Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Program Manager Icons...But Didn't Have The Patience To Figure Out For Yourself: A DISCLAIMER: All of the information below is basic to using Windows. Some is more basic than others, but pretty much all of it is essential to be truly *comfortable* in using and customizing your Windows desktop. If you're a Windows guru who edits SYSTEM.INI files in your sleep, then most of this article will be old news to you. If, however, you're new to using Windows, or even an intermediate-level user in need of a few tips, this article may come in handy. Creating Program Icons 1. To create an icon for a program, use the mouse to click on File in Program Manager, then select New. 2. At the option to create either a "Program Group" or a "Program Item," select "Program Item." 3. A dialog box will appear in which you may enter the attributes or "Properties" of the icon that you wish to create: the "Description," the "Command Line," and the "Working Directory." Description The icon "Description" is the label which appears right below any icon in Windows. For example, File Manager's icon consists of an icon graphic shaped like a filing cabinet above a description which says, "File Manager." Type in a description that is appropriate for the icon you wish to create. Command Line The second icon property is the "Command Line." This line which tells Windows which file to execute, and in which directory. For example, Microsoft Works for Windows is started by the file MSWORKS.EXE, which is located in the MSWORKS directory of the C: drive. Note that the filename almost always has the .EXE ending, signifying that it is an executable file. So, if you were making an icon for Microsoft Works, you would select the following command line: C:\MSWORKS\MSWORKS.EXE The command line, is made up of a drive letter designation (C:), followed by a backslash ( "\" ) and the directory location of the file (the MSWORKS directory), followed by another backslash and the filename itself (MSWORKS.EXE). To clarify, if the location of the MSWORKS.EXE file had been the WINDOWS directory instead of the MSWORKS directory, the command line would have been: C:\WINDOWS\MSWORKS.EXE Working Directory The third property of an icon, the "Working Directory," tells the program which directory contains the important files for that program. This is usually the same directory as the one where the .EXE file is located. So, in the two examples above, the working directories would have been: C:\MSWORKS and C:\WINDOWS respectively. If you don't know the name of the .EXE file that starts the application, or its directory location, use the -Browse" function to help you find the right file. Before entering the command line, click on the "Browse" button. You'll see a set of directory folders similar to the one in File Manager. By clicking on different folders, you can see the contents of different directories. Search through your directories until you find the correct .EXE file, and then double-click on that file to select it. Windows will then automatically fill in the command line for you, and you need only fill in the working directory yourself. Both the correct file and the directory will usually have names that reflect the nature or title of the program itself. The "Minesweeper" game which comes with Windows is a good example: the file is WINMINE.EXE, and the location is the C:\WINDOWS directory. Microsoft Works is (depending on which version you have) either WORKS.EXE or MSWORKS.EXE in either the WORKS or MSWORKS directory. Sometimes an abbreviation will be used, as in the game called "Life 'n Death," which uses the filename LND.EXE. Creating Group Icons To create a group icon: 1. Click on File. 2. Select New. 3. Choose Group Item. The only property for a group icon is the "Description." When you've entered the description line for that group, click OK. The new group will appear, with your description appearing in the title bar. Changing Icon Properties If you need to change the properties of an icon after you've already created it: 1. Highlight the icon by clicking on it once with the mouse. 2. Click File. 3. Select Properties. The Properties dialog box will appear, allowing you to edit the description of the icon, the command line, or the working directory. You can also access the properties of an icon by double-clicking on that icon while holding down the Alt key. Deleting Icons If you need to delete an icon: 1. Highlight the icon by clicking on it once. 2. Click File. 3. Select Delete. You can also click once on the icon and hit the Delete key to accomplish the same result. A dialog box will ask you to confirm the deletion, as a safeguard against accidental loss of important icons. Changing the Icon Graphic You can change the graphic (the picture) that's associated with any program icon. To do so, click on the icon once to select it, then click on File and select Properties (you can do the same thing by holding down the Alt key and double-clicking on the icon). In the Properties dialog box, click on the Change Icon button. In the Change Icon dialog box, you can select any icon graphic on your system to be the new graphic for the icon you're changing. Icon graphics are stored on your system inside a variety of files, of many different types: .ICO, .IML, .EXE, .DLL, .NIL, etc. If there is an icon graphic imbedded in the .EXE, or .COM file which you've selected in the Command Line for the icon, then that graphic will be displayed by default. But you can use the Browse feature (click on the Browse button, and select the appropriate directory folder and file just like you would in File Manager) to select a different file. If the file you select has an icon graphic in it, then that graphic will be displayed in the Change Icon screen. Some files (like PROGMAN.EXE and MORICONS.DLL) may contain two or more imbedded icon graphics. These files allow you a lot of choice of which icon graphic you prefer to use. Simply select that file in the Change Icon/Browse dialog box, then look through the many icon picture choices in the Change Icon dialog box. When you find the icon you want, simply click on it and then click the OK button. This will return you to the Properties dialog box. Take one last look at the graphic to make sure it's the one you meant to pick, then click on OK. Voilla! The icon has been changed. Making a Program Run Minimized, Automatically Also in the Properties dialog box for any icon (select the icon with a single click, then click on File and select Properties), there is a small box labeled, "Run Minimized." If you click on that box and click OK (an "X" will appear in the box to let you know that it has been selected), then whenever you run that program from that icon, the program will automatically minimize itself; that is, it will begin to run, and then immediately reduce itself to an icon on your Windows desktop background. This is especially useful if you want to keep a program running but don't want to look at the program window all the time. By "minimizing" the program into an icon, you keep the program active, but make it less obtrusive on your screen. Using The Start Up Group The Start Up group in Windows, by default, is empty. This is because the Start Up group functions differently from any other group (like Main, Accessories, etc.). Most groups are simply "containers" for program icons: a way of organizing your programs. But the Start Up group is different in this way: Any program whose icon is placed in the Start Up group will be started automatically every time you start Windows. This is particularly useful. Some people like to always have the Windows Clock running, so that they can keep track of the time while the work. Other people like to always have Calendar minimized at on their screen, so that they can stay on schedule, or keep a To Do list. Either way, by putting the appropriate icon in the Start Up group, you can make that program run automatically every time you start Windows. That saves you the time of "setting things up" before you start working. Using The "Your Software" Program To Create Program Icons and Groups This program is relatively self-explanatory; also, it is not part of the standard, store-bought Microsoft Windows package, so I won't go into too much depth on this. Here's a general description, though: IBM includes a variety of useful utility programs on its PS/1 and Aptiva computers. On PS/1 and Aptiva computers that come with Windows preinstalled, there is a program included among the special PS/1 or Aptiva software called "Your Software." The "Your Software" program allows you to create new program or group icons a bit more easily; also, it simultaneously displays all the possible icon graphics that you can use with your new program icon, including the graphics which are part of other files on the hard drive. Maintaining A Neat Windows "Desktop" There is no law that states, "Your Windows desktop should remain neat and orderly at all times." But it does sometimes help to keep things organized, and Program Manager has some features to help you do so. The Arrange Icons option (click on Window and select Arrange Icons) will cause all the icons in the active window to rearrange themselves into neat rows and collumns, evenly spaced. You can also click Options and select Auto Arrange. With Auto Arrange enabled, all the icons in Program Manager will automatically arrange themselves into rows and collumns, and even will reorganize themselves automatically when you add a new icon. If you want to put more space inbetween the icons, you can do so in the Control Panel program in the Main group. In Control Panel, click on Desktop. The "Icon Spacing" number can be increased or decreased to widen or narrow the spacing between icons.