Start software programs in Windows

As you might expect there are many different ways to start programs within Windows, but the simplest is to use the desktop. If there is an icon representing the program you want on the desktop, double-click it with the left mouse button.

Alternatively, if the program does not have a shortcut icon on the desktop, click the Windows Start button. Shortcuts to the most frequently used programs will be displayed, but by clicking on Programs or All Programs you can browse through all the applications installed on the PC.

When you find the one you want, click on it once with the left mouse button to run it. Items in the Start menu can always be chosen with just one click rather than two.

You might also see a set of small icons just to the right of the Start button. In Windows XP or Vista this is called the Quick Launch.

In Windows 7 you can choose any number of programs to be ‘pinned’ to this part of the menu for easy access. In either case, a single left-click on the appropriate icon will launch the program.

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