General Pin to Start an App, Drive, File, Folder, or Site in Windows 11


  • Staff
Pin_to_Start_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to pin an app, drive, file, folder, library, or web site to Start for your account in Windows 11.

The Start menu is comprised of three sections: Pinned, All apps, and Recommended.

The Start menu contains shortcuts of all your apps, settings, and files.

The section at the top of the Start menu is called the Pinned section. This section consists of pins arranged in a grid. The items in this section are a subset of all the apps installed on the PC; not all installed apps are included in this section by default. The number of rows and items in this view are consistent across device panel sizes.

While the initial view of this section displays 18 items, a user can use the pagination control to move through pages of additional pins. The items in this section are a combination of Microsoft-defined apps, dynamically delivered apps, and OEM-configured items. Users can add, move, or remove pins in this this section.

An item can only appear in the Pinned section once. It's not possible to pin an app in more than one location in this section, whether on the same page or on different pages.


Contents



EXAMPLE: Pinned items on Start

Pinned_to_Start.jpg





Option One

Pin App to Start from Taskbar


1 While the app is on the taskbar, do step 2 or step 3 below.

2 Press and hold the Shift key, right click on the app's icon on the taskbar, release the Shift key, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_app_to_Start_from_taskbar-2.png

3 Right click or press and hold on the app's icon on the taskbar, right click or press and hold on the app in the menu, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_app_to_Start_from_taskbar-1.png




Option Two

Pin App to Start from All Apps


1 Open the Start menu :win:, and click/tap on the All apps button at the top. (see screenshot below)

Pin_app_to_Start_from_All_apps-1.jpg

2 Right click or press and hold on the app in the All apps list, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_app_to_Start_from_All_apps-2.jpg





Option Three

Pin App to Start from Context Menu


1 While on your desktop (Win+D) on in File Explorer (Win+E), right click or press and hold on the app. (see screenshot below)

2 Click/tap on Pin to Start.

Pin_app_to_Start_from_context_menu.png





Option Four

Pin Site to Start from Microsoft Edge


1 Open Microsoft Edge.

2 Open the site (ex: "www.elevenforum.com") you want to pin to Start.

3 Click/tap on the Settings and more (Alt+F) 3 dots menu icon, click/tap on More tools, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_Site_to_Start-1.png

4 Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)

Pin_Site_to_Start-2.png




Option Five

Pin Drive to Start


1 Open This PC in File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Right click or press and hold on the drive, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_drive_to_Start.png





Option Six

Pin File to Start


1 Right click or press and hold on the file, click/tap on Show more options, click/tap on Send to, and click/tap on Desktop (create shortcut). (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-1.png

2 Right click or press and hold on the file shortcut on your desktop, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-2.png

3 In the Shortcut tab, add explorer with a space after it in front of the Target path, and click/tap on Apply. (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-3.png

4 Click/tap on Change icon. (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-3.png

5 Under Look for icons in this file, type imageres.dll, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-5.png

6 Select a file icon you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)

You can use any icon that you would like to have displayed on the taskbar for this file.


7 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-6.png

8 Right click or press and hold on the file shortcut on your desktop, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_file_to_Start-7.png

9 You can now safely delete the file shortcut on your desktop. It's no longer needed.




Option Seven

Pin Folder to Start


1 Right click or press and hold on the folder, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_folder_to_Start.png





Option Eight

Pin Folder to Start from Mail app


1 Open the Mail app.

2 Click/tap on More in the left pane. (see screenshot below step 3)

3 Right click on the folder you want to pin in the middle pane, and click/tap on Pin to Start. (see screenshot below)

Pin_Mail_folder_to_Start-1.jpg

4 Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)

Pin_Mail_folder_to_Start-2.png




Option Nine

Unpin Item from Start


1 Open the Start menu :win:. (see screenshot below)

2 Under the Pinned section on the Start menu, right click or press and hold on the app you want to unpin.

3 Click/tap on Unpin from Start.

Unpin_from_Start.jpg



That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

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Last edited:
I can't find a thread for Pin/Unpin to Start, and I'm not sure how I did it now but I've turned it off everywhere, except..


