Tip of the day: Drop a file into an open window

One of the most efficient ways to open a file is to drag it directly from the desktop or an Explorer window and drop it in a program window that’s already open. By using this technique instead of double-clicking, you control exactly which program opens the file. But what do you do when the program you want to use is minimized or covered up by other windows? Use an expert technique called “drag and hover.”

Click the file you want to open and hold down the mouse button. Drag the file on top of the taskbar button for the program you want to use — but don’t let go of the mouse button yet, or you’ll get an error message! (If the button is grouped to represent multiple windows, wait until the list of available windows appears, and then move the pointer over the window you want to use.) After a brief pause, the program or folder window associated with the taskbar button appears on the screen, above all other windows. Now drag the file icon up to the window and drop it. In some cases you may find that you need to drop the file on the window’s title bar for it to open properly.

In Microsoft Word, for instance, dropping the icon for a Word document into an open document window inserts the content of the new file into the existing file; to open the file in a new window, aim the mouse pointer at the title bar before releasing the button. Likewise, if you drop the icon for a text file into a Word document window, the file is inserted as an embedded object; drop it on the title bar to open the text file for editing in Word.