Creating Your Own Windows Hotkeys: Customizing Your Command Center

Creating Your Own Windows Hotkeys: Customizing Your Command Center

Do you have several programs you use every day? Instead of clicking on the start menu or a desktop or taskbar shortcut to open those programs, why not create a hotkey combination to open them? It’s really easy to do. This article is for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. 

Let’s get started using Hotkey combinations:

I use OE Classic every day. I have a shortcut on my taskbar and my start menu for it. It’s nice having a shortcut on the taskbar because it’s always right where I can see it. However, you can only add so many shortcuts to your taskbar before you can’t see all your shortcuts.

So rather than taking up taskbar space with another icon, I decided to create a hotkey shortcut to open OE Classic. It’s really easy to do.

I thought a good hotkey combination to open OE Classic would be CTRL+ALT+T. T being for OE Classic – I’m so smart.

So, all I had to do was open OE Classic’s Properties dialog. You can do this for any program by right-clicking its shortcut or right-clicking on the program’s executable file — and then clicking on “Properties”.

Once you have the Properties window open, click anywhere inside the shortcut key box:

… and type in your desired Hotkey combination.

To get the Hotkeys CTRL+ALT+O for OE Classic, all I had to do was press CTRL O. Windows automatically adds the ALT and the + signs.  Press “Apply” then “OK” when you’re done to save your Hotkey combo for that program.

When you click “Apply” or “OK”, you may see this:

If you see this dialog, no worries, mate, just press “Continue” and your Hotkey combo for that program will be saved.

Now all I have to do to open OE Classic is press CTRL+ALT+0. Pretty cool.

Here’s more info on how to create Hotkey combos for your favorite programs:

If you hold the CTRL key and type a letter, number, or Function Key, Windows will automatically add the ALT key to the combination

If you hold the ALT key and type a letter, number, or Function Key, Windows will automatically add the CTRL key to the combination.

You can use the CTRL, ALT, and/or SHIFT keys in combination with a letter, number, or Function Key.

If you try to use a Hotkey combination that you’ve already used, Windows will detect it. You can’t use the same Hotkey combo more than once.

I created Hotkey combos for Notepad

CTRL+ALT+N

And Chrome

CTRL+ALT+C

And Firefox

CTRL+ALT+F

I can remember my four Hotkey combos because I’ve made them easy to remember.  And I use them almost every day!

T=OE Classic

N=Notepad

C=Chrome

F=Firefox

Windows Hotkey Combinations: Simple. Easy. Handy. Maybe Windows Hotkey combos will make your Windows computer life easier, too.

Want to get even fancier?

If you want to get really fancy—like changing what the “Caps Lock” key does or creating shortcuts that work across the entire system—you need Microsoft PowerToys. It’s a free, official “toolbox” from Microsoft that we highly recommend.

Keyboard Manager: Inside PowerToys, there is a tool called “Keyboard Manager.” It allows you to “re-map” keys.

Example: If you never use the “Scroll Lock” key, you can tell Windows to make that button open your Email instead.

Shortcut Guide: It also includes a feature where holding down the Windows Key for a second will pop up an overlay on your screen, reminding you of all the available shortcuts. It’s a great “cheat sheet” while you’re learning!