Create Hotkey to Open Folders in Windows 7

Sometimes you find yourself opening a folder again and again so that you can work on the files inside it. I myself open a folder, containing MS Excel files of the financial reports, time and time again. But going through menus and clicking multiple times to open a folder is time wasting and can be very exhausting. What you can do is create a shortcut hotkey for opening that folder, so that you can open that folder just by pressing a key on your keyboard. It can save you from the trouble of clicking through Windows Explorer. Here is how you can create a hotkey to open a folder in Windows 7 :

  1. Right-click on the target folder (the you want to create a hotkey for) and select Send To → Desktop (create shortcut) as shown in the following picture. This would create a shortcut to the selected folder on your Windows desktop.

    Create Hotkey to Open Folders

  2. Now switch to your desktop by pressing the shortcut key Windows logo key + D. Right-click on the newly created shortcut to your folder and choose Properties from the context menu. This would open the Properties dialog for that shortcut.
  3. In the Properties window, click on the Shortcut key field and press the shortcut key (hotkey) that you wish to assign to that shortcut.

    Create Hotkey to Open Folders

  4. You have to be careful in choosing a hotkey, it should not interfere with any other program. Also do not choose a hotkey that might conflict with other hotkeys used by some other programs.

  5. Finally click on the OK button to save the settings.

Setting a hotkey for opening a folder might save you from the trouble of clicking your way through to many folders to open the one you want. If you press this hotkey if the target folder is already open, then it brings that folder to the front.