Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10  

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10

    How to Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    01 Apr 2020
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10


    A shortcut is a link to an item (ex: app, file, folder, drive, website, etc...) on a local or network computer.

    You can create a shortcut to an item anywhere you want to make it easier to open the target item from the location of the shortcut.

    A shortcut can also be customized to have any name, icon, and keyboard shortcut you want for it without affecting its target item.

    This tutorial will show you different ways on how to create a shortcut to an app, file, folder, drive, or website for your account in Windows 10.


    Contents

    • Option One: To Create Shortcut to App from Start Menu
    • Option Two: To Create Shortcut to App from Applications folder
    • Option Three: To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, Computer, or Website using "New -> Shortcut" Context Menu
    • Option Four: To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using "Create Shortcut" Context Menu
    • Option Five: To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using "Paste Shortcut" Context Menu
    • Option Six: To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using "Send to" Context Menu
    • Option Seven:To Create Shortcut to Folder or Drive from File Explorer Address Bar
    • Option Eight: To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using Alt or Ctrl+Shift Keys






    OPTION ONE

    To Create Shortcut to App from Start Menu


    1 Open the Start menu .

    2 Drag and drop an app on Start or in All apps to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-create_shortcut_from_start_menu.jpg

    3 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.






    OPTION TWO

    To Create Shortcut to App from Applications folder


    1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

    2 Type shell:appsfolder into the address bar, and press Enter to open the Applications folder showing your installed apps. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-shell_appsfolder-1.jpg

    3 Drag and drop an app (ex: "Microsoft Edge") from the Applications folder to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-shell_appsfolder-2.png

    4 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

    5 When finished, you can close File Explorer if you like.






    OPTION THREE

    To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, Computer, or Website using "New -> Shortcut" Context Menu


    1 Right click or press and hold on your desktop or empty area in open location where you want the shortcut in File Explorer, click/tap on New, and click/tap on Shortcut. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-new_shortcut_context_menu-1.jpg

    2 Click/tap on Browse, navigate to and select a local or network app, file, folder, drive, or computer you want to create a shortcut for, click/tap on OK, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)

    If you like, you can also copy and paste a command or website URL address (ex:"www.tenforums.com") as the location.

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-new_shortcut_context_menu-2.png Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-new_shortcut_context_menu-3.png

    3 Type a name you want for this shortcut, and click/tap on Finish. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-new_shortcut_context_menu-4.png

    4 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.






    OPTION FOUR

    To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using "Create Shortcut" Context Menu


    1 While on your desktop (Win+D) or in File Explorer (Win+E), select one or more items you want to create shortcuts for.

    2 Right click or press and hold on the selected item(s), and click/tap on Create shortcut. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-create_shortcut_context_menu-1.jpg

    3 If Windows can't create shortcut(s) for the selected item(s) at the current location, then click/tap on Yes to have the shortcut(s) created on your desktop instead. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-create_shortcut_context_menu-2.png

    4 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.






    OPTION FIVE

    To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using "Paste Shortcut" Context Menu


    1 While on your desktop (Win+D) or in File Explorer (Win+E), select one or more items you want to create shortcuts for.

    2 Right click or press and hold on the selected item(s), and click/tap on Copy. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-paste_shortcut_context_menu-1.jpg

    3 Right click or press and hold on an empty area where you want the shortcut(s) at, and click/tap on Paste shortcut. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-paste_shortcut_context_menu-2.png

    4 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.






    OPTION SIX

    To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using "Send to" Context Menu


    1 While on your desktop (Win+D) or in File Explorer (Win+E), select one or more items you want to create shortcuts for.

    2 Right click or press and hold on the selected item(s), click/tap on Send to, and click/tap on Desktop (create shortcut). (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-send_to_desktop_create_shortcut.jpg

    3 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.






    OPTION SEVEN

    To Create Shortcut to Folder or Drive from File Explorer Address Bar


    1 While in File Explorer (Win+E), open the folder or drive you want to create a shortcut for.

    2 Drag and drop the icon on the left side in the address bar to where you want to create the shortcut at. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-create_shortcut_file_explorer_address_bar_icon.jpg

    3 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.






    OPTION EIGHT

    To Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, or Drive using Alt or Ctrl+Shift Keys


    1 While on your desktop (Win+D) or in File Explorer (Win+E), select one or more items you want to create shortcuts for.

    2 Press and hold the Alt or Ctrl + Shift keys, drag and drop the selected item(s) to where you want to create the shortcut(s) at, and release the Alt or Ctrl + Shift keys. (see screenshot below)

    Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10-create_shortcut_drag_drop_ctrl-shift.jpg

    3 If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.


    That's it,
    Shawn


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  2. Steve C
    Posts : 7,904
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       New #1

    I've just done a W10 clean install on a friend's laptop. I can create a shortcut to a Windows app on the desktop as above but the icon is white instead of the correct icon. What's wrong here?
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  4. Brink
    Posts : 68,952
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    Steve C said:
    I've just done a W10 clean install on a friend's laptop. I can create a shortcut to a Windows app on the desktop as above but the icon is white instead of the correct icon. What's wrong here?
    Hello Steve,

    You can see if refreshing (F5) the desktop may help if it's a glitch.

    If not, then you can see if rebuilding the icon cache below may help if there's corruption involved.

    Rebuild Icon Cache in Windows 10
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  5. Steve C
    Posts : 7,904
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       New #3

    Brink said:
    Hello Steve,

    You can see if refreshing (F5) the desktop may help if it's a glitch.

    If not, then you can see if rebuilding the icon cache below may help if there's corruption involved.

    Rebuild Icon Cache in Windows 10
    That didn't work. I remember in a similar query before you have access to the icons for all the common Windows apps. Can you post where we can find these or post the .ico files on the forum so we can update any offending shortcuts with the correct icon?
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  6. Brink
    Posts : 68,952
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Steve C said:
    That didn't work. I remember in a similar query before you have access to the icons for all the common Windows apps. Can you post where we can find these or post the .ico files on the forum so we can update any offending shortcuts with the correct icon?
    Store apps use a PNG file instead in their package folder located in the hidden protected folder.

    "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps"
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  7. Steve C
    Posts : 7,904
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       New #5

    Brink said:
    Store apps use a PNG file instead in their package folder located in the hidden protected folder.

    "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps"
    I found those .png files after digging around in those folders using TreeSize. Once converted to .ico format they worked fine. The icons also worked again when I reset the app (e.g. Photos). However, after a while via this method they reverted back to a white icon. Is this some weird permissions issue? The icons extracted as you suggest work fine. Perhaps some enterprising person could post the common app icons on the forum.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  8. Brink
    Posts : 68,952
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    Steve C said:
    I found those .png files after digging around in those folders using TreeSize. Once converted to .ico format they worked fine. The icons also worked again when I reset the app (e.g. Photos). However, after a while via this method they reverted back to a white icon. Is this some weird permissions issue? The icons extracted as you suggest work fine. Perhaps some enterprising person could post the common app icons on the forum.
    That is odd. Do the icons show on the apps in the Start menu > All apps list?
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  9. Steve C
    Posts : 7,904
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       New #7

    Brink said:
    That is odd. Do the icons show on the apps in the Start menu > All apps list?
    Yes
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

 

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