Q: How can I double-click one icon and have it open several programs?

A: There are two ways to do this. The first is to can use an old-fashioned DOS batch file instead of a shortcut (see FIGURE 2): launch Notepad by selecting Start-Programs-Accessories-Notepad. In Notepad, enter the command to launch one program (such as notepad.exe), press <Enter>, then enter the command to launch another (say, calc.exe), and so on. If you aren't sure of a command name, right-click a shortcut for the program and select Properties. In the Properties dialogue box, check the Shortcut tab's Target field; it will show the name you want. When you finish, enter cls on the very last line in Notepad. Do not press <Enter>. Select File-Save. In the Save As box, navigate to \Windows\Start Menu, the desktop, or wherever you want the icon. For "Save as type", select All Files(-.-). Give the file the extension .bat.

Alternatively, you can use a program called Winx32, a free program by Don Beusee which is available on this month's cover CD-ROM. Winx32 doesn't make the job any easier than it is with a batch file (you still have to create a script in Notepad), but it doesn't bring up a DOS box and doesn't need a command like cls.