If you have a shortcut icon on your Desktop, then it is associated with a specific program or file. However, the icon is not specifically linked to that program, meaning that you can change the program or file that opens when you click the icon. Whether you want to do this because you associate a particular icon with a particular file, or simply if you want to play a joke on a friend, it is very easy to make the adjustment.
Step 1: Browse to the file for the program that you want to open when you click the link on your Desktop.
Step 2: Right-click the file, then click “Properties.”
Step 3: Click inside the “Target” field, press “Ctrl + A” to select the URL, then press “Ctrl + C” to copy it.
Step 4: Right-click the icon on your Desktop that you want to change, then click “Properties.”
Step 5: Click inside the “Target” field, press “Ctrl + A” to select the current URL, then press “Ctrl + V” to paste the one you previously copied.
Step 6: Click “Apply,” then click “OK.” If you are prompted to supply administrator access, click the “Yes” button.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.
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