If you use the Windows Start Screen, you may want to customize it by pinning frequently used applications to it. That way, you can launch these applications by clicking the Start button or pressing the Windows key.
Pinning an item to the Start Screen is very easy: Press the Windows key and begin typing the name of the application you wish to pin, e.g. "DocuSign." When your application appears, right-click it and select "Pin to Start" from the Context menu: (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Pinning an application to the Start Screen.
And you don't have to settle for the order in which the Start Screen keeps your pinned items. You can drag/drop items within the Start Screen to place them in the order you like by clicking on an item and, while holding down the mouse button, drag it around the Start Screen. When you release the mouse button, the item will be repositioned.
Finally, if you later wish to remove an item from Start Screen, you right-click the item and select "Unpin from Start." The item still retains its availability in its original location on disk, but its Start Screen entry is removed: (See Figure 2.)
Figure 2. Unpinning an item from the Start Screen.
This tip (463) applies to Windows 10.
With Windows it has always been helpful to know what version you are running. With Windows 10 knowing the version isn't ...
Discover MoreIf you want granular control over all the devices on your system, getting familiar with the device manager is time well ...
Discover MoreWant to change what happens when Windows is started? It's easy to make changes if you know how to use the System ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WindowsTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-08-02 07:20:49
WarwickW
Not really, this is just a coincidental work-around. if another item comes into the list and displaces one you want, just mark it to not show in the list.
2016-08-01 18:27:31
Kevin
When satisfied with your revised layout is there a method to save the layout.
Most annoying when apparently a new update from MS comes along and you are back to their arrangement and you have to start again.
2016-07-31 14:00:06
Ted Duke
This is one of Microsoft's ideas that, apparently, is based on touch screens and smart phone users' habits. A small icon task bar on A computer monitor is far more useful for this purpose considering its greater capacity and visual feedback through highlighted underlines.
2016-07-30 06:11:41
WarwickW
I do not think this works properly with the release version of Windoes 10 unless you are happy with the tiles.
However, there is limited ability to place items in the left-hand section of the Start menu:
If you run a program that you wish to have showing in the "Most used" section (that is somewhat of a misnomer) run it and finish it. Now choose an item in the most used section that you do not want to be there. Right click on it, click on More and select Dont show in this list.
You should now see a new item in the most used list. Continue until you see the program you want.
There appears to be a limit of 6 items in this list. However, if you get rid of more items than there are replacement programs waiting, this number seems to be reduced and there does not appear to be a way to recover that eliminated position. So be careful not to reduce the number of items in the Most used list!
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WindowsTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2020 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments