How to create a shortcut

Create a desktop shortcut for an Office program or file

When the Microsoft Office programs are installed, you have the choice to create a desktop shortcut for the individual Office programs. However, if you don’t create a desktop shortcut at the time that you install Office then decide that you want a desktop shortcut later, you can easily create one.

Note: This article explains how to create a shortcut on your desktop. You can also add a program to the taskbar. If you are using Windows 10, right-click the program name or tile, click More > Pin to taskbar. If you are using Windows 8 or earlier, right-click the program name or tile, and then select Pin to taskbar.

Create a desktop shortcut for an Office program

If you are using Windows 10

Click the Windows key, and then browse to the Office program for which you want to create a desktop shortcut.

Left-click the name of the program, and drag it onto your desktop.

A shortcut for the program appears on your desktop.

If you are using Windows 8

Click the Windows key, and then browse to the Office program for which you want to create a desktop shortcut.

Right-click the program name or tile, and then select Open file location.

Right-click the program name, and then click Send To > Desktop (Create shortcut).

A shortcut for the program appears on your desktop.

Create a desktop shortcut for an Office document or file

You can also create desktop shortcuts for specific Office files or documents.

In Windows Explorer, browse to the document or file for which you want to create a desktop shortcut.

Right-click the name of the document, and then click Create shortcut. In Windows 8 you would click Send To > Desktop (Create shortcut).

A shortcut for that document or file appears on your desktop.

How to create a desktop shortcut with the Windows Script Host

This article describes how to create desktop shortcuts by using the Microsoft Windows Script Host (WSH) from within Visual FoxPro.

Summary

The WSH is a tool that allows you to run Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition and JScript natively within the base Operating System, either on Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0. It also includes several COM automation methods that allow you to do several tasks easily through the Windows Script Host Object Model. The Microsoft Windows Script Host is integrated into Windows 98, Windows 2000, and later versions of the Windows operating system. It is available for Windows NT 4.0 by installing the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack. To download this tool, visit Scripting.

Examples to create a desktop shortcut with WSH

This program demonstrates how to use the Windows Script Host to create a shortcut on the Windows Desktop. In order to run this example, you must have the Windows Script Host installed on your computer. To run one of these examples, copy the code below into a new program file and run it.

Example 1

Example 2: Add a command-line argument

Depending on the version of Visual FoxPro that you are using, you may need to change the name and the path of the Visual FoxPro executable in Example 2.

Example 3: Add a URL shortcut to the desktop

For the shortcut to be created, valid parameters must be passed for all methods. No error appears if one of the parameters is incorrect.

How to Create a Desktop Shortcut on Windows

Set up easy access to programs and files you frequently use

What to Know

This article explains how to create desktop shortcuts for applications, folders, and files. Additional information covers how to create shortcuts from a web browser. Instructions apply to Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.

Create a Shortcut From the Desktop

When you create a shortcut on the Windows desktop, you get easy access to any file or program installed on your computer. There are two requirements for creating a shortcut. First, you must know the file or program path or be able to navigate to it. Second, you must have permission to access the file or program. There are multiple ways to create shortcuts. Below are the steps to create a shortcut on your desktop by using the Create Shortcut wizard.

On your desktop screen, right-click any empty space.

In the drop-down menu that appears, select New.

Select Shortcut.

In the Create Shortcut wizard, select Browse to find the file or program that needs a shortcut.

If you already know the path to the file or program, type it and proceed to step five.

Navigate to the file or program you want to create a shortcut for. Select OK.

Select Next.

Type the name you want to assign to the shortcut, then select Finish.

Your new shortcut appears on your desktop. You can use it as you would the other shortcuts.

Create a Desktop Shortcut in File Explorer With a Right-Click

There are three ways to create a desktop shortcut from File Explorer. The first method includes using the right-click context menu. See the next two sections for alternative ways.

From your taskbar, launch File Explorer.

Navigate to the file or program, then select it.

Right-click the name of the file. From the menu that appears, select Send to.

Select Desktop (create shortcut).

Your new shortcut appears on your desktop. You can use it as you would the other shortcuts.

Create a Desktop Shortcut Using the Alt Key

The second way to create a desktop shortcut from the File Explorer is by using the Alt key:

From your taskbar, launch File Explorer.

Locate the program or file.

While pressing the Alt key, left-click and drag the app to your desktop and release.

Create From File Explorer Using Right-Click and Drag

The last way to create a shortcut from File Explorer is by using right-click and dragging to the desktop:

From your taskbar, launch File Explorer.

Locate the program or file.

Right-click and drag the program to the desktop and release.

From the right-click context menu, select Create shortcuts here.

Create a Shortcut From the Start Menu

Another way to create an application shortcut is from the Start menu. See the steps below.

Select Start in the lower-left corner. Alternatively, press the Windows key.

Locate the app that needs a desktop shortcut.

Left-click and drag the app to your desktop, then select Link.

Create a Shortcut of a Web Page

If you have a favorite web page you visit frequently, you can create a desktop shortcut in a few steps. The steps below apply to Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

Open your favorite browser and navigate to your favorite website.

In the address bar, select the padlock and drag it to the Desktop.

Release your mouse button. A shortcut should appear.

How to create software shortcut methods in the desktop mode of Windows 8?

Scenario description

In Windows 8, why can’t I find the way to create application shortcuts on desktop? I only see the two options «Pin to Start» and «Pin to Taskbar», and although these two methods are convenient, sometimes I wish to create application shortcuts on desktop, too. How can I achieve this feature?

