, such as the shortcut for Select All , which is Ctrl+A.
To prevent any issues, test your desired shortcut key with no windows open on your desktop. If nothing happens, you can use the shortcut key. For best results, use a combination of common shortcut prefix keys, which include Shift, Ctrl and Alt, plus a letter.
When you are ready, ensure your cursor is in the box. Press the desired keyboard shortcut. You cannot simply type it. For instance, if you want to use the shortcut, Shift + Alt + T, press the combination and you will see it appear in the shortcut key box.
Save your changes by pressing OK. Test your shortcut key to ensure it works. If you delete the shortcut on your desktop, the shortcut key no longer works.
Reduce Clutter
If you want to create numerous shortcuts, your desktop will get cluttered rather quickly. To prevent this, create a new folder on your desktop. Before you create a single keyboard shortcut, place the shortcut folders in this single folder. Open your new folder, right click each shortcut folder and create your keyboard shortcuts. Once you close the main folder, all your shortcuts still work. However, you must place the shortcut folder in the main folder first.