Select Icons using key+Click
You can select icons by using the Ctrl and Shift keys on your keyboard in combination with clicking the left mouse button. Don't forget that "click" means tap the left mouse button. Do not hold down any mouse buttons while trying to select icons with Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click keys discussed below.
Warning: The instructions that follow are for Windows "classic-style" navigation, where you Double-Click to open icons. If you use the streamlined Single-Click navigation, then wherever you see the word "Click", you have to replace that with the word "point". If you use single-click navigation (or don't know what you're using), click here for more information on that.
Use Ctrl+Click when you want to select multiple icons one at a time. Here's how:
1. Click on the first icon you want to select (do not hold down any mouse buttons) For example, below I clicked on one icon, and only that one icon is selected.
2. Ctrl+Click the next icon you want to select. Repeat this step for each icon you want to select. (Do not hold down the mouse button at any time while selecting icons with Ctrl+Click)
For example, you can hold down the Ctrl key after selecting one icon, and just keep the Ctrl key held down. Then, with the Ctrl key held down, just click each icon you want to select. (Remember, no dragging!). For example, in the figure below I Ctrl+clicked seven additional icons after selecting the first icon in step 1.
Click here to view an animation
selecting with Ctrl+Click
Use Shift+Click when you want to select a range of adjacent icons. Here's how:
1. Click on the first icon you want to select to select that one icon, as in the example below.
2. Point to the last icon you want to select, hold down the Shift key, and click that last icon, as below.
The first icon and last icon, and all the icons in between, are now all selected, as below.
Click here to see an animation
of selecting icons with Shift+Click
If you have any problems using these methods, be sure to review (carefully) the terminology presented at the beginning of this article. Remember, do not drag when using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click to select icons, or you'll end up either moving or copying those icons, and not selecting anything.
