How to Create Desktop Shortcuts on Windows 10 the Easy Way

ByUmar Ali – December 2, 2020

Do you know how to create desktop shortcuts on Windows 10 in a simple and easy way? Windows 10 still allows you to create desktop shortcuts to files, applications, files or folders, and even websites in Google Chrome & Firefox. Desktop shortcut icons may a little out of fashion, but they are still useful as a portion of a properly organized desktop.

Read: How to Create a Shutdown Icon in Windows 10

What is Difference of Adding Shortcuts in Mac and PC

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In case you are linking from a Mac to a Computer, one of the basic differences you will come across is how you make or add shortcuts to programs to your desktop. On your Mac, you need simply drag a program’s icon from the apps folder to the desktop, and voila! a shortcut was created! On the PC, there are two kinds of programs (Modern apps and Desktop apps) and there’s no single visible folder or file that holds all of your applications, so things are a little more complicated.

Read: How to Create a Shutdown Icon in Windows 8 or 8.1

How to Create a Shortcut to an Application

If you want to do this the simple way to create a desktop shortcut to an app on Windows 10.

Click the Start menu in Windows 10.
Find the app you wish to use by scrolling through the application list on the left side of the menu.
If it is the tiles list on the right side of the menu, you can also drag it from there.
When you have found it, click and hold to drag and drop the app’s shortcut from your Start menu on your desktop.
You will view the word “Link” show once you are hovering over the desktop.
Release the mouse button to create a link to the program, also known as a desktop shortcut.

Read: How to hide the taskbar in Windows 10

How to Create a Shortcut to a File or Folder

Let’s show how to create a desktop shortcut to Folder or File, locate the folder anywhere in File Explorer. Here are these steps to create a Shortcut to a Folder or File.

Method 1# Create a Shortcut of File or Folder

Find the File and Hold down the Alt key on your PC Keyboard and then drag and drop the folder or file to your desktop.
The “Create Link in Desktop” words will appear
Now leave the mouse button to create the link.

The Alt key must need to hold down. In case do not hold down the Alt key, Windows will display you the words “Move to Desktop” and it will move the file or folder to your computer desktop rather than simply creating a link.

Method 2 # Create Desktop Shortcut of File or Folder

Right-Click on the File or Folder to create a desktop shortcut
Select the send option
Then select the Desktop (create shortcut)

Read: How to Connect to a Wi-Fi Network on Windows 10

How to Create a Shortcut to a Website

You can create websites shortcuts to your desktop in Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome very quickly. Let’s show how to do so:

Open any Web page in your Chrome or Firebox browser
Select link drag and drop the icon to the left of the address bar ( It is usually an “i” or padlock in a circle) to the desktop

Remember that for some reason this does not work in Edge. Microsoft Edge will not allow you directly to create a desktop shortcut. However, you can create shortcuts in Firefox or Google Chrome browsers, and they will automatically launch in your default web browser–eve it that is Edge.

Read: How to Disable & Re-enable the Windows Key on Windows 10

How to working with Your Shortcuts

If you create any type of desktop shortcut in Windows 10:

You can simply right-click it afterward and select the Rename option
Then change the name to anything you wish

You can use the entire the above ways to create shortcuts in other folders or files, too. Wish to create a desktop shortcut to an application or website in your Download folder? Go right ahead! Just hold drag and drop it to your location where you want instead of the desktop.

Read: How to Set Up and Use Google Assistant Workday Routine

Unhiding Desktop Shortcut icons

If you do not view any shortcuts on your PC desktop, they may be hidden. To unhide them then follow these steps

Go to your Desktop and Right-Click anywhere
Select the View option
Then select Show Desktop icons to unhide them

You can also change to increase or decrease the size of your desktop shortcut icons from here–small, medium, or large. For other size options, position your mouse cursor over the desktop, Press hold down the Ctrl key, and scroll up and down with your mouse wheel.

How to Make Desktop Shortcuts in Windows 10

Let’s show you some alternative ways to make or create desktop shortcuts of all app and Desktop or Modern apps:

First Way: To Create Shortcuts of Desktop Apps Only

To make shortcuts of the Desktop applications in the following steps:

Click on the Windows button to navigate the Start menu
Select the All applications
Find the app and right-click on it to create a desktop shortcut for
Select the More option
Click to open file location (In case this option doesn’t appear, this application is a Modern application, so you will wish to use the 2nd set of guidelines)
Now Right-click on the app’s icon
Click on the Create Shortcut
Select the Yes option

You’ve got a desktop shortcut for your Desktop program!

Second Way: To Create Shortcut of Modern or Desktop Apps

Here are these steps to create a shortcut of Desktop or Modern Apps:

Click on the Windows icon to navigate the Start menu
In the Cortana, box type the Command Prompt
From the results select the Command Prompt
Type the “explorer shell: AppsFolder” without the quotation marks and hit the Enter key
Now Right-click on the app
Select the Create shortcut option
Select the Yes option
Your app has a desktop shortcut on windows 10.

FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsAppUmar Alihttps://www.dowpie.comUmar Ali is a passionate content writer. He feeds many blogs with his unique content. He loves creating contents tutorial content. And contribute many guest articles on different websites.