Some of them have a command (or alias) associated with them and it is the matter of knowing it. For example, if you have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, you can launch the same by hitting Win + R and then keying AcroRd32 (could vary depending on installation pack). Difficult command to remember though. Interestingly, Windows has the capability to allow you to modify these commands and replace them with an easy to remember alias. Besides you can add your own commands and associate with the applications that you use very frequently. Indeed, another way to remove desktop clutter (of shortcuts) and to gain more screen space. We will use a tool called Win + R Alias Manager to do all this. So, here we go; download the application and unzip the file. You do not have to go through the installation process. Simply execute the exe file. On the interface you will be able to see a list of commands that are available as aliases. These are not system commands, rather list of applications for which you probably don’t know the commands. Try executing a few to be sure if they are working. In any case, if you do not like the command name, you can change it to match your comfort. Just click on the Edit icon and bracket together a new alias. For example, I did not like the existent for MS WORD (WINWORD), so I changed it to msword. In the same way, I added a command for KM Player because I use it very frequently and there was no default to it. I did it through the Add button. I gave it a name and browsed to the exe location to link the application to it. While adding a new command or editing an existing one you will be allowed to make the command available for the entire system or a specific profile through the check box. I suggest that you make changes for user profiles and leave the system defaults untouched. If you like to use the keyboard shortcuts, here’s the list for all that works on the interface:-
Insert – add new alias.Delete – delete the selected alias.Alt+E – edit alias.Alt+B – browse for executable file.Alt+R – run the selected alias.
Conclusion
Whenever I have to start a new instance for any application my fingers naturally go to Win + R. And with the settings I have now, I save a number of mouse clicks resulting in saving of few minutes. Is this going to help? Share your experiences with us. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
