How To Create A Program Shortcut On Windows 10 Desktop

You can create a shortcut in Windows 10 to access a file or program from the desktop, or another folder.
Shortcuts are usually created automatically when you install a program for the first time, but can be done manually for any file or folder on your Windows 10 computer.
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When using Windows 10, it can be very difficult to navigate through all your computer's folders, and annoying to have to search for a program every time you want to use it. This is when shortcuts can come in handy.

Shortcuts in Windows 10 allow you to go from one area of your computer, like your desktop, straight to what you need opened. When you install a program, it usually gives you the option to create a shortcut on your desktop and Start Menu for exactly this purpose.

You can manually create shortcuts for an application, which will launch that program as soon as you click it, or shortcuts that will bring you to a specific folder.

Here's how you make shortcuts in Windows 10.

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How to create a shortcut to a file or folder in Windows 10 in two ways

1. Navigate to the folder you want to make a shortcut to. In this example, we'll use the Steam games folder called "common," which can often be hard to get to. I'll then add a shortcut to it on my desktop.

Navigate to the folder you want to make a shortcut of without opening it — in this case, "common."

2. Right-click the folder icon you want to make a shortcut of, and select "Create shortcut" from the right-click menu. This will create a "shortcut" file that can be placed anywhere — for example, on your desktop. All you need to do is drag it there.

3. Alternatively, you can right-click and hover your mouse over the "Send to" option. If you select "Desktop" from this menu, it will automatically create a shortcut for you, and place it on your desktop.

By right-clicking, I can make a shortcut of the "common" folder, and now I can create a shortcut on my desktop — which will open the "common" folder when I double-click it.

How to create a shortcut to an application in Windows 10

Applications work in much the same way, but require you to create a shortcut to the program's executable or .exe file. This is the file you'd usually click to open the program.

1. To find the program's executable file, either press the Windows logo on your keyboard or press the icon at the bottom left of your screen, and search for the name application you want to make a shortcut of. In this case, I'll use Steam.

2. Once the program appears in your search results, right-click the icon and select "Open file location."

"Open file location" should appear like this if you're right clicking the application file.

3. This should open the file's folder, with the .exe file already highlighted. Right-click it and select "Create shortcut" to make a shortcut which can be placed anywhere. You can also send a shortcut automatically to the desktop, like you did for a folder.

4. Double-clicking the shortcut will open the application, no matter where the shortcut is placed.

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Ross James is a freelance writer for Business Insider.