Set computer to open favorite sites automatically

In the morning after I turn on my computer, I often check the National Weather Service Web site to see what it thinks is going to happen weatherwise. (You could make the argument that looking out the window is more accurate, but I like to base my weather-related decisions on more than one source.)

In any case, instead of pointing and clicking to open your Web browser every morning, you can have your computer visit your favorite sites automatically when you turn it on. If you always check your e-mail or run other software first thing, you can start that up automatically, too.

The key is to put shortcuts in your Windows Startup folder. The easiest way to get the shortcuts into your Startup menu is to drag the shortcuts to the Startup folder in your Start menu. It requires some mousing finesse however. Here’s how you do it.

1. Open Internet Explorer and navigate to the page you want to add to your Startup folder. In this case, for the weather site, I’d go to www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/. Next to this cryptic site address, you see a little “e” icon.

2. Click and drag that little e down to your Start button. The Start menu opens, but don’t let up on the mouse button. Drag your little e icon to Programs, then Startup.

3. When you let go, a little menu appears. Click Copy here.

You can do the same thing with any other Web page you want. Or you can put shortcuts to your software. For example, some people like to write in the morning. You could put a shortcut into your start menu to run Microsoft Word. Just click and drag the desktop icon to your Startup folder the same way.

Again, you want to click “copy here,” because if you don’t, Windows moves the shortcut instead of copying it.

If you decide to automatically open Web sites or check your e-mail and you have a dial-up connection make sure you set it to automatically dial. Of course, with a broadband connection like DSL, cable or satellite, you don’t have to worry about that issue, since it’s always connected.