Vista Tutorial - Keyboard Shortcut

**Brink**

How to Create a Keyboard Shortcut for a Program in Vista

Information

This will show you how to create a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+key) for any program shortcut of your choice.

NOTE

The keyboard shortcut can only be made from a shortcut of the program or action that you want it made for. This will usually not work for Quick Launch shortcuts since they have their own keyboard shortcut settings.

RELATED LINKS:

Here's How:

NOTE

For an example here, I'm using a shortcut for Shutdown.

1. Right click on the program's shortcut and click on Properties.

2. In the Start in: field, make sure the full path of the folder that the program .exe for this shortcut is located is correct here.
NOTE: For more about this, see: Microsoft Help and Support: KB283065 Article

3. Click on the None area next to Shortcut Key: . (See screenshot below step 4)

4. Type in a key (letter, number, arrow key, character key, or F1 to F12 key) that you want to be used with the keyboard shortcut.
NOTE: You can just press a key you wanted, or use shift plus a key to use the upper character instead for the shortcut.
EX: The letter S for Shutdown.

5. If the key is available and not already used, it will make a keyboard shortcut using Ctrl + Alt + (key). (See screenshot below)
EX: For the letter S above, Ctrl + Alt + S.

6. Click on OK to apply.
NOTE: Now when you press Ctrl + Alt + (key), it will open or run that shortcut for the program or action.

That's it,
Shawn

**johngalt** · 05-19-2008

Shawn,

I created a shortcut for the Snipping tool, and using either CTRL + ALT + Z or CTRL + SHIFT + Z is not working - I am currently having to use a third party app for creating shortcuts (HoeKey) because it does a *lot* more than just simple shortcuts, allowing you to map the Windows Key as well, and including extra functionality, including minimize to System Tray and other functions.

However, with Vista Ultimate 32bit setting a shortcut key for Snipping Tool always worked. Any idea why it might not be working in Vista Ultimate 64bit (SP1) ?

**Brink** · 05-19-2008

Hi Johngalt,

Not sure why it is not working for you. It is working fine on my 64 Bit Vista Ultimate SP1. You might try another letter to see if that is the problem.

Shawn

**johngalt** · 05-19-2008

Ahhh, I figured it out. I was using the shortcut in the Quick Launch menu, and not the item from the start menu - I just verified - I set ST's shortcut to CTRL + ALT + Z from the ST in Start menu, then went to Quick Launch and changed the shortcut on that ST to CTRL + ALT + X and then went back to the start menu - the shortcut remains at CTRL + ALT + Z. So, the Quick Launch items cannot be used for creating a system wide shortcut. Very weird.

**Brink** · 05-19-2008

Johngalt,

Nope. It will not work for Quick Launch. Quick Launch has it's own keyboard shortcuts for them. Windows Key + 0 to 9.

Quick Launch

Shawn

**johngalt** · 05-20-2008

Yeah, I belated figured that out. BTW, I took a tutorial similar to your tuts about creating logoff, shutdown and reboot shortcuts and took it a step further. I renamed the shortcuts 1 - Reboot, 2 - Shutdown, and 3 - Logoff, and then placed them in Quicklaunch. Now, they are easily there for use either by clicking on them (renaming them with numbers puts them at the top of the list when sorting by name) or by the QuickLaunch shortcuts Win + 1, etc.

Again, though, sorry about the goof earlier in trying to use the QuickLaunch Snipping Tool icon.

**Brink** · 05-20-2008

LOL, no problem Johngalt. That's a good idea you have on naming the shortcuts like that to make it easier to remember the QL keyboard shortcut numbers for them.

Shawn

pyewacket97 · 09-14-2008

I'm a little confused here. I have the current Microsoft Vista Ultimate and I created a shortcut for the snipping tool, but it's not working.

Maybe I went through Quicklaunch? I'm not sure. I searched for the program in the start menu, right clicked it, added the keyboard shortcut I wanted to use, applied it, went through the whole permissions thing and now it doesn't work.

So I tried again and went to its file location, but when I right click on the properties, the tabs are different and there's no area in which to add custom keyboard shortcuts.

Is there something I'm doing wrong?

I use a MAC at work and this function is built in, so this whole snippet thing is really frustrating for me....

**Brink** · 09-14-2008

Hi PyeWacket, and welcome to Vista Forums.

