Under default settings, two mouse clicks are required to open any application or file icon in the Windows operating system. The first click highlights the icon. The second click, performed in rapid succession, actually executes the file and opens the associated document or program. The Mac OS X operating system, by comparison, allows people to open applications with a single mouse click. You can bring this functionality to the Windows operating system and open all programs and files with a single click by adjusting a few basic settings on your computer.
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Step 1
Open any folder on your desktop. Opening a folder opens the Windows Explorer file browsing hierarchy that is built into the Windows operating system. You can access the “Folder Options” utility from any folder on your computer, regardless of its contents or location.
Step 2
Open the “Tools” drop down menu, located at the top of the folder you have selected. Click once on the “Folder Options” button to open the native Windows utility called “Folder Options.”
Step 3
Click the tab labeled “General” at the top of the screen. Look to the second section of the window, labeled “Click items as follows.” The option labeled “Double-click to open” will currently be selected.
Step 4
Click the option labeled “Single-click to open.” The two options immediately beneath “Single-click to open” will become available for use. Choose which of the two you prefer. The first allows you to underline icon titles using a method similar to the one you would normally use. The second specifies that icon titles are only to be highlighted when you point your mouse cursor directly at them. Both options allow you to open files and programs with a single click, so it doesn’t actually matter which one you choose.
Step 5
Click “Apply.” All program shortcut icons, files and other documents will now open with a single click. You can return to the previous “double-click” setting by returning to the “Folder Options” utility and selecting the “Double-click to open” option at any time.