Paste Shortcut 1.0

Have you ever tried to create a shortcut for file in Windows? The process goes as follows:

1. Copy the file in Windows Explorer
2. Open the destination folder
3. Now use the dreaded ALT+H+P+S key shortcut.

Using the ALT+H+P+S shortcut key properly requires both hands. It is kind of annoying, as well as irritating. If, by mistake, you hit the incorrect key combination, you may execute the wrong key combo. This may result in losing the file from your clipboard. If that happens, then you will need to restart the process at step 1.

Being an extremely long and cumbersome shortcut prompted the need to create a simpler key combination. Paste Shortcut is a small Windows based utility that runs in background and replaces ALT+H+P+S keyboard combo with a shorter, simpler ALT+S key.

It's a portable program so installation is not necessary. Simply download the zip file, unzip it and run the executable. The executable file is small and you can keep it in any Windows folder or even on your flash drive. Once you execute the utility, it continues running constantly and is accessible from the Taskbar. As long as it's running, by default the Windows ALT+H+P+S key combo is replaced by ALT+S. In case you are already using ALT+S combination for some other key combo, all you have to do is change the setting of Paste Shortcut by right clicking the Paste Shortcut icon in Taskbar. Now, whatever key combination you specify, will be used as a replacement key combo for ALT+H+P+S.

If you want to avoid having to manually start the program, and you want to run this executable automatically when system starts, following are the steps you need to take:

Method 1:

Open Windows Explorer, go to C:Users(user name)AppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup folder. Create a shortcut for Paste Shortcut. Now whenever windows starts, the program will be started automatically and reside in the Taskbar. If you want to run Paste Shortcut for all users, you need to create a shortcut in C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup. If these folders are missing, you can create these folders.

Method 2:

Press key combination Win+R. Write "Shell:Startup" and press "Enter". ...ProgramsStartup folder will be opened, now paste a shortcut to the "Paste Shortcut" application.

Security Warning:

With added security in the latest versions of Windows, if you run Paste Shortcut you may get a warning and you must accept a confirmation prompt. Adding Paste Shortcut and any other software that you want to run without confirmation to your whitelist in Windows UAC is a nice idea.

The answer really depends upon your preference for small comforts. Creating shortcuts is not something that most computer users do on daily basis. However, whenever it is done, remembering the ALT+H+P+S combination is quite a significant feat. Installing a free utility like Paste Shortcut to overcome this minor inconvenience certainly helps. Overall, it serves as a nice utility for tech savvy and efficient users.