Easy to get started 123

First, from the «All apps» screen, please find the software you want to create desktop shortcuts for. On the icon, slide your finger from the top down, then click «Open file location.» Here, we use Word 2013 as an example. (If you’re using a mouse, please right-click the mouse on the icon, then click «Open file location.»

Next, please press and hold down the icons of the software you’d like to create shortcuts for (with your finger), then click «Send to,» and click «Desktop (create shortcut).» (If you’re using a mouse, please right-click the mouse on the software icon, then click «Send to,» and click «Desktop (create shortcut).»

Now, on your Desktop, you will be able to see the shortcut icon for the application.

However, in Windows 8, you cannot create shortcuts for Modern UI software on desktop. This method is only applicable for software in the desktop mode.

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Become a Windows whiz by creating your own keyboard shortcuts

May we present: the keys to productivity.

By David Nield | Published Nov 12, 2020 3:42 PM

Knowing the right keyboard shortcuts can make a big difference in how quickly you can get stuff done—and if the hotkeys you need aren’t available, it’s not difficult to create your own.

Whether you need to launch a specific application regularly, have a folder you need quick access to, or want to enable a particular tool, you can set up a keyboard combination to help.

But before you start experimenting with new Windows shortcuts, it’s a good idea to learn the ones that already exist. You might find that what you’re looking for is already available, but you’ll also ensure your new combos don’t duplicate those that are already set up.

We’ve previously covered some of our favorite picks, from Win+D to show or hide the desktop to Ctrl+W to close windows and tabs, but Microsoft also has a comprehensive list of shortcuts for you to refer to.

Feel like an expert now? Good. It’s time to make your own.

Create keyboard shortcuts with Windows

Building a new keyboard shortcut to a program, file, or folder in Windows is easy. In File Explorer, right-click on whatever you want to open with your keyboard combination, and choose Create shortcut.

A new icon will appear, which is the shortcut to the program, file, or folder—it’s not a keyboard shortcut yet. It’s the sort of shortcut you’d find on your desktop, linked to an application or a folder deeper within the operating system. Double-clicking this new icon will open up whatever you’ve linked to.

The trick is that this newly created shortcut can be assigned a shortcut key as well. Right-click on it and choose Properties, then Shortcut. Click in the box marked Shortcut key, then press your choice of keys to assign them (they should appear in the box). Click OK to confirm your choice.

Pressing your new combination of keys will launch whatever file, folder, or program you selected, saving you a trip to the Start menu or the taskbar.

You need to be careful not to duplicate other key combinations from Windows, or the apps you use, as you won’t get a warning if there’s a duplicate—it’ll just do what it was originally assigned to do. You’ll also need to use a couple of modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, or Alt) in your combination to tell Windows that you want to activate a shortcut—you can’t just hit “s” and have Spotify launch itself, for example.

Create keyboard shortcuts with third-party programs

A handful of third-party programs will help you create custom keyboard shortcuts for Windows. WinHotKey is an older one, but it’s easy to use, still works fine on Windows 10, and won’t cost you anything.

With the program loaded on screen, click New Hotkey to configure your new shortcut. The next screen will let you specify a key combination—which must include Shift, Alt, Ctrl, or the Windows key—and then associate an action with it. Each shortcut can open a file or a folder, or launch a program.

AutoHotKey is a newer, more advanced shortcut creator, and it’s also free to use. It requires a bit more investment in terms of time and thought, but it lets you create more complex shortcuts for typing out fragments of text (like typing “tks” to tell someone “thanks a lot,”) and putting messages on screen (like a dialog box with the date), as well as launching specific apps, files, and folders.

You’ll need to create scripts by right-clicking on the desktop and choosing New, then AutoHotKey Script. These contain the code necessary for your shortcuts to work on Windows in response to your key presses, like making sure the “run” command launches programs and the “send” command types text.

Don’t worry if this sounds overwhelming—when you use AutoHotKey for the first time, you’ll be met with a brief tutorial that will guide you through some basic scripts. All the documentation you’ll need is also available online.

It doesn’t take long to grasp the basics, and once you do, you’ll be able to conduct a whole host of actions with just your fingers and keys.

Create keyboard shortcuts from inside your applications

You can add even more personalized keyboard shortcuts within many of the applications you use regularly. This option won’t be available in every program, but quite a few apps offer it, so it’s worth checking.

Microsoft Word, for example, includes the feature. With a document open in Word, choose File, Options, Customize Ribbon, and then Customize (next to “Keyboard shortcuts”) to start adding new ones. Use the Save changes in box to keep new shortcuts specific to a document or template, or just leave the default Normal.dotm value there to apply your changes to all future documents based on the default template.

You’ll see a list of commands available in Word, and creating keyboard shortcuts for them is as simple as selecting them from the list and hitting your preferred combination of keys. If the shortcut is already linked to a command, Word will tell you with a popup dialog box that also lets you disable existing shortcuts and add new ones.

Adobe Photoshop is another program that lets you customize keyboard shortcuts. Open the Edit menu and choose Keyboard Shortcuts to get started, or make use of the keyboard shortcut for the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog—it’s Alt+Shift+Ctrl+K.

You can set shortcuts for menu items, opening panels in the interface, and switching to specific tools—just select one of these entries in the list on screen, then click Add Shortcut, and press your chosen key combination. If you pick a shortcut that already exists, Photoshop will warn you (and switch the shortcut, if you want it to).

David Nield is a freelance contributor at Popular Science, producing how to guides and explainers for the DIY section on everything from improving your smartphone photos to boosting the security of your laptop. He doesn’t get much spare time, but when he does he spends it watching obscure movies and taking long walks in the countryside.

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