Next to the Start Button, on the right, is the Quick Launch Toolbar - see below.

This handy little toolbar can be clicked to activate programs, or used to open them in combination with the Window's Start Button/Key itself. Generally, by default there will be two or three icons already added, but the joy of this little toolbar is that it can easily be adapted to suit your own needs.

If you can't see the Quick Launch Menu Toolbar, move your cursor to the bottom of your screen and right-click near (but not on top of) the Start icon. Check that on the right-hand side of the pop-up menu Quick Launch is ticked. If it isn't, click on it to turn it on.

History of the 'Launch Pad'

A launch pad refers to the facilities where rockets or spacecrafts lift off. It also refers to a graphical interface for launching the product installations within your computer's system.The later versions of Microsoft's Windows 95 were the first to introduce the Quick Launch Toolbar. It was placed where it currently sits, at the bottom of the screen to the right of the Windows button. The default icons at that time were Internet Explorer (IE), Outlook Express, Show Desktop and Windows Media Player whereas now, it's more likely that you'll see just two of the originals (IE and Show Desktop) plus the new Flip 3-D. With 95, you could add new icons to customize your bar so it was a pretty useful addition and fairly advanced for its day. That makes it sound as though the Launch Pad was introduced in the Dark Ages, although it was only about 13-14 years ago. However, in IT years, the history of what's happened has been put into a fast-forward phenominal timewarp which has moved at such a speed, that nothing in history before has advanced at such a rate.

Note: the Vista Aero version has the ‘Flip 3-D’ whereas you might not be able to see this if you have Vista Basic.  Therefore, not all of the following will apply if you are using Basic.

Using the Quick Launch Toolbar

The Quick Launch Toolbar can be used in two different ways: (1) By clicking it; (2) By using hot keys, ie, Windows Key and a number (1, 2, 3, etc).

To understand which numbers to use in conjunction with the Windows' Start Key, it's simply a matter of look and see. Looking at the image above you can see from left to right:

Windows' Start Key

1) Internet Explorer Icon

2) Show Desktop Icon

3) Flip 3-D Icon

Therefore, if you hold the Start Key and tap number 1. Your IE will open.

Hold the Start Key and tap number 2. Your Desktop will show and any open programs will be minimised.

Get the idea? The Windows' Start key can only act on the icons on its Quick Launce Toolbar and only in the order in which they are placed, from left to right. Once this concept has been grasped, it's easy to see how you can make the Quick Launch Toolbar into a fully-customized, extremely useful little gizmo.

Flip 3-D

As this facility is new and very useful, we will look at it a little more indepth. An image of what it may look like is below where you will see that 5 programs are open and they are sitting side-by-side on the desktop

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By pressing the Windows Key on the keyboard + 3 in our example (on Vista Aero) live thumbnails of your open windows appear on the desktop. This view is what is referred to as the Flip 3-D. Using your Tab key, you can scroll though the large thumbnails.  A different view of the files, folders or open programs can be obtained by holding down Alt and pressing the Tab key. Continue to hold down the Alt key and continue pressing the Tab key to move through your open files, folders or programs. Once the one you want is at the front of the queue, press Enter to maximise it.

Adding, Moving and Removing Icons Using Quick Launch Toolbar

There are always several ways to do any job on Microsoft and below are two ways in which you can customize your Quick Launch Toolbar.

1) By using the Desktop itself

2) By opening the program folder

We will start by using the Desktop method and secondly, the Open Folder method.

Adding Icons to the Quick Launch Toolbar Via Desktop

If you already have a shortcut to a program on your desktop, it's very easy to add it as a Quick Launch icon. Right-click over the shortcut icon and select Add to Quick Launch.

You can move the shortcuts so that your favourites are in poll position and can be seen next to the Windows Button. You do this by drag and drop. Because the Quick Launch Toolbar has a dark background, it's not very easy to see where you are about to drop them. However, in the image below I have drawn a yellow oblong box around the black vertical line which symobolises the new position of the shortcut icon about to be dropped on the toolbar.

If there is no shortcut, click on the Windows Start Button and start to type in a Search for the program you want to add. Remember, that as this updates live, you won't need to type in all the name before it appears. We will add the Word 97 icon to our Quick Launch Toolbar.

Start to type Word into the Search bar above the Start Button . Once you can see the program you want, grab it and drag it down to the Quick Launch Toolbar . You can see in the example that as you approach the Quick Launch, a message will appear below the program icon. Simply drop the icon onto the Toolbar.

Warning - you probably won't be able to see the new icon as only the first 3 program icons are immediately on view (which saves space at the bottom of your screen). If you click the chevrons to the right of the last icon, however, you should see your newly added icon.

Deleting Icons from the Quick Launch Toolbar

By right-clicking over the icon you want to remove, you select the Delete function from the pop-up menu. This doesn't delete the program itself. It just deletes the shortcut.

Moving Icons on the Quick Launch Toolbar

Dragging and dropping is the name of the game here. You can just move them to the position of importance in your particular case. If you click them they will open. If you click and hold you can drag them. Don't get confused between the two and if you accidentally open the program rather than grab the icon, close the program and try again until you're happy with the new positions of your shortcuts.

Adding, Moving and Removing Icons Using Quick Launch Folder

For some trigger-happy people, this method might be easier than the Toobar method. To open the Quick Launch Folder, right-click over the Quick Launch Toolbar itself and select Open Folder. This will open up Vista Explorer and will show you the programs currently available on the Quick Launch Toolbar.

Adding Icons to the Quick Launch Toolbar Via Folder

In the right-hand panel of the Quick Launch Folder are all the shortcuts currently on the toolbar. The only problem with using the Folder to add a program is that you do need to know exactly where the new program is located. For example, if you wanted to add Access database to your Quick Start Toolbar, you firstly need to locate the program on the left-hand side, and open its folder to expose the program icon..

Next, you should make a shortcut to the program as you don't want to move the entire program (in effect, make a second copy of it which takes up valuable memory). To do this right-click and select Create a Shortcut.

Follow instructions to make the shortcut. Now drag the program shortcut icon onto the Quick Launch Toolbar icon on the left-hand side, and drop.

Deleting Icons from the Quick Launch Folder

You can use the delete key (DEL - not Backspace) to delete any shortcuts. Remember, that as long as they are SHORTCUTS and not PROGRAM FILES, you can't do any harm as it's only the shortcut you are removing.

Moving Icons in the Quick Launch Folder

You need a steady hand for this and it's very easy to open the program icon rather than move it. So, left-click and hold. Drag icon to the new position. The horizontal bar will allow you to see where the icon is about the be dropped. As soon as you're happy with the new position, drop it in place.

How Many Icons Can I Add?

If you want to use the Windows Start Button in combination with a number, you can have 9 icons in place, including the default icons. If you want to add more than that, you won't be able to open them with a number and will have to click on them.

If you do add more than 9, perhaps you really need to re-think and plan which ones you really want to use as a priority. Remember that this is a shortcut facility - most people only use a few programs and want to store them as their favourites. Any more, and you can't use them in conjunction with the Start Key. This makes them Not-so-quick Quick Launch Tools!

Note: Show Desktop Hot Key - Another way to Show Desktop is to hold down the Start Button on your keyboard + D.

Warning

Always remember that CTRL + V is great for Undo, ESCAPE, means you can escape if you're about to make a mistake, and Recycle Bin holds lots of things you might have deleted but later realised you shouldn't have. Make it a habit to only clean out the Recycle Bin if you are 100% sure you're never going to want the file, folder or program ever EVER again.