It can only be added to a shortcut of the Snipping Tool exe file and not directly from the exe file. You may need to create a new shortcut from the exe file and try adding the keyboard shortcut to it instead.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

sqkrchik · 05-12-2009

I'm having a problem getting the snipping tool shortcut to work in explorer. (I've had two updates download since 5/2, and I think my problem might be related to that.) Per Microsoft One Note, I should be able to use the "window key + s" to bring up the tool in explorer and then it copies to one note. This worked up until 5/2 when I did the download. I tried adding the key command to a shortcut, but it still won't work in explorer. Any ideas?

05-19-2008
johngalt Antidisestablishmentarian Join Date: May 2008 Vista Ultimate x64 MAK, OpenSolaris 5, Gentoo 2008.1.... 3,848 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut Shawn, I created a shortcut for the Snipping tool, and using either CTRL + ALT + Z or CTRL + SHIFT + Z is not working - I am currently having to use a third party app for creating shortcuts (HoeKey) because it does a lot more than just simple shortcuts, allowing you to map the Windows Key as well, and including extra functionality, including minimize to System Tray and other functions. However, with Vista Ultimate 32bit setting a shortcut key for Snipping Tool always worked. Any idea why it might not be working in Vista Ultimate 64bit (SP1) ?
My System Specs

05-19-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut Hi Johngalt, Not sure why it is not working for you. It is working fine on my 64 Bit Vista Ultimate SP1. You might try another letter to see if that is the problem. Shawn
My System Specs

05-19-2008
johngalt Antidisestablishmentarian Join Date: May 2008 Vista Ultimate x64 MAK, OpenSolaris 5, Gentoo 2008.1.... 3,848 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut Ahhh, I figured it out. I was using the shortcut in the Quick Launch menu, and not the item from the start menu - I just verified - I set ST's shortcut to CTRL + ALT + Z from the ST in Start menu, then went to Quick Launch and changed the shortcut on that ST to CTRL + ALT + X and then went back to the start menu - the shortcut remains at CTRL + ALT + Z. So, the Quick Launch items cannot be used for creating a system wide shortcut. Very weird.
My System Specs

05-19-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut Johngalt, Nope. It will not work for Quick Launch. Quick Launch has it's own keyboard shortcuts for them. Windows Key + 0 to 9. Quick Launch Shawn
My System Specs

05-20-2008
johngalt Antidisestablishmentarian Join Date: May 2008 Vista Ultimate x64 MAK, OpenSolaris 5, Gentoo 2008.1.... 3,848 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut Yeah, I belated figured that out. BTW, I took a tutorial similar to your tuts about creating logoff, shutdown and reboot shortcuts and took it a step further. I renamed the shortcuts 1 - Reboot, 2 - Shutdown, and 3 - Logoff, and then placed them in Quicklaunch. Now, they are easily there for use either by clicking on them (renaming them with numbers puts them at the top of the list when sorting by name) or by the QuickLaunch shortcuts Win + 1, etc. Again, though, sorry about the goof earlier in trying to use the QuickLaunch Snipping Tool icon.
My System Specs

05-20-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut LOL, no problem Johngalt. That's a good idea you have on naming the shortcuts like that to make it easier to remember the QL keyboard shortcut numbers for them. Shawn
My System Specs

09-14-2008
pyewacket97 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2008 Vista Ultimate 2 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut I'm a little confused here. I have the current Microsoft Vista Ultimate and I created a shortcut for the snipping tool, but it's not working. Maybe I went through Quicklaunch? I'm not sure. I searched for the program in the start menu, right clicked it, added the keyboard shortcut I wanted to use, applied it, went through the whole permissions thing and now it doesn't work. So I tried again and went to its file location, but when I right click on the properties, the tabs are different and there's no area in which to add custom keyboard shortcuts. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I use a MAC at work and this function is built in, so this whole snippet thing is really frustrating for me.... Last edited by pyewacket97; 09-14-2008 at 05:41 PM.. Reason: added more detail..
My System Specs

09-14-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut Hi PyeWacket, and welcome to Vista Forums. It can only be added to a shortcut of the Snipping Tool exe file and not directly from the exe file. You may need to create a new shortcut from the exe file and try adding the keyboard shortcut to it instead. Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

05-12-2009
sqkrchik Newbie Join Date: May 2009 Vista Home Premium 4 posts	Re: Keyboard Shortcut I'm having a problem getting the snipping tool shortcut to work in explorer. (I've had two updates download since 5/2, and I think my problem might be related to that.) Per Microsoft One Note, I should be able to use the "window key + s" to bring up the tool in explorer and then it copies to one note. This worked up until 5/2 when I did the download. I tried adding the key command to a shortcut, but it still won't work in explorer. Any ideas?
My System Specs

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