Pin Apps & Folders to Start Screen in Windows 8 - Guide

Pinning Applications and Folders to the Windows 8 Start Screen

Windows 8 introduced a new capability allowing users to natively pin both applications and folders directly to the Start screen. This represents a significant advancement compared to Windows 7, where pinning folders to the Start menu necessitated the use of external, third-party applications.

Pinning an Application

To pin an application to the Start screen, begin by opening Windows Explorer. This can be accomplished by selecting the Windows Explorer tile located in the lower-left corner of the Start screen.

If you are currently on the Desktop, Windows Explorer is readily accessible from the Taskbar, functioning identically to its behavior in Windows 7.

Within Explorer, navigate to the folder that houses the application you wish to pin. Then, right-click on the application’s .exe file and choose “Pin to Start” from the context menu that appears.

The newly created shortcut, visualized as a tile, will be positioned on the right side of the Start screen.

Pinning a Folder

The procedure for pinning a folder to the Start screen mirrors that of an application. Simply navigate to the desired folder, right-click on it, and select “Pin to Start.”

An example of both an application and a folder pinned to the Start screen is shown below.

Customizing Tile Placement

By default, new shortcuts are added to the right side of the Start screen. However, you can reposition these tiles to the left side for quicker access, avoiding the need to scroll. To do this, simply click and drag the tile to the left side and release it.

Here, four custom tiles have been moved to the left side of the Start screen for convenient access.

Creating Tile Groups

Tiles can be grouped together for better organization. For instance, to separate application tiles from folder tiles, drag a folder tile between the existing group of custom tiles and the tiles to the right until a gray bar appears.

Releasing the mouse button will create a new, independent group containing the folder tile. It can be moved back to the original group by dragging it onto the existing tiles.

Functionality and Unpinning

Clicking on a folder shortcut will open the folder within Windows Explorer on the Desktop. Similarly, you can remove a pinned folder or application from the Start screen.

To unpin a folder, right-click on its tile; a check mark will appear in the corner. Options for the tile will then display at the bottom of the Start screen. Select “Unpin from Start” to remove the tile.

Right-clicking on an application tile presents additional options. As with folders, clicking “Unpin from Start” will remove the application’s tile from the Start screen.

Renaming Tiles

The default name of a tile is typically the .exe file name for applications or the folder name. However, you can easily customize these names. Right-click on the tile you want to change to select it, then click “Open file location” at the bottom of the Start screen.

This will open the folder containing the program and folder shortcuts in Windows Explorer. The location is typically:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Select the shortcut you wish to rename and press the F2 key. Modify the name as desired and press Enter. Alternatively, you can double-click the file name slowly to make it editable.

The tile on the Start screen will then reflect the new name.

Pinning from the Desktop

If you install a program that creates a Desktop shortcut but not a Start screen shortcut, you can easily pin it to the Start screen. Simply right-click on the Desktop shortcut and select “Pin to Start” from the context menu.

The Windows 8 Start screen, also known as the Metro screen, may require some adjustment, but it can be tailored to align with your individual workflow and preferences.