The Quick Launch toolbar gives you one-click access to your favorite programs. Windows XP had it too, but Windows Vista adds keyboard shortcuts for the first ten programs.

To enable the Quick Launch toolbar (if it’s hidden), follow these steps:

1. Right-click your taskbar, click Toolbars, and then click Quick Launch (if the checkbox isn’t already there).

The Quick Launch toolbar appears near your Start button. It probably has some programs you don’t use; just right-click them and click Delete.

To add programs to the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps:

1. Click Start.

2. Find your program in the Start menu. Then, drag the icon to the Quick Launch toolbar, as shown here:

Now, you can run the program by clicking it on the Quick Launch toolbar. If you don’t see the icon, click the >> to list all icons in the Quick Launch toolbar. You can also grab the edge of the toolbar to expand it.

To launch the first program on your Quick Launch toolbar, hold down the Windows key () and press 1. To launch the second program, press  +2, and so on.

I like to drag folders that I frequently access to the Quick Launch toolbar so that I can open the folder with a single click.