Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   Whiterabbit-uk
   Games Guru

   Several games recently have not created shortcuts on the desk or in the Start menu/programs so I thought I'd post a short tutorial on how to go about it for those who may not know how to:

   You need to locate the game you wish to create shortcuts for. Once found(which by default is usually installed to the boot drives programs folder – i.e. C:/Program Files/…..) open up the games folder and locate the executable and right clicking on the executable files icon, (this is usually easily found as it will have a picture or symbol associated with the game) Make sure you click on the exe file and not the icon image or uninstall program.

   Once you've right clicked on the correct icon, scroll down to send to then click on Desktop (shortcut).

   If there is no start menu shortcut either; you can create one it's a good idea to include the uninstall file as well, create another shortcut of the uninstaller, which you can do by selecting Create Shortcut rather than using the send to command, which will keep it in the games folder rather than put it on the desk top.

   Go to My Computer, click on the C: drive icon and then Documents and Settings. Click on whichever accounts you want a shortcut to appear in the start menu (There will be at least two called Administrator and All Users); then select Start Menu, then Programs. If you just want a shortcut to the game you wont need to place a folder, just copy the shortcut of the game and paste it in the programs folder. If you want shortcuts for both the game and the uninstaller, create a folder named whatever the games name is inside the Start Menu Programs folder then paste the two copies of the shortcuts into that folder.

   Once you've done that go check your start menu/programs - you should see the appropriate folder with the two shortcuts within, or the single shortcut to the game.

   If you have a full start menu, you can tidy it up from the start menu programs folder as well, for example, placing all the games into an Arcade Games folder and even subdividing them into genres. The same can also be done for all the applications you may have accrued from the giveaway project.

   I hope this helps. Let me know if you require more help

   Posted 16 years ago #
2. 

   ouzelkat
   Member

   Whiterabbit, what an excellent set of instructions you wrote! I always end up making my own Menu folders by categories, and as I've added more games, I've done that group too. If you have it, I'd love to see a screenshot on how you've subdivided your game folder. OK, I just read what I wrote and realize what an geek I am!! Anyway, thanks for the details and I'm bookmarking it so I can give it to others who always post up asking how to do this.

   Posted 16 years ago #
3. 

   funkymom
   Member

   thanks whiterabbit-
   i wish you had posted this (info about the start menu) a few weeks ago. my start menu was getting out of control with all the games, they barely fit and i couldn't see some of them. using a wonderful method called trial and error, i finally figured it out. in the process i moved programs away from places they needed to be, thereby causing them to not run. luckily, i'm paranoid enough so that, i set myself up in a way that i was able to fix it.

   i'm sure that someone else will benefit from this great advice and the simple, easy to follow instructions.

   Posted 16 years ago #
4. 

   candleflame7
   Member

   Hello Whiterabbit and thank you for your time and valued info. As I said before, I am a complete novice at all of this, as well as utilizing the windows tools. I do not even know how to put desk top icons in a folder, if it is possible, since I have about run out of room on my desktop.(once in a while a program says would you like windows to move ununsed icons to a folder and I say "no" because I am afraid I will not be able to find it.) Please, when you feel the mood hit you, could you help me with a more step by step process as to how to move games from folder to folder so that I can consolidate too, in the start up menu? I have never even created one before, except when installing a game. Recently, a computer tech told me to put games into documents and settings or my documents, can't remember which. Sometimes I can get it into one or the other as I have him wipe my hard drive from time to time completly because I can not afford to pay him to save any programs first, so he told me to put in documents so he could more easily find them next time. Half the time I can not even figure out how to put a game from here into my documents or documents and settings. AAAHHH! I am also desperate to downsize my desktop without loosing a way to find the games later. Thank you Steven so much and I wish I lived close to you because I am more a hands on learner. Perhaps one day God will give me a friend that knows computers and I can finally learn how to REALLY use one. Now I am babbling. Have a blessed day or night, Sharon H. P.S. How do i send private messages?

