Windows Vista Tip #1: Get quick access to a network connection

Tips, Windows Vista 1 Minute

Vista Beta 2 is about to go public, so I thought I’d start sharing some of my Vista tips. I’ll number them and collect them on a special page.

In recent reviews of Beta 2, I’ve read several complaints that it takes too many clicks to get to the Network Connections folder. Here’s the quickest route:

  1. Click Start.
  2. Click Network. This opens the Network folder, which lists all available shared resources on your local network.
  3. Click the Network Center button, which opens a new Control Panel window.
  4. Click the Manage Network Connections link in the task pane on the left.

You’re now at a window that lists all available network connections on your computer.

(Update: In the comments, Chris Smith points out that you can open Network Center a few clicks quicker by just double-clicking the network icon in the tray.)

For quicker access next time, point to the icon at the left of the address bar (I’ve circled it in red below).

Network_connections_folder

Click and drag that icon onto the Start button. You now have a shortcut that takes you directly to the Network Connections folder.

Want instant access to a specific connection icon? Drag the icon itself onto the Start button, or right-click the icon and choose Create Shortcut. In the latter case, your shortcut will show up on the desktop.

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Published by Ed Bott

Tech journalist. Author of 25+ books. ZDNET Contributing Editor since 2006. Contact info: https://edbott.com/contact-me/

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5 thoughts on “Windows Vista Tip #1: Get quick access to a network connection”

  1. now if you were in xp, right clicking the network icon on the desktop and
    choosing properties will get you the same window.

    now let’s see, 4 clicks vs 2, i wonder which i would prefer? well. since i’ve
    been using computers for 25 years, i think 2, but according to the usability
    studies, people that don’t know what they’re doing must need 4 clicks.

    another GREAT idea from microsoft

  2. Actually, that’s not the quickest route (excluding user-created shortcuts). Just double-click the Network icon on the tray, then click “Manage network connections” on the left.

    This is effectively as fast as the XP approach (a double-click is about as fast as a single click; it’s moving the cursor that takes the time).

  3. That sceenshot looks cluttered to me. I’m not a mac snob by any means, but even the XP screen looks simpler. Just me though.

  4. Jeremy, I deliberately made the dimensions of that screen very small for the sake of getting it in the screen shot with minimal white space. The normal version of the window, with normal dimensions, has some white space for relief and doesn’t look so cluttered.

  5. Hi Ed,

    I´m working as a Windows sysadmin for years now and for me using the “RUN” function is a lot easier than clicking through the gui … even when I´m doing telephone helpdesk stuff I spell users the commands they should type in so I can be sure they´re in the right menu.

    Samples for Windows-Key+R:
    ncpa.cpl (Networkcenter)
    appwiz.cpl (Add/Remove Application)
    devmgmt.msc (Hardware Management)
    compmgmt.msc (Computer Management)
    eventvwr.msc (Eventviewer)
    fsmgmt.msc (Shared Folders)
    wf.msc (Windows Firewall)
    perfmon (Perfomance Monitor)
    ntbackup Not working in Vista replaced with:
    sdclt.exe (Run works without file extension)
    taskschd.msc (Did it work in XP? I think this a new way to run the Task-scheduler)

    Regards Philipp Kohn
    Mod @ http://www.mcseboard.de

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