Create Desktop Shortcut in Windows

Overview

This article provides instructions for creating a shortcut to an application, file or website on the Windows desktop. Shortcuts are an efficient way to navigate to frequently used applications, files or websites. 

 

Instructions

Windows 11 Operating System:

  1. Select the Windows Start button.
  2. Select All Apps.
  3. Locate the application you wish to create a shortcut of and hold left-click.
  4. Drag the application to the desktop and release left-click.

Alternate method (web link process): 

  1. Right-click on the desktop.
  2. Hover your mouse pointer over the option New.
  3. Select Shortcut.
  4. Enter the application name, file location, or website destination.
    • Alternatively, select Browse to manually search for a file. Select OK.
  5. Select Next.
  6. Enter the name of the shortcut.
  7. Select Finish.

​​​​​Windows 10 Operating System:

  1. Select the Windows Start button.
  2. Locate the application you wish to create a shortcut of and right-click.
  3. Hover your mouse pointer over the option More.
  4. From the drop-down menu, select Open File Location.
    • If Open File Location is not an option, skip down to the alternate method below.
  5. Right-click the application again.
  6. Hover your mouse over Send to.
  7. From the drop-down menu select Desktop (create shortcut).

Alternate method (web link process):

  1. Right-click on the desktop.
  2. Select New Shortcut.
  3. Enter the application name, file location, or website destination.
    • Alternatively, select Browse to manually search for a file. Select OK.
  4. Select Next.
  5. Enter the name of the shortcut.
  6. Select Finish.

Note: The above methods can also be done to create a shortcut for a departmental file share. The departmental file share path will be used when creating the shortcut (ex: \\jccc-files\Information Services).

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