Desktop icons - how to create shortcuts

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jgv1965 Author

Level 1

10 points

Desktop icons - how to create shortcuts

Hi there. My question is horribly simple. I have the latest sexy iMac (PC gone in dustbin). try as I might I cannot work how to place icons on the desktop. If I drag a file there it seems to be pulled out of the actual Finder tree - whereas I really want a shortcut to move to the desktop instead. Can anyone help. Sorry it's so simple. J

iMac 24"

Posted on May 15, 2008 3:57 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Kenichi Watanabe

Level 8

41,572 points

May 15, 2008 4:33 AM in response to jgv1965

You can do it several ways.

The easiest is to drag it to the Desktop (or wherever you want the alias), but before you let go of the mouse button, press the Option and Command keys on the keyboard. You should see a curly arrow at the bottom of the icon being dragged (which means alias). Now let go onto the Desktop. It's easier to do than my explanation. 🙂

The other way is to select the icon of the file. Then use +File -> Make Alias+ from the menu. The alias will appear +next to+ the actual file in the same folder. You can just move that alias file to the Desktop and rename it as desired.

You can get the same +Make Alias+ command by right (control) clicking on the file.

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