keyboard shortcut issue

cjmart

Member
I want a keyboard shortcut to a screensaver. I made a shortcut to the screensaver and saved it to my desktop. I then created a keyboard shortcut to this shortcut as I found these directions online. The issue is that this only works for me if the shortcut is left on my desktop, and I do not want it there. If I create it anywhere else or move it then it will not function unless it is double clicked and the keyboard shortcut part of it will not work. Any ideas? It would make more sense to me if you could create a keyboard shortcut to the original screensaver file but that is apparently not an option. I do not want to use windows key-L.
 

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Windows key-L is the logical choice, but as you don't want to use that let's check your methodology. Try checking out the order that you do these things (and how and from where you are creating the shortcuts). If you create the keyboard shortcut while the shortcut is on the destop, then when you move that file, they keyboard shortcut will no longer work because it does not change when you move the file. How do you expect the shortcut to work if not by double-clicking it wherever it is located (except perhaps quick launch or if you've programmed the mouse for single click activation)? And if it isn't going to be on the desktop and you have a keyboard shortcut for it, why would you ever need or want to use the shortcut icon itself?

Try the following in the order listed and see if that works any better for you (compliments of Ronnie Vernon, MVP):

All of the screen savers are located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. They have the .scr file extension. Go there in Windows Explorer and double click any of these files to start that screen saver and see which one you want to use. (So it is possible using the original file.)

When you find it, right click that file and save as a shortcut to the desktop. You can then place this shortcut wherever you wish, and then once it is where you want to save it, right click the shortcut and give it a unique keyboard shortcut (you can probably even use the one you originally selected as long as you delete the original keyboard shortcut and the shortcut icon you created).

If you have trouble with that, check out the following article for creating screensaver icons for the desktop: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/create-icons-to-start-the-screensaver-on-windows-vista/. Then follow the remainder of the second of Ronnie's paragraphs above. If you have trouble creating the keyboard shortcut, check out the following tutorial: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/74063-keyboard-shortcut.html.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!
 
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the shortcut to a screensaver can be created and then moved and still work by double clicking it. however, by right clicking the shortcut and setting up a keyboard shortcut you can also start the screensaver but this only works if you have the shortcut you are right clicking on the desktop, it does not work if you move it either before or after you create the keyboard shortcut (as i previously stated). try it.
1.create the shortcut icon on the desktop then make keyboard shortcut (works great) as long as the icon is left on the desktop
2.create or move the shortcut anywhere besides the desktop and it will still start the screensaver (but if you make the keyboard shortcut to this icon at any time that the shortcut icon is not on the desktop it will not work) also (if you make it when the icon is on the desktop and then move the icon it will not work)
please do not respond to this post unless you actually have tried the methodology that you think may work. thanks
for now i will be putting up with an extra icon in the quick launch to immediately start screensaver
 

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