How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
In previous versions of Windows, you were able to edit the items and folders in the All Programs/All Apps screen. The new Windows 8 Start menu lacks this ability. You can still pin and unpin custom items to the main screen of the Start...
- Reference
- Steps
- Adding Items
- Removing Items
- How To Delete an Item from a Category in the Start Menu
- How to Add a Single Item to the Start Menu
- How to Add a Category to the Start Menu
- How to Add an Item Underneath an Existing Category in the Start Menu
- How To Delete an Item from the Start Menu
- How To Delete a Category from the Start Menu
Reference
- Item refers to...
- Category refers to...
- Item under a category refers to...
Steps
Adding Items
How to Add a Single Item to the Start Menu
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Create a shortcut on your desktop. Right click your desktop to open its context menu, hover over New in the context menu to expand another menu, then click Shortcut to create a new shortcut on your desktop. The Create Shortcut wizard will open. -
Select the file or folder that you want to add to the All Apps screen as the shortcut's target. Click Browse... in the wizard, select the desired target in the Browse for Files or Folders dialog, then click OK. You can also manually type in the path of it. -
Finalize the shortcut. Click Next to continue to the next screen, type a name for the shortcut, then click Finish. -
Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog. -
Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open. -
Add the item to the Start menu. Drag the shortcut that you created into an empty space in the File Explorer window to move it to the directory.- Click Continue on the Destination Folder Access Denied dialog if it appears.
- Result:
How to Add a Category to the Start Menu
-
Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog. -
Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open. -
Create a new folder in the directory. Right click an empty space in the File Explorer window to open its context menu, hover over New in the context menu to expand another menu, then click Folder to create a new folder. -
Name the folder the same name that you want the category to be named.- Note that the category will not actually appear in the All Apps screen until you've added an item under it.
How to Add an Item Underneath an Existing Category in the Start Menu
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Create a shortcut on your desktop. Right click your desktop to open its context menu, hover over New in the context menu to expand another menu, then click Shortcut to create a new shortcut on your desktop. The Create Shortcut wizard will open. -
Select the file or folder that you want to add to the All Apps screen as the shortcut's target. Click Browse... in the wizard, select the desired target in the Browse for Files or Folders dialog, then click OK. You can also manually type in the path of it. -
Finalize the shortcut. Click Next to continue to the next screen, type a name for the shortcut, then click Finish. -
Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog. -
Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open. -
In File Explorer, double click the folder that has the same name as the category that you want to add the item to. -
Add the item under the category. Drag the shortcut targeting the file/folder you want to add under the category into the folder.- Click Continue on the Destination Folder Access Denied dialog if it appears.
- Result...
Removing Items
How To Delete an Item from the Start Menu
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Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog. -
Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open. -
Delete the item. In File Explorer, right click the shortcut that has the same name as the item that you want to delete to show its context menu and click Delete.
How To Delete a Category from the Start Menu
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Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog. -
Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open. -
Delete the category. In File Explorer, right click the folder that has the same name as the category that you want to delete to open the context menu and click Delete.
How To Delete an Item from a Category in the Start Menu
-
Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog. -
Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open. -
In File Explorer, open the folder that has the same name as the category that the item that you want to delete is listed under. -
Delete the item from the category. In the folder that you have just opened, right click the shortcut that has the same name as the item that you want to delete and click Delete.
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