Tips & Tricks

Favorite Web Pages At Startup

If you're like me, you probably have several internet related tasks you do each time you start your computer.

Wouldn't it be great to have all the web pages you frequent, and maybe your e-mail program, run when you start the computer? You guessed it - you can.

All you need to do is drop some shortcuts into your Startup Folder . Here's how:

1. First, open Internet Explorer (this trick can be done with Netscape too, but it works better with Explorer) and head to a page you want to see when your computer starts.

2. Next, grab the little " e " next to the address and drag it over to the Start button. Don't let go, just hover over the button for a couple seconds. The Start menu should open.

The "e" you need to drag:

3. Now, (still holding the mouse button down), move up to the Programs menu. The Programs menu should open.

4. Finally, move your mouse to the Startup folder (it will be underlined). Again, point to it for a second and it should open up. Drop the shortcut into it and you're all set. Make sure you drop the shortcut into the Startup Menu and NOT into the Programs menu by accident.

Oh, you can use this for your e-mail program too. Let's say you're using Outlook Express. This time, drag the icon with your RIGHT mouse button and follow the procedure above. When you let go of the icon to drop it into the start menu, be sure to click " copy here " from the little menu that pops up.

If you were to left-click and drag it, it would remove the icon from its current location and move it to your Startup folder. Hence, the right-click drag.

That's it. Restart your computer and your browser should launch, opening all the stuff you just put into the Startup menu.

I want to mention that this works better for those with an "always on" type internet connection. When Windows starts, you're already online so you really get the benefit of this little trick.

If you have a regular dial-up connection, that works too - just not quite as well. Ideally, your dial up connection should be set to automatically dial, that way when you start the computer, it automatically dials and loads the pages for you.

~ Steve

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