Open a taskbar toolbar with keyboard?

[Terry Pinnell]

I've added a new toolbar to the XP Taskbar. I display its menu by
left-clicking '>>'. Is it possible to do that with
keystrokes instead, which would be faster?

 

[Jaelani]

I've added a new toolbar to the XP Taskbar. I display its menu by
left-clicking '>>'. Is it possible to do that with
keystrokes instead, which would be faster?

Yup, me too.

But unfortunately, there is no direct shortcut key for user-added
toolbar(s). The quickest way is to press WIN-B which will show the
taskbar then focus on the first icon of the icon tray area. At this
point, pressing TAB or SHIFT-TAB will move the focus to the next/
previous control group of the taskbar. Below is the list of the
control groups.

- Desktop
- Start button
- Application bar
- User-added toolbar(s) including predefined ones such as the Quick
Launch toolbar.
- Icon tray area.

Except for Desktop, Start button and Icon tray area, the tab order is
determined by the visibility of each control group. e.g.: (Quick
Launch, Application bar) or (User toolbar 1, Application bar, User
toolbar 2).

The LEFT/RIGHT key will move the focus to the next/previous button/
icon of a control group. The MENU key will bring-up the popup menu for
that button/icon - same as mouse right-clicking. The SPACEBAR in an
Application button will switch to that application window - similar to
ALT-TAB.

When focusing the ">>" button, its popup menu will appear immediately.
Press the ESCAPE key to close the popup menu if you want to move the
focus to other control.

Tip:
If you like minimalist like me I do, you can have a user toolbar with
no title and only a ">>" button on it. The trick is to use a folder
whose name is only a single white-space character. Use the Character
Map, choose the "No-Break Space" character (code 0xA0 - after the "Ÿ"
character), copy it, then paste it when renaming the folder. Lastly,
add a new user toolbar and using folder. Note that in order to work
properly, its toolbar width should be at minimum and there are at
least 3 items in it (I think).

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Yup, me too.

Pleased to hear I'm not alone ;-)

But unfortunately, there is no direct shortcut key for user-added
toolbar(s). The quickest way is to press WIN-B which will show the
taskbar then focus on the first icon of the icon tray area.

Took a while for me to realise that the reason this wasn't working for
me was because I'd recently locked my taskbar ;-)

At this point,pressing TAB or SHIFT-TAB will move the focus to the next/
previous control group of the taskbar. Below is the list of the
control groups.

As you say, Win-b followed by Shift+Tab pops up the toolbar to the
immediate left of the system tray. But here unfortunately that's
'Desktop >>', not 'ALL >>' as I want, as you see from this screenshot:
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/terrypin999/Toolbar-1.jpg

- Desktop
- Start button
- Application bar
- User-added toolbar(s) including predefined ones such as the Quick
Launch toolbar.
- Icon tray area.

Except for Desktop, Start button and Icon tray area, the tab order is
determined by the visibility of each control group. e.g.: (Quick
Launch, Application bar) or (User toolbar 1, Application bar, User
toolbar 2).

The LEFT/RIGHT key will move the focus to the next/previous button/
icon of a control group. The MENU key will bring-up the popup menu for
that button/icon - same as mouse right-clicking. The SPACEBAR in an
Application button will switch to that application window - similar to
ALT-TAB.

When focusing the ">>" button, its popup menu will appear immediately.
Press the ESCAPE key to close the popup menu if you want to move the
focus to other control.

I may have missed something here, as I seem unable to get from the
displayed Desktop toolbar to my ALL toolbar. ESC closes it. But then
LeftArrow (or RightArrow for that matter) restores it again.

It seems that the order of Desktop and ALL cannot be switched?

I could of course remove the Desktop toolbar. But as discussed in the
recent thread 'Are there TWO Desktops?' I rather need it now that I've
stopped displaying icons on my desktop screen. Adding it a s a
shortcut to ALL is another possibility, although that's an extra click
and also brings it up as a permanent window.

So can you suggest how I can finish the job with keystrokes please?

Once I've done that I can use Macro Express to bring it up with a
hotkey.

