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How to: Generate Google Apps Desktop Icons

google-apps-desktop-icons-9Are you a Google Apps user?  If so, would you find it useful to have desktop icons for your Google Apps Gmail, Calendar, and Docs?

I’m not sure how new of a feature this is, but Google Apps now has an easy way to add cool looking icons to your desktop.  Once your icons are on your desktop, you’ll be able to just double click and be taken directly to the Apps services (Gmail, Calendar, Docs).

Here’s how you get desktop icons for your Google Apps account:

1) First, you must be the admin of your domain.  Then from any of your services (Gmail, Calendar, Docs) click the “Manage this domain” link.  This will take you into your dashboard for your Google Apps domain.

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2) Next, on the heading tabs at the top of your Google Apps dashboard page, click on the one called “Advanced Tools” – this is the fourth tab to the right.

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3) You should now see the “Google Apps desktop features” around the middle of the next page after clicking “Advanced Tools”.   Go ahead and click the “here” link, or the long sharable link underneath it.

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4) This will now open a download file window.  Once you see the download window appear, click “Save File“.

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5) After you click “Save File”, this should add an executable file to your desktop called “googleappsstandalonesetuptagged.exe” – go ahead and double click the executable file.

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6) You should now see a new small window appear with the options to “Run” or “Cancel” > go ahead and click “Run“.  This will begin the install of your Google Apps icons.

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7) Finally, after you click  “Run“, if everything went normally, you will be presented with a “Google Apps installed successfully” confirmation window.

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And that’s it – you should now see these three icons:

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Now you can go to your desktop and find the three icons – Gmail, Calendar, and Docs.  These icons will open up a Google Chrome framed window, and you will either be presented with the Google Apps login screen, or if you’re already logged in, then you’ll proceed directly to that service.

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