Launch programs from the System Tray

Helpline Q&A Directory

Is it possible to launch my favourite applications with a single click on an icon in the System Tray?

This is easy to do using Quick Tray, a bonus program on your Windows CD. To install it, load the Windows CD, navigate to the \Tools\Reskit\Desktop folder and copy the file quicktray.exe to your Windows folder. Do this by dragging with the right mouse button, or you'll only create a shortcut to the copy on the CD.

Now locate the copy you've just made in the Windows folder and create a shortcut to it in the Startup folder of your Start menu. That will ensure that Quick Tray runs each time you start Windows.

Run Quick Tray. You'll see its icon appear in the System Tray. Click the icon and the Quick Tray window will appear. Use the Add and Remove buttons to add application icons to the System Tray or remove them. You can also add an application by dragging its icon to the Quick Tray window.

Click Close to hide the Quick Tray window. You can then launch your selected applications by simply clicking on their icons. Clicking the Exit button will terminate Quick Tray, removing it and the selected application icons from the System Tray.

Quick Tray is probably most useful if you still use Windows 95. Users of Windows 98 have the Quick Launch toolbar in the Taskbar, where you can add and remove application icons using drag and drop.

NB: unfortunately, Quick Tray does not appear to be included with Windows 95. It only comes with Windows 98 and NT 4.0.