It remains on the recycle bin. I'm always accidentally clicking it. How can I get rid of it here?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 [22H2] [22621.2428]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Culture-Virus v4.0
    CPU
    i7-11700k
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix Z590
    Memory
    32GB Crucial Ballistix 3600MHz @ 4227MHz 16-18-38 2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC CQ27G2U/BK
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    M.2 1: Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB
    M.2 2: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X SHIFT
    Case
    Fractal Design 7 XL
    Cooling
    Custom Water
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB TKL CHAMPION SERIES
    Mouse
    ROCCAT LEADR Optical
    Browser
    Chrome
I can't find a thread for Pin/Unpin to Start, and I'm not sure how I did it now but I've turned it off everywhere, except..


It remains on the recycle bin. I'm always accidentally clicking it. How can I get rid of it here?

Hello paradoxum, :-)

Please provide some more details on what you are wanting to get rid of. Your screenshot was broken, and didn't show in your post.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Oh my bad.

1654277749747.png

Want to get rid of this.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 [22H2] [22621.2428]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Culture-Virus v4.0
    CPU
    i7-11700k
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix Z590
    Memory
    32GB Crucial Ballistix 3600MHz @ 4227MHz 16-18-38 2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC CQ27G2U/BK
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    M.2 1: Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB
    M.2 2: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X SHIFT
    Case
    Fractal Design 7 XL
    Cooling
    Custom Water
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB TKL CHAMPION SERIES
    Mouse
    ROCCAT LEADR Optical
    Browser
    Chrome
Oh my bad.

View attachment 30662
Want to get rid of this.
The new tutorial below will also remove it from the Recycle Bin context menu. :-)

 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
@Brink :

I just dithered around for about an hour, trying to get shortcuts to several text files on my Start menus and failing. A Web search didn't help much. Came here (of course, dweeb :oops:, and why didn't you start here?) and immediately found this tut, which solved my riddle completely. Thank you for providing this not-entirely-intuitive solution (add explorer to the Target in Properties!) for all of us lost wanderers.
Clipboard01.jpg

Clipboard02.jpg

Clipboard03.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
@Brink

Me again, bugging you. :rolleyes:

As stated above, I followed your directions and got the Start menu entries I wanted. But just now, I went into the All apps lists on both PCs, and found that the shortcuts I added to the Start menu earlier are now also in the All apps lists.

Can I keep them in Start and eliminate them from All apps?
Clipboard04.jpg

Clipboard02.jpg


Thanks again,

Dan
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
@Brink

Me again, bugging you. :rolleyes:

As stated above, I followed your directions and got the Start menu entries I wanted. But just now, I went into the All apps lists on both PCs, and found that the shortcuts I added to the Start menu earlier are now also in the All apps lists.

Can I keep them in Start and eliminate them from All apps?

Thanks again,

Dan

Hello Dan, :alien:

Normally, they should only be pinned to Start and not added to the All apps list.

Are you able to remove them from All apps like below?

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
@Brink

Nope. When I put them on the Start menu, they appeared in All apps, and checking their file locations from their All apps entries, I find that they're all in the Start menu programs folder (Users ..., not ProgramData ...), so if I kill them in All apps, they're gone in Start.

Did I do sthg wrong when I put them in Start? I think I followed your instructions to the letter.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
@Brink

Yay!!!! I definitely screwed up somehow earlier. I went back and deleted everything I'd done, and re-did it all, and this time, it worked!!! They're in Start, but they're NOT in All apps!

(Too many exclamation marks!)

Sorry to have bothered you. All is now well. (y):-):oops:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
@Brink

Yay!!!! I definitely screwed up somehow earlier. I went back and deleted everything I'd done, and re-did it all, and this time, it worked!!! They're in Start, but they're NOT in All apps!

(Too many exclamation marks!)

Sorry to have bothered you. All is now well. (y):-):oops:

Great news :party:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
In option 4; step 4 I don't get that option to change the shortcut name

Hello, and welcome. :alien:

It appears it has changed to no longer have an option to rename the shortcut before it gets pinned to Start.

I've updated the step for this change.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Thanks for looking in to it mate.

They should reverse that, after a while you forget which shortcut goes where..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Thanks for looking in to it mate.

They should reverse that, after a while you forget which shortcut goes where..
Agreed. There should always be an option to rename a shortcut.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Windows 11 is so frustrating with pinning shortcuts. The problem: If you create two separate shortcuts (with different names) that point to the same program, Windows will refuse to display both of them in All apps. You may ask why you would want this? You may want two shortcuts with different switches after the exe, particularly with cmd.exe.

