# Setting Hotkeys in Windows
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-hotkeys-in-windows/70248
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 26, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-hotkeys-in-windows/70248 "2001-06-26T23:16:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-hotkeys-in-windows/70248/1 "2001-06-26T23:16:50Z")
Holding ctrl and pressing certain buttons on the keyboard do certain things, like cut, copy, paste, undo, bold, etc. Is there a way I can set my own hotkeys like this? Specifically, I want to make something like ctrl + left mouse click= open a link in a new window. If I can’t do this, is there a way I can set my browser to ALWAYS open a link in a new window when I click on it, instead of having to right click then left click “open in new window.” I find doing this is extremely helpful, especially on sites like this one. I can scan the threads, open the ones i like, then read them all at once without opening, waiting fot them to load, going back, finding another one, waiting for it to load, etc. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-hotkeys-in-windows/70248/2 "2001-06-27T01:06:37Z")
any shortcut placed on the desktop or start folder can have a hotkey or shortcut key. Create the shortcut and click properties – shortcut – shortcut key and there is where you do it.
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### Author:  [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2001, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-hotkeys-in-windows/70248/3 "2001-06-28T01:15:24Z")
ok, however that’s not really what i am looking for. I want to be able to do something like have ctrl+left mouse click makes a link pop up in a new window, or just set links i click on to always pop up in a new window. Plus I’m sure I will think of other things like that I want to do to customize my web and computer using experiences.