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

  1. Item refers to...
  1. Category refers to...
  1. Item under a category refers to...

 

Method 1 of 3:

Adding Items

How to Add a Single Item to the Start Menu

  1. Picture 1 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
  2. Picture 2 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
  3. Picture 3 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Finalize the shortcut. Click Next to continue to the next screen, type a name for the shortcut, then click Finish.
  4. Picture 4 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog.
  5. Picture 5 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open.
  6. Picture 6 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
    1. Click Continue on the Destination Folder Access Denied dialog if it appears.
    2. Result:

How to Add a Category to the Start Menu

  1. Picture 7 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog.
  2. Picture 8 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open.
  3. Picture 9 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
  4. Picture 10 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Name the folder the same name that you want the category to be named.
    1. 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

  1. Picture 11 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
  2. Picture 12 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
  3. Picture 13 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Finalize the shortcut. Click Next to continue to the next screen, type a name for the shortcut, then click Finish.
  4. Picture 14 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog.
  5. Picture 15 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open.
  6. Picture 16 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    In File Explorer, double click the folder that has the same name as the category that you want to add the item to.
  7. Picture 17 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Add the item under the category. Drag the shortcut targeting the file/folder you want to add under the category into the folder.
    1. Click Continue on the Destination Folder Access Denied dialog if it appears.
    2. Result...
Method 2 of 3:

Removing Items

How To Delete an Item from the Start Menu

  1. Picture 18 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog.
  2. Picture 19 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open.
  3. Picture 20 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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

  1. Picture 21 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog.
  2. Picture 22 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open.
  3. Picture 23 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
Method 3 of 3:

How To Delete an Item from a Category in the Start Menu

  1. Picture 24 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Run dialog. Press the ⊞ Win and R key at the same time to open the Run dialog.
  2. Picture 25 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    Open the Start menu's directory. In the Run dialog, type C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms and click OK. File Explorer will open.
  3. Picture 26 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
  4. Picture 27 of How to Add or Delete Items and Categories in the All Apps Screen of the Windows 8 Start Menu
    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.
Update 04 March 2020
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