how to create shortcut icons on the desktop screen

[Photoray002]

Edited post, sorry.

[Photoray002]

Hello Tanya,

I think I understand whats happening now and perhaps I can take what Banhien is saying a step further.

He is correct that a lot of Apps for Windows 8 are just links to the internet so to speak. Windows 8 Apps that are on the tiles (metro) desktop do not work quite the same way you are thinking for traditional desktop icons.

If your not used to Windows 8 though, it can be confusing as heck. You are probably used to how XP/Vista or 7 works.

I dont know if your using the tiles interface or (what Microsoft call's) the "new" old style desktop but...

The first thing I would do is install Classic Shell Setup. It is a small program that gives all the traditional functionality of the Start button and desktop back like Win 7 had.   http://www.classicshell.net/

The Start button will now look like a Sea Shell but dont worry about that yet. It will work the same.

Continued on next post...

[Photoray002]

HP Connected and HP Connected Photo (powered by Snapfish I presume) are Apps that you install or are already on your computer.

IF you have Classic Shell running now and are one the old style desktop, swipe your curser to the right side bottom of the screen to bring up the Win 8 options and click on the Windows 8 start icon in the center. This will take you to the Tiles Desktop.

There should be an Arrow pointing down at the bottom of the screen when you move your curser.

Click on that arrow. You should see more Apps to choose from.

Find the HP Connected Photos app in the list and then...

• If you right click it and choose “Pin to Desktop”, it will pin the shortcut onto the first Tiles page you saw.

• If you right click it and choose “pin to Taskbar”, it will pin the shortcut onto the taskbar of the traditional desktop.

• Or…click to open it up to run the program. When you close out of it, the shortcut should show up in the list of recently used programs in the traditional Start Menu in Classic Shell. Drag it up to the top to permanently post it the Start Menu list (just like you would in Windows XP/ 7).

NOTE: The location of the Apps shortcuts are located in a hidden folder called AppData. If you send the shortcut to your Desktop, the shortcut will not work because it is not the normal exe file you are used to in previous Windows versions.

It will work from the Taskbar or the Start Menu though.

[djenkins555]

You're not alone.  Same problem.

[djenkins555]

I think if you had read the question a little more carefully, you would have saw that they don't know where to find it in order to add the icon.

[djenkins555]

I have the same problem.  Would be nice if people read the question before giving all kinds of useless advice. 

[RTC6]

I know the exact problem, I can get dropbox and one drive to show up on my regular desktop, but HP Connected drive takes you to the Tile screen to launch... Then when I save a Word doc, for example, I can see my one drive, my desktop and etc under "computer" but no way to just save to HP connected drive... This sucks.

[RTC6]

ou can still have the desktop shortcut, but it will take you to the tile app screen when it opens and then you have to split the screen to see the desktop.

[JerToo]

I'm using Windows 10 now but I believe it is the same on Windows 8.

The easiest way for me to find the executable file to make a Desktop or QuickLink shortcut  is to open the program or app you want a shortcut for, then open Task Manager by right clicking on the Task Bar.

Using the Task Manager, right click on the program or app and choose, "Open File Location".  Once you see the executable file in the Explorer window you can right click and choose, "Send To--Desktop (create shortcut)".

[Wabauer]

I want to place a shortcut icon for Snapfish on my lapop