Windows 10 still lets you create desktop shortcuts to applications, files, folders, and even websites. Desktop icons may a little out of fashion, simply they're still useful as office of a nicely organized desktop.

How to Create a Shortcut to an Awarding

To do this the easy fashion, open Windows x'southward Start carte. Wait for the application yous want to use by scrolling through the Apps list at the left side of the menu. If it'south in the tiles listing at the correct side of the carte, you tin can also elevate it from there.

Once y'all've constitute it, elevate and drop the application's shortcut from your Start carte du jour to your desktop. You'll see the word "Link" appear when you lot're hovering over the desktop. Release the mouse button to create a link to the program, also known every bit a desktop shortcut.

Creating a desktop shortcut from Windows 10's Start menu

Note that you can't search for the awarding past name in the Outset menu. Windows 10 won't let you drag and drib annihilation from the search results. It should, just it doesn't.

How to Create a Shortcut to a File or Folder

To create a desktop shortcut to a file, first, locate the file somewhere in File Explorer. Hold downward the Alt cardinal on your keyboard and so drag and drop the file or folder to your desktop. The words "Create Link in Desktop" will announced. Release the mouse button to create the link.

Creating a desktop shortcut from a file in Windows 10's File Explorer

Holding down Alt is necessary. If you don't hold down Alt, Windows will prove the words "Move to Desktop," and information technology volition move the folder or file to your desktop rather than simply creating a link.

How to Create a Shortcut to a Website

In Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, you can speedily create desktop shortcuts to websites. With a spider web page open, drag and drop the icon to the left of the address bar—it's more often than not a padlock or an "i" in a circle—to the desktop.

Creating a desktop shortcut link to a web page with Google Chrome on Windows 10

This doesn't piece of work in Microsoft Edge for some reason. Edge won't let you directly create desktop shortcuts. However, y'all tin can create them in Chrome or Firefox, and they'll automatically open in your default web browser—fifty-fifty if that's Microsoft Edge.

Working With Your Shortcuts

Whatever type of shortcut you lot create, yous tin can right-click it afterward, select "Rename," and change the proper noun to any yous like.

You lot can use all the in a higher place methods to create shortcuts in other folders, too. Want to create a shortcut to a website or application in your Downloads folder? Get right alee! Only drag and drop it to your desired location instead of the desktop.

If you don't run into any shortcuts on your desktop, they may exist hidden. Right-click the desktop and select View > Prove Desktop Icons to unhide them.

Yous tin can also cull the size of your desktop icons from here—large, medium, or small. For more than size options, position your mouse cursor over the desktop, hold downwardly the Ctrl fundamental, and coil up and downwardly with your mouse wheel.

RELATED: How To Organize Your Messy Windows Desktop (And Keep It That Way)