The specific problem I'm having is that I created a shortcut called "Flush DNS Cache" pointing to "cmd.exe /k C:\Windows\System32\ipconfig.exe /flushdns". Windows somehow considers this to be the same as just cmd.exe. It will not show the "Flush DNS Cache" shortcut in All apps. If I go to "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs", where I placed the shortcut and right click on it, it displays "Unpin from Start" instead of "Pin to Start". If I unpin it, windows actually unpins the shortcut for cmd.exe.

Does anyone know of a workaround for this?

And thanks for all your tutorials Brink. It's saved me so much time over the years.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900-KS
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Hero x790
    Memory
    G.Skill Trident Z5 64GB DDR5-6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 4090
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung Odyssey Neo G95NC 57"
    Screen Resolution
    7680 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    Kingston Fury Renegade 2 TB
    Kingston Fury Renegade 4 TB
    Kingston Fury Renegade 4 TB
    WD Red Pro 22 TB
    WD Red Pro 22 TB
    PSU
    Corsair AX1600i 1600W
    Case
    Lian Li O11D XL
    Cooling
    EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 Platinum XT
    Mouse
    Logitech G502 X Plus
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
Windows 11 is so frustrating with pinning shortcuts. The problem: If you create two separate shortcuts (with different names) that point to the same program, Windows will refuse to display both of them in All apps. You may ask why you would want this? You may want two shortcuts with different switches after the exe, particularly with cmd.exe.

The specific problem I'm having is that I created a shortcut called "Flush DNS Cache" pointing to "ipconfig.exe /flushdns". Windows somehow considers ipconfig.exe to be the same as cmd.exe. It will not show the "Flush DNS Cache" shortcut in All apps. If I go to "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs", where I placed the shortcut and right click on it, it displays "Unpin from Start" instead of "Pin to Start". If I unpin it, windows actually unpins the shortcut for cmd.exe.

Does anyone know of a workaround for this?

And thanks for all your tutorials Brink. It's saved me so much time over the years.
Hello Rogue, and welcome. :alien:

You might test using the command below to create the shortcut with instead to see how it may work for this.

PowerShell Clear-DnsClientCache
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Thanks for the quick reply Brink. I actually confused myself and updated my original post. The shortcut was pointing to "cmd.exe /k C:\Windows\System32\ipconfig.exe /flushdns".

I'll give the powershell command a try, but in general is there a way to have two shortcuts point to the same program or is that just no longer possible now with Win11? I'm sure I'm going to run into this again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900-KS
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Hero x790
    Memory
    G.Skill Trident Z5 64GB DDR5-6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 4090
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung Odyssey Neo G95NC 57"
    Screen Resolution
    7680 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    Kingston Fury Renegade 2 TB
    Kingston Fury Renegade 4 TB
    Kingston Fury Renegade 4 TB
    WD Red Pro 22 TB
    WD Red Pro 22 TB
    PSU
    Corsair AX1600i 1600W
    Case
    Lian Li O11D XL
    Cooling
    EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 Platinum XT
    Mouse
    Logitech G502 X Plus
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
Thanks for the quick reply Brink. I actually confused myself and updated my original post. The shortcut was pointing to "cmd.exe /k C:\Windows\System32\ipconfig.exe /flushdns".

I'll give the powershell command a try, but in general is there a way to have two shortcuts point to the same program or is that just no longer possible now with Win11? I'm sure I'm going to run into this again.

In case anyone else is struggling with this, one other less elegant workaround is to use batch files to run the commands you want and create shortcuts to those. Windows apparently will relent and display separate shortcuts this way under All apps.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900-KS
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Hero x790
    Memory
    G.Skill Trident Z5 64GB DDR5-6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 4090
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung Odyssey Neo G95NC 57"
    Screen Resolution
    7680 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    Kingston Fury Renegade 2 TB
    Kingston Fury Renegade 4 TB
    Kingston Fury Renegade 4 TB
    WD Red Pro 22 TB
    WD Red Pro 22 TB
    PSU
    Corsair AX1600i 1600W
    Case
    Lian Li O11D XL
    Cooling
    EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 Platinum XT
    Mouse
    Logitech G502 X Plus
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
In case anyone else is struggling with this, one other less elegant workaround is to use batch files to run the commands you want and create shortcuts to those. Windows apparently will relent and display separate shortcuts this way under All apps.
Glad you found a workaround.

Yeah, the Start menu treats anything pointing to the same app like this as the same.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

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