Windows 95 is a powerful, user-friendly operating system. Everyday tasks such as creating documents, deleting files, and running programs are easily accomplished using a graphical user interface (GUI). You often have options or multiple ways to accomplish the same task. We will go over a few tips to here help you use your system more effectively.

Windows 95 is a document centric operating system. Application programs are associated with documents based on the file extension, you do not have to open the application before you open the document.

To quickly create a new document on your desktop:

• Right click on a blank spot on the desktop
• Select New
• Select the appropriate document type, e.g. Microsoft Word Document
• Click on the new document icon on your desktop to open it.

To work with your most recently created documents:

• Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen
• Click on Documents
• Select the document you want to work with by clicking it

Note: Not all applications create entries in the Documents Menu.

To clear the document list:

• Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen
• Click on Settings
• Click on Taskbar
• Click the Start Menu Programs tab
• Click the Clear button in the Documents Menu section
• Click the OK button

Note: Not all applications create entries in the Documents Menu.

To open a file with a different application than it is associated with:

• Hold down the shift key while right-clicking on the file in Explorer; the 'open with' dialog will appear, and you can choose an alternate program to open the file with.

To use drag and drop instead of menus to manipulate your files:

• Locate the file or folder you want to work using My Computer or Windows Explorer
• Make sure the place you want to drag the file or folder to is visible.
• Hold down the left mouse button and drag the file or folder to the destination.
• If you drag a file to a folder on the same disk, it will be moved.
• If you drag a file to a folder on another disk, it will be copied.
• You can hold down a key while dragging to affect the following:
  • To move a file, hold down the SHIFT key.
  • To copy a file, hold down the CTRL key.
  • To create a shortcut, hold down the CTRL+SHIFT key.
• Or, you may use your right mouse button to drag; a menu will appear with the available options.

To quickly send files to another destination:

• Right click the file you want to send.
• Choose Send To, then click the destination.
• To add other destinations to the Send To command, create shortcuts to the destinations you send files to often In the Send To folder. The Send To folder is located in theWindows folder.

To put a shortcut on the desktop:

• Click the item, such as a file, program, folder, printer, or computer, that you want to create a shortcut to.
• On the File menu, click Create Shortcut.
• Drag the shortcut icon onto the desktop.

You can use the shortcut as a fast way to open the item.

Printer shortcuts:

• Open the My Computer window
• Select the Printers icon.
• Right drag the printer icon to the desktop.
• Select Create Shortcut(s) here.
• You may drag and drop file shortcuts to a printer shortcut to print.

Create a shortcut to your floppy drive to quickly copy files to your A: drive:

• Click open the My Computer window.
• Right drag the icon for your floppy drive to the desktop.
• Drop it to a blank spot on your desktop
• Select Create Shortcut(s) here.

To delete a shortcut:

• Drag the shortcut to the Recycle Bin. The original item will still exist on the disk where it is stored.

Set up a Shortcut to Windows Explorer which will automatically open to your My Documents folder:

• If you would like to set up a shortcut to open Explorer – having Explorer automatically open at a folder you use most often such as My Documents -- follow these steps.
• Locate the program explorer.exe in the Windows folder.
• Right click on the program, drag it to the desktop and choose Create Shortcut Here.
• Right click on the short cut you just created and choose the Properties tab.
• Click at the end of the line in the target box add a space to the end of the line followed by "/e".
• In the Start In text box enter the path of the folder you want Explorer to open with, e.g. C:\My Documents

You can add items to the Start menu; try these methods:

• Click on the Start button
• Click Settings
• Select Taskbar
• Select Start Menu Programs
• Click Add, then enter the path to the program file or select Browse to navigate your system’s folders to locate the appropriate program file
• Click Next,
• Select the folder to place shortcut in,
• Click Next
• Click Finish

• You can also drag and drop items onto the Start Menu.

• Right click when the mouse pointer is on the Start button,
• Select Open
• Select File
• Select New
• Select Shortcut
• Browse to the appropriate file and complete the selection process

Select a Program to Start when Windows Starts: Use this procedure to select programs that will be launched each time that you start Windows.

• Click the Start button
• Choose Settings
• SelectTaskbar
• Then click Start Menu Program
• Click Add
• Type in the program path and filename or click Browse and choose it.
• Click Next
• Select the StartUp folder by double clicking on it.
• Type the name you want to use for the StartUp menu in the dialogue box, then click Finish. (You may also be prompted to choose an icon – if so pick one before you choose Finish.)

• Or, you may add and delete files to the StartUp menu using Windows explorer. The default path to the Start Up folder is: c:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

• If you want to bypass the automatic StartUp of program contained in the StartUp folder, hold down the Shift key while Win95 loads. (Wait until Windows starts to load before pressing the Shift key and hold it down until the load is complete.)

Basic information about Windows 95 functionality can be found in our Windows 95 Essentials reference. More Windows 95 Tips are available on the University Computing web site. See also Additional Windows 95 Tips and Tricks.