   Posted 16 years ago #
5. 

   funkymom
   Member

   hi candleflame-
   unfortunately in this forum, we can only send private messages to moderators and administrators.
   when i first joined, i spent half a day trying to figure out how to send a PM.

   :D

   Posted 16 years ago #
6. 

   Anonymous
   Unregistered

   Yeah.. no private messages. I was looking to send one to funkymom after being unable to reply in a thread in which she kindly welcomed me to the forum. I only wanted to say "Thank you for the kindness funkymom. :)" as part of a larger reply but when I logged in to post my message I discovered the thread had been locked and I'd wasted an hour of my life. That message will never be delivered now unfortunately, because I'd have to butt into an existing thread to do so and goodness knows I wouldn't do that.

   As for shortcuts, to expand on Whiterabbit's instructions, if you right-click on an open area of the desktop you should see a menu with a "New" option, which you can use to create a new shortcut or new folder on the desktop. If you choose new shortcut you just follow the prompts and browse to the location where you extracted or installed your game or application, then choose the file to link to. When you're done you can rename the shortcut as it sits on your desktop (removing the 'shortcut to' text for example).

   If you create a new folder on the desktop you can rename it as you like, then simply drag desktop icons (shortcuts) into it in order to categorize them. That, Sharon, is how you can clean up your desktop without actually removing anything from the desktop, nothing will be lost. Just create a folder on the desktop and then drag shortcuts on the desktop into that folder. It's like putting paperclips in an envelope, so go ahead and clean up that mess.

   I must note that the Windows help system, available in the start menu, teaches how to do all sorts of basic things like these, usually in an easy to understand way.

   Posted 16 years ago #
7. 

   Whiterabbit-uk
   Games Guru

   Hi Candleflame7....Did you say you are paying someone to do this stuff for you??? Well don't as it really is as easy as ABC.

   I have to finish off the next games review and I want to get an earlier nights sleep as well so i'll just write down one thing to do now. I'll add stuff to this thread over the coming weeks. Though you are quite welcome to contact me personally if you wish. As funkymon said above you have o contact the admi's to have them pass on the message. So far everyone has got in touch with me so I can't tell you how to do it lol. though I know for sure that Graylox and Buckleysmon and Funkymom know. :)

   My fist suggestion would be to create three folders on your desktop called Games, Utilities and Miscellaneous, oh yeah maybe a fourth one called to sort (that's my fullest folder lol).

   1) To create a folder right click anywhere on the desktop (but not on another folder or short cut)

   2)scroll your mouse pointer down to where it says New, click on that.

   3) Move the pointer over to the second menu making sure you dont wander off onto the sesktop (otherwise the menu's will close) and click on New.

   4) This creates a folder called New Folder. When it is freshly created the words 'new folder will be highlighted in blue' (that is dependent upon what color scheme your running, though the blue scheme is default so I'm assuming you haven't changed it)

   5) Immediately upon creating the folder Type in the name you want to call the folder for example one of the ones I suggested above, though you could create more and say have three games folders, one called match three one called arkanoid and one called other games Anyway i'm sure you catch my drift (The Shawshank Redemption always comes to mind whe I think or hear that phrase, lol) Once you've created your folders you can then drag all the shortcuts you have into the appropriate folders.

   Everyone has different ideas as to what they want their desktops to look like so remember what I suggest is an example. I'm sure as you get the hang of things you'll sus most things yourself.

   Just remember. don't use the delete feature unless you want to get rid of something, but even then, you can always recover it from the recycle bin unless you've emptied it. IF you ever do delete something and then realize you did the wrong thing, under no circumstances copy anything to the disk until you've run a recovery program. It's always a good idea to have at least two seperate physical hard drives, or a virtual hard drive by creating a partition. This way if you need to install a recovery program after accidentally deleting something you can do so safely.

   Technically nothing on your hard drive is deleted until it's been overwritten by a new program.

