Launch or maximize programs with the shortcut Windows key + 1, 2, 3

Windows 7 certainly isn’t hurting for new shortcut keys, and this one can be applied in a number of ways, including some we probably haven’t thought of yet. With it, you can launch a program from the keyboard—or bring its minimized or buried window to the forefront—so long as the program is showing live or pinned icons in the taskbar.

Each program icon in your taskbar, whether pinned there or representing a launched app, gets assigned a virtual number, starting with “1” for the leftmost icon and increasing by one as you go right. If you tap the Windows key in combination with a numeral, it will launch or bring forward the program corresponding to it in the taskbar. So, for example, Windows key + 1 will launch the leftmost taskbar program icon.

Why is this useful, as opposed to using one of the many other window- or task-switching options in Windows 7? We can think of one good application: If you pin a series of frequently used programs to the left side of the taskbar, you can launch them in sequence shortly after bootup (or at any time you choose) with a few brisk keystrokes.