Quick launch programs(start service) on windows 2016-03-26 21:55

When you want launch a programs on windows open directory and find the exe file then double click it. It is too slow. Today I will show you how to open programs or start service on windows quickly. You do not need open deep directory to find exe file.

1. Add a shortcut directory in your environment.

   Let's make a directory(like D:\shortcut) as shortcut. Right click My computer -> Property -> Advanced system settings -> Environment variables. Find Path in System variables add your shortcut directory in the end. In my computer like following

    .\;C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;%JAVA_HOME%\bin;D:\shortcut

2. Create shortcut for your programs.

   If you want quickly launch a program(like IDEA) find the IDEA.exe in the install directory. Create a shortcut for it and rename it what you like(I rename it as idea). Move this shortcut to your shortcut directory(D:\shortcut).

3. Quickly launch the program.

   Press Windows+R, you can see Run windows then press idea -> Enter. Now the IDEA will start. Now you can add the programs you like in shortcut directory and rename them you can remember easily. Next time you want launch just need Windows + R and press a name of programs.

4. Quickly start(stop) a service.

   Let's make PostgreSQL as example. Find the service name in Service(the name of PostgreSQL service in my computer is postgresql-x64-9.3). Create a text file and add following.

   sc stop "postgresql-x64-9.3" || sc start "postgresql-x64-9.3"

   Save this file as pg.bat and move it to your shortcut directory. Now you can toggle this service as step 3. Windows + R -> press pg -> Enter. Now the PostgreSQL service run. If you do this(Windows + R -> press pg -> Enter) a second time the service will stop.