How to open a boat load of applications and web sites all at once

This strategy is normally implemented to prevent a user from having to manually open many programs and many web sites at the start of each day.  Having one icon on the desktop to do this for you can save time and frustration when in a hurry.

In this example, you will create a batch file.  The batch file serves as a nice shortcut to opening many applications and web sites at once so the user may focus on more pressing tasks such as shopping online for sweet shoes or reading crazy good books like the Spooky Jenny Volumes (http://www.spookyjenny.com).

Create a batch file:

• Select Start or the Windows Icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
• Select All Programs
• Select Accessories
• Select Notepad
• Select File > Save As  > navigate to your desktop (so the file will save to your desktop)
• give the file a name (make sure you give the file a .bat extension)
• select “All Files” in the “Save as Type” dropdown menu
• select save
• Type the following text into your batch file:

@echo off
START C:\Windows\notepad.exe
START IEXPLORE http://www.nasa.gov
START IEXPLORE http://www.spookyjenny.com
START WINWORD N:\Test1.docx
START EXCEL V:\Test3.xlsx
exit

• Always begin the file with “@echo off” and end the file with “exit”.  Everything between these words are applications and or web sites you want opened automatically.  In the example I mention above, the following applications/web sites will open automatically:      a. An application called Notepad
  b. The NASA web site
  c. The Spooky Jenny Halloween web site
  d. A Word document stored on my n drive called Test1.docx will open
  e. An Excel document stored on my v drive called Test3.xlsx will open
• Select File  >  Close to close the batch file.
• Test the batch file:
  You will see the batch file on your desktop, double click on it and all items you specified will open automatically.
  If you would like to make additional changes to your batch file, then you will need to open the batch file by clicking once on the batch file on your desktop to select it > right click on the batch file > select Edit (you may have to specify editing the batch file with notepad)

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