Tip:
If you like minimalist like me I do, you can have a user toolbar with
no title and only a ">>" button on it. The trick is to use a folder
whose name is only a single white-space character. Use the Character
Map, choose the "No-Break Space" character (code 0xA0 - after the "Ÿ"
character), copy it, then paste it when renaming the folder. Lastly,
add a new user toolbar and using folder. Note that in order to work
properly, its toolbar width should be at minimum and there are at
least 3 items in it (I think).

With this 24" wide screen I'm not yet that desperate ;-)

[Traveling now until Saturday, no web access, so will get back on the
case then.]

 

[JCO]

You can set up a series of key strokes that can open any application.
For instances, I use Quicken software a most every day. I get into it be
typing Ctrl Alt Q

You can do something similar to any application.

 

[Jaelani]

Took a while for me to realise that the reason this wasn't working for
me was because I'd recently locked my taskbar ;-)

It works even though the taskbar is locked (not resizeable). Mine is
locked too, and it works. Once you press the WIN-B shortcut key, there
will be a box frame surrounding the first icon of the icon tray. If
the icon is not a rectangle-shaped and doesn't use the whole icon
image area (e.g. a circle-shaped icon), you can easily spot it.

As you say, Win-b followed by Shift+Tab pops up the toolbar to the
immediate left of the system tray. But here unfortunately that's
'Desktop >>', not 'ALL >>' as I want, as you see from this screenshot:http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/terrypin999/Toolbar-1.jpg

Well, you'll have to press a series of keys to reach the "ALL" toolbar
from the icon tray - moving the focus from one to another until you
reach the toolbar you wanted (see next answer).

I may have missed something here, as I seem unable to get from the
displayed Desktop toolbar to my ALL toolbar. ESC closes it. But then
LeftArrow (or RightArrow for that matter) restores it again.

The LEFT/RIGHT arrow will move the focus within a group control where
in this case, the items within a toolbar. To focus your "ALL" toolbar
after you pressed the WIN-B key:

1. Press SHIFT-TAB to move the focus to the "Desktop" toolbar and
automatically popup its menu.
2. Press ESC to close the popup menu.
3. Press SHIFT-TAB to move the focus to the "ALL" toolbar and
automatically popup its menu.

Note that you can't use TAB or SHIFT-TAB if a popup menu is displayed,
so you can't skip the step #2 above.

It seems that the order of Desktop and ALL cannot be switched?

Switched? Do you mean by "exchange place"? If that is so, then yes it
can. Just drag the "ALL" toolbar title (the "ALL" text area) to the
right side of the "Desktop" toolbar then drop it. I guess you want to
make your "ALL" toolbar quicker to access via keyboard by asking this?

I could of course remove the Desktop toolbar. But as discussed in the
recent thread 'Are there TWO Desktops?' I rather need it now that I've
stopped displaying icons on my desktop screen. Adding it a s a
shortcut to ALL is another possibility, although that's an extra click
and also brings it up as a permanent window.

Not just the desktop. The Start Menu also behaves the same except it
sorts the items properly.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

It works even though the taskbar is locked (not resizeable). Mine is
locked too, and it works. Once you press the WIN-B shortcut key, there
will be a box frame surrounding the first icon of the icon tray. If
the icon is not a rectangle-shaped and doesn't use the whole icon
image area (e.g. a circle-shaped icon), you can easily spot it.


Well, you'll have to press a series of keys to reach the "ALL" toolbar
from the icon tray - moving the focus from one to another until you
reach the toolbar you wanted (see next answer).


The LEFT/RIGHT arrow will move the focus within a group control where
in this case, the items within a toolbar. To focus your "ALL" toolbar
after you pressed the WIN-B key:

1. Press SHIFT-TAB to move the focus to the "Desktop" toolbar and
automatically popup its menu.
2. Press ESC to close the popup menu.
3. Press SHIFT-TAB to move the focus to the "ALL" toolbar and
automatically popup its menu.

Note that you can't use TAB or SHIFT-TAB if a popup menu is displayed,
so you can't skip the step #2 above.


Switched? Do you mean by "exchange place"? If that is so, then yes it
can. Just drag the "ALL" toolbar title (the "ALL" text area) to the
right side of the "Desktop" toolbar then drop it. I guess you want to
make your "ALL" toolbar quicker to access via keyboard by asking this?


Not just the desktop. The Start Menu also behaves the same except it
sorts the items properly.

Many thanks. Following your advice I now have it working sweetly.