Windows XP and the Display - Desktop - Provide Quick Desktop Access to Control Panel and Admin Tools

SUMMARY: Make it easier to configure Windows XP by providing easy access to frequently-used Control Panel and Administrative Tools icons.

If you frequently customize Windows XP via the Control Panel, or often use the Administrative Tools, it may prove cumbersome to go through the "Start" menu and navigate to find what you need.

To help save time, get access to such tools directly from your Desktop. This way, whether you frequent System properties, Internet Options, the list of Scheduled Tasks, or even if you often enable or disable system Services, such icons will be a double-click away.

Control Panel Icons

1. Select "Start" - "Control Panel". If a submenu appears, right-click "Control Panel" and choose "Open".

2. The "Control Panel" window appears. If "Pick a category" is displayed, click "Switch to Classic View" in the left pane.

3. Left-click and hold the mouse button down while the pointer is on a Control Panel applet, then drag the mouse pointer to your Desktop and release the button to create a shortcut.

4. If you wish, right-click on your new shortcut(s) and click "Rename" to remove the "Shortcut to" prefix.

Administrative Tools

1. From the "Control Panel" window opened above, double-click "Administrative Tools".

2. Repeat steps "3 and 4" above to drag Administrative Tools, such as the "Event Viewer" - useful for diagnosing system errors, "Services" to enable or disable system services, or "Data Sources (ODBC)" to diagnose database issues.