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How do I create a Windows shortcut?

To create a shortcut in Microsoft Windows, follow one of the steps below.

Create a shortcut within the folder the program resides

One of the easiest methods of creating a shortcut is to create the shortcut in the folder that the program resides and then copy and paste or move that shortcut to where you want it. To do this, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the folder or directory that contains the program you want to create a shortcut for in Windows Explorer.
  2. Right-click on the program and select Create Shortcut.

Create shortcut in Windows

  1. Doing so will create a shortcut named "Shortcut to <your program>" in the current directory. If you want to rename this shortcut, right-click the file and click rename.
  2. Once the above steps have been completed, you can copy or cut this shortcut and paste it anywhere to execute this program. Once moved, you can also rename the shortcut to anything.

Create a shortcut using Microsoft's wizard

new Windows shortcutMove to the location or folder you want to create the shortcut (e.g. your Desktop), right-click on an empty location of the folder or screen, and click New and then Shortcut or Create Shortcut.


In Windows Explorer, click File > New, and then Shortcut. Once in the shortcut wizard window, you can browse to the location of the file you want to create the shortcut to create the shortcut.

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