In Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft has moved away from traditional desktop shortcuts in favor of a more user-friendly system that allows you to add shortcuts to the desktop using several methods. One way is to use the Start Menu, which you can access by pressing the Windows key and clicking on the three lines in the top left corner of the screen. You can also add shortcuts to apps and files using the charms bar, which is located at the bottom of your screen. The charms bar includes a list of all your installed apps and files as well as any shortcut icons that have been added to your desktop. To add a shortcut to an app or file, just click on its icon and select Add To Desktop from the pop-up menu that appears.

Add App Shortcuts via the Start Menu

To create a desktop shortcut to a Microsoft Store app—Photos, Calendar, etc.—or a traditional program on your PC, the quickest way is to drag it from the Start menu’s app list to the desktop.

You can drag out pinned Start menu apps into the desktop as shortcuts by right-clicking on them and choosing “drag and drop.”

Add App Shortcuts via the Applications Folder

The Applications folder in Windows 10 and 11 is a special directory that features a comprehensive list of all Microsoft Store and non-Store apps on your computer. It offers an alternative way to create desktop shortcuts to the programs on your computer and lists items you typically won’t find listed within the Start menu, such as the Control Panel. The Applications folder can be found under the following location: C:\Windows\System32\Appx64\Microsoft.Windows.Store

Windows 10: To access the Applications folder in Windows, type “cmd” into the Start menu and select Open. Then run the explorer shell:AppsFolder command.

Add Traditional System Shortcuts

You can place anything you want in the Recycle Bin on Windows 10 and 11 by default, but you can also put system shortcuts, user account folders, the network devices folder, and Control Panel in there.

Create Program, File, and Folder Shortcuts via File Explorer

To create shortcuts to files and folders, use File Explorer. You can also create shortcuts to specific files or folders by using the Find command.

Create Program Shortcuts

If you have trouble locating the executable of a non-Store app, right-click the program on the Start menu and select “Open file location.” That should take you to the shortcuts folder for the Start menu. Again, right-click the program and select “Open file location” to bring up the application directory with the main EXE file highlighted. ..

Right-click the application file and select Send to > Desktop (shortcut) on the contextual menu. You can also click and hold the right mouse button (not the left click), drag the item into the desktop, and select Create shortcuts here.

Create File and Folder Shortcuts

You can right-click the file or folder and select Send to > Desktop (shortcut) or simply drag it to the desktop with a right-click and choose the Create shortcuts here option.

Drag and Drop URLs to Create Website Shortcuts

If you want to create a shortcut to a website or webpage, you can do that quickly by dragging and dropping the URL to the desktop.

Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and any other web browser you use in Windows 10 and 11 can all be configured to block pop-ups. ..

Create Progressive Web App Shortcuts

Chromium-based browsers like Chrome and Edge can create progressive web apps (PWAs) for websites that appear on the desktop. PWAs feature website favicons, making them easier to distinguish from typical website shortcuts.

  1. Open Chrome and sign in with your Google account.
  2. Click on the three lines in the top left corner of the main screen, and select “Add site.”
  3. Enter the name of the site you want to install as an app, and click on “Add.”
  4. If you’re using a website that’s not already an app on Chrome, you’ll need to create one first. Click on “Create new app” in the top right corner of the main screen, and enter a name for your new site.
  5. Click on “Finish.”

If you use Edge, open the Edge menu and select Apps > Install this site as an app. Then select the site you want to install from the list.

Use the New Shortcut Wizard

The Create Shortcut wizard is a fast and reliable tool for creating desktop shortcuts for apps. You can also add shortcuts to programs, files, folders, and websites.

What’s Next?

Create a shortcut to your favorite app on your desktop. This can be anything from a website you visit often to a file you save or open.

Shortcuts can help you get to the desktop faster, but if you have too many of them, you might want to change the spacing between them. You can also customize your desktop by changing the default icons for your shortcuts.