Windows 8 Desktop

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AlGreg

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When I install a program on my Windows 8 computer, sometime the program's icon will install on the Desktop and sometimes it will only install on the Start Menu.  If you right click a Desktop icon, you can pin to Task Bar or pin to Start.  If you right click a Start Menu icon, you can only pin to Task Bar.  Is there a way to put a Start Menu icon on the Desktop?
 
Windows 8 doesn't have a Start menu, are you referring to the Start Screen?  Programs designed for the start screen are not the same as desktop programs and the two are not interchangeable.  If you think of the start screen as a flat Start button menu, Windows 8 makes more sense.  Start screen programs are also designed to be active even when not maximized and can display changing data on the start screen.  Desktop programs can't do that.
 
Any program can be pinned to the start screen and many will do so by default when installed. If they are Windows Desktop programs rather than Start Screen compatible, they will trigger a switch to the Desktop when launched (clicked)launch. I have many of my traditional Windows programs on the Start Screen and can launch them directly from there if I choose (but I rarely do).

If you right click an icon on the desktop, one of the choices is "Pin to Start". Or at least it is when using the Classic Shell add-on. That does add some things to the context menu.
 
  Am using Windows 8 and beginning to like it more and more - but as with millions of other users, consider the elimination of the Start Button a huge mistake. MS is getting the word partly because so many third party Start Menu 8 add ons are making tons. My understanding from articles such as this one the Start Button/Menu plus the option to boot directly to ones desktop will be coming in Version 8.1 or whatever it will be called - later this year.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2036094/microsoft-to-bring-the-start-button-to-win-8-reports-say.html

I recall when I first loaded 8 on my laptop it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to turn it off the first time - refusing, of course, read manuals or access help menus. Actually, the easiest way to turn it off is the same way one turns it on -- the on/off hardware button. If a restart is needed working via one of the hot corners is best.
 
Yes Ned, I am referring to the start screen.  Most of the time, my computer is at the desktop when I sit down to use it.  I would like to be able to start my programs without going to the start screen.  A lot of the programs I have installed have given me the option at the end of the install to put an icon on the desktop.  In previous versions of windows, you could click  start/all programs, find your program, right click and choose send to/ desktop (create shortcut).  One program that I wanted on my desktop was Word Perfect.  It was on the Start Screen and I could always switch to the start screen to launch it, but I want to eliminate that step. I was able to find a shortcut in Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Word Perfect that I copied to the desktop.  I would like to make that process a little easier to do.
 
AlGreg said:
  One program that I wanted on my desktop was Word Perfect.  It was on the Start Screen and I could always switch to the start screen to launch it, but I want to eliminate that step. I was able to find a shortcut in Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Word Perfect that I copied to the desktop.  I would like to make that process a little easier to do.
Click to expand...

Rather than finding a shortcut, if one even exists, I just do a right click drag of the program file (in this case WPWin8.EXE as I keep a copy of WordPerfect8 on my XP machine) to the desktop. Then select "Create Shortcut" from the speed menu that appears.

On that computer, the attached is where the EXE is located in the Corel folder in the root of the C: drive.
 

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On the Start screen, just start typing wordperfect and see what happens.
 
Instead of going to the desktop, finding the shortcut, and double clicking it, just type the name of the program when the start screen is showing and it will show up in a list of matching items.  Just like Windows 7 when you press the Windows key and start typing, but one less keystroke.  Instead of trying to make Windows 8 look and behave like Windows 7, people should learn to use the new and often easier methods of doing things in 8.

This is deja vu.  When we went from the DOS command line to the Windows (and other) GUIs, people complained because they couldn't type in the program name.  We've come full circle, only in color :)
 
Sorry - I misread your original and thought you were asking to pin to the Start page rather than desktop.

I have created Desktop shortcuts if the program didn't make one of its own. Just right click and then NEW and SHORTCUT. You have to navigate to the programs exe file, though, which can be a nuisance.

From the start page, you can right click an icon and select Open File Location, which gets you to the folder that contains the executable module. There you can Send to..." the Desktop, which creates a shortcut for it. Maybe that would help you?
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
I have created Desktop shortcuts if the program didn't make one of its own. Just right click and then NEW and SHORTCUT. You have to navigate to the programs exe file, though, which can be a nuisance.
Click to expand...

Gary, NEW isn't available when right clicking an EXE file - it's to create a new folder. Did you read my earlier post on how to create a shortcut from an EXE within a folder. Or maybe I'm misreading what you suggest??
 
NEW isn't available when right clicking an EXE file - it's to create a new folder. Did you read my earlier post on how to create a shortcut from an EXE within a folder. Or maybe I'm misreading what you suggest??
Click to expand...

I think you misread, Bob. As you know, you get the NEW option when you right click the Desktop, and you can create a new Shortcut or a Folder. I was suggesting a new Shortcut.

The other suggestions I made is easier if you can begin from an icon on the Start Page.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
I think you misread, Bob. As you know, you get the NEW option when you right click the Desktop, and you can create a new Shortcut or a Folder. I was suggesting a new Shortcut.

The other suggestions I made is easier if you can begin from an icon on the Start Page.
Click to expand...

Yes -- I did misread that you suggested right clicking the EXE. Thanks. I have been finding the EXE, or whatever file type I want to shortcut from the desktop first for years now. Agree that the 8 feature of finding the EXE from a Start screen tile "is" nice.
 
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