Shortcuts (User Management)

Shortcuts

The Shortcuts object provides the ability to centrally define shortcuts to be used on the client’s machine. A shortcut is a pointer to an application or folder. Once the shortcut is created, the user will never have to remember the details to access the referenced program or folder again. They simply run the shortcut. 

Settings

Shortcut settings

Name

Enter a name for the shortcut. This name will appear below the icon for the shortcut. This field is required.

Location

Specify the folder where the shortcut will be created or removed from. Type a location or select one from the list. Available options to choose from are: All Users Desktop, All Users Programs Group, All Users Start Menu, All Users Startup Group, User Desktop, User Favorites (IE bookmarks), User Programs Group, User Quick Launch Bar, User Start Menu, User Startup Group, User Start Menu (Pin), User Taskbar (Pin).

A location may also be specified by a dynamic variable, environment variable or macro which is translated by Desktop Authority during the client logon process.

Example:

ShellProg\Shared Documents\Employee Manual

When Desktop Authority executes on the client, $ShellProg will be populated with the location of the user’s Start Menu Programs folder, for example: C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs or D:\WinNT\Profiles\bclinton\Start Menu\Programs.

If the specified folder for the shortcut does not exist when Desktop Authority attempts to create the shortcut, the folder will automatically be created during the client logon process.

Action

Select Create Shortcut or Remove Shortcut from the Action list.

Overwrite

Select this check box to overwrite an existing shortcut if it exists in the same location with the same name. Clearing the check box will not overwrite the shortcut if it exists.

Target

Some programs need to reference other files in a specific folder. In order for the shortcut to find these files, the folder must be specified. Type the folder name or click the Browse button. In most cases this field will contain the path used in the Target field. This field is required.

Target arguments

Specify any optional command line parameters for the selected target program.

If you need to pass a reserved character (@, $, or %) to a program, you must double the reserved character within the Desktop Authority Manager. For example, if the program requires /@u-username as a command line argument, type /@@u-$UserID in the arguments field.

Start in

Some programs need to reference other files in a specific folder. In order for the shortcut to find these files, the folder must be specified. Type the folder name or click the Browse button. In most cases this field will contain the path used in the Target field. This field is required.

Comment

Enter a text description for the shortcut. This is displayed on the shortcut properties dialog.

Icon file

Specify the icon file to display for the shortcut. An icon, icon library or program file may be specified. If there is more than one icon in the file specified, enter the icon number in the Icon index entry. An icon file may be selected by clicking the Browse button.

Key

Specify the keyboard combination that will be used to start or switch to the target application. Shortcut keys are always a combination of the CTRL key plus the ALT key and then one other key to add to the sequence.

For example, to specify a shortcut key of CTRL + ALT+ T, enter the letter T in the field. Set the field to None to disable the shortcut key by pressing the BACKSPACE key.

The ESC, Enter, TAB, Spacebar, Print Screen or Backspace keys are not allowed as shortcut keys. If this shortcut key conflicts with a keyboard shortcut in another Windows application, the keyboard shortcut in the other Windows application will not work.

Run Window

Select a window option from the list. This defines the style of the window the application will initially execute in. Select from Normal, Minimized, or Maximized.

Validation Logic

Select the Validation Logic tab to set the validation rules for this element.

Notes

Select the Notes tab to create any additional notes needed to document the profile element.

Description

When adding or modifying a profile object element, the description appears above the settings tab. Enter a description to annotate the element. The default value for new profile elements can be changed by going to the system Preferences.

Example

One way to make use of shortcuts is to create a shortcut in your user's Internet Explorer Favorites. This example demonstrates how to create the Favorites shortcut.