   I'll take a snapshot of some of my desktops over the next day or so and upload them so that you can see what they look like. If anyone else would do it as well it will give Candleflame a good idea as to how she may want to arrange her desktop (I'm assuming you're female - sorry if i'm wrong)

   Posted 16 years ago #
8. 

   Whiterabbit-uk
   Games Guru

   lol ZF you got there while I was writing the above....

   Posted 16 years ago #
9. 

   candleflame7
   Member

   Thank you Whiterabbit for your willingness to help me as well as others on this site. I have created new folders and am loving it! I REALLY want to learn how to partition my hard drive. Hope it can be done without reformatting? (wiping clean) my hard drive as I do not have an external hard drive or flash drive to save info, games, picts, etc. to at this time. I only get 451$ a month to live on right now sooo, kind a hard to buy stuff, but nothing is impossible with time and effort. I am applying for SSD and waiting and waiting. Anyway, I am a girl, single mom and so very glad to meet all of you. I look forward to learning from you as time permits for you and so VERY greatful. Have a beautiful day. Sharon.

   Posted 16 years ago #
10. 

    goodgotd
    Member

    Ranish Partition Manager is one free option, but repartitioning in flight is not without risk- *back up first*!!!

    (No, personally I have yet to have problems, but others may not be so fortunate...)

    http://www.ranish.com/part/

    There's a Hard Disk Partitioning Primer there too.

    There are commercial applications as well, and winXP has it built in, according to my friend Gary.

    Posted 16 years ago #
11. 

    whitemist
    Member

    Thank you, Candleflame7!! I am a granny who's new to all this and this was a question I had. Like you, I also get about what you do a month from SSI so I can't buy games or afford to pay someone to come in. To Whiterabbit and the rest, thanks for being so understandable to us 'newbies'. I haven't posted because I was a little embarased at being a 'Senior Citizen' and just starting with computers and games to let you who are so knowledgeable know I'm just starting. Don't know with this being an old post if anyone will see it, but I hope so.

    Posted 16 years ago #
12. 

    funkymom
    Member

    welcome whitemist!
    no need to be embarrassed about anything here, most of us embarrass ourselves daily on this forum. i think you've already discovered that you should always ask any question you have (no such thing as a stupid question), usually someone here has an answer.

    although i'm not quite there, we have plenty of "old folks" (just kidding) on this site, too. and people with all levels of experience.

    i hope to see you around more often.
    funkymom
    :D

    Posted 16 years ago #
13. 

    candleflame7
    Member

    Hello Whitemist! Nice to hear from you. I hope you read this as it is an older post. I was hoping to hear back rom WhiteRabbit, so I checked this thread in my favorites and surprise, no WW but I get to meet you. It does my heart good to meet others who are learning to occupy their time and minds with games and a computer. I have a 12 yr old son and sometimes fight guilt becasue I can no longer do all the things he would like me to for him. Playing games helps take my mind off of me for a while and when I find a game I really enjoy it makes all the looking worth while. This site has given me a couple of games I really did want to buy but couldn't. So I really hope you find this to be the case for yourself Whitemist. Welcome and I hope to talk with you again, somehow, as we can not send a personal message to each other here. Must be read by all and thats O.K. I do wonder though, if you meet someone you want to email, how that would go. I guess one would have to be willing to post it here. anyway, i babble. Have a beautiful day/night., Sharon H.

    Posted 16 years ago #
14. 

    Whiterabbit-uk
    Games Guru

    Just thought I'd bring this back to the front page because many of the freeware games I've been posting require you to create shortcuts. The tutorial tells you how to create a desktop shortcut and a start menu shortcut.

    Regards Whiterabbit

    Posted 15 years ago #
15. 

    MeDeWitch
    Member

    I put all my new game shortcuts in my original "Games" folder on the Programs menu by creating the shortcut in the folder the game is in and then moving it to:
    "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Games"
    after it is there I rename it by removing the " - shortcut" at end of the name.
    Nice, neat, pretty folder;)

    Posted 15 years ago #

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