How to Create a Shortcut on Desktop in Windows 10

create shortcut on windows 10 desktop

Some programs automatically create shortcuts on the desktop in Windows 10 once the installation completes, while some don’t. Hence, sometimes you need to manually create a shortcut for a program/file/folder to the desktop so that it can be more convenient for you to quickly open it.

2 methods to create a shortcut on Windows 10 desktop

No matter which method you will use, you have to first figure out the file location of the program/file/folder to which you will create a shortcut.

Method 1

Step 1: On the Windows 10 desktop, right-click on any blank area. Then select New > Shortcut.

Right-click on desktop and New shortcut

Step 2: Manually type the location of the item to which you want to create a shortcut in the text field, and then click Next. As you can see in the following screenshot, here I take Control Panel as an example.

Type location

Or you can click Browse and navigate to the target location of the item.

Browse for shortcut

Step 3: Type a name for the shortcut. Then click Finish.

Type name for the shortcut

Then a newly created control panel shortcut is on the Windows 10 desktop. Double-click on the shortcut so that you can quickly open Control Panel in Windows 10.

Newly created Control Panel shortcut

Method 2

Step 1: Click on File Explorer on the taskbar.

Click File Explorer

Step 2: Click This PC and browse for the files/folders to find the target object to which you would like to create a shortcut. Right-click on the object and point to Send to > Desktop (create shortcut). In the following screenshot, here I take the Command Prompt as an example.

Send to desktop

Then you can see a newly created cmd shortcut appear on Windows 10 desktop. Double-click the shortcut to run Command Prompt or right-click on the shortcut and select Run as administrator so that you can open Command Prompt as administrator.

Command Prompt shortcut

The above are the two methods to create a shortcut on desktop in Windows 10. Of course, it should be similar in any other Windows. This page I take Control Panel and Command Prompt as an example. You can also do that for other programs, files, folders, computers, or internet address.

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About the Author: Darren