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How to Pin Files to Start Screen in Windows 8

In this tutorial we will guide you step-by-step about how to Pin Files to Start Screen in Windows 8. Just follow the given steps:

In Windows 8, it is very simple to create a Metro Style Tile for a folder, or for a program when you are aiming to pin a folder or a program to the Start Screen. But when we talk about files (such as a Notepad file, a Word file, or a PDF), it is quite difficult to pin them directly to the Start Screen in Windows 8.

Method 1: Using Registry Editor

Step 1

Press Windows + R keys on the keyboard to open Run box and type regedit in it.

Step 2

Press Enter to open Registry Editor. There’s another way to open Registry Editor in Windows 8. Type regedit in the Search box and then click to the Apps icon.

Step 3

Navigate the cursor up to the registry key as shown below:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell

Step 4

Create a new key in this location. To do this, give a right click in the left pane and then go to New and select the Key option. Term it as ‘pintostartscreen’.

Step 5

Now create a string in right pane of the key created above. To do this, give a right click and then go to New and select the String Value option. Term it as ‘Description’. To edit the above created string, double click it and set its Value Data with: @shell32.dll,-51202, as shown in the following screenshot.

Step 6

As created in Step 4, create the following strings corresponding to the Value Data as shown below:

MUIVerb = @shell32.dll,-51201

MultiSelectModel = Single

NeverDefault = (Empty String)

Step 7

For pintostartscreen key as created above, now using the same procedure, create a subkey. Name it as command.

Step 8

Now create a string in right pane of the above created subkey. To do this follow the same procedure as done in Step 4 and term it as DelegateExecute. Alter the Value Data and set it as {470C0EBD-5D73-4d58-9CED-E91E22E23282}.

Step 9

Close Registry Editor to complete this procedure. Now you can give right click to desired file that you want to be on the Start Screen and then in the context menu you’ll view a Pin to Start option. To pin a file to the Start Screen, use that option.

Method 2: Using ‘Shortcut’ of File to Pin

Step 1

ü Open the directory by navigating as:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Or,

ü Press Windows + R keys to open the Run box and paste the following in it: %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

And now press Enter.

Step 2

Create a shortcut of the file you want to pin on the Start Screen. Copy this shortcut and paste into the folder opened above.

Step 3

It must be noted here that do not drag-and-drop this shortcut to the Programs folder as you’ll then require the Administrator permissions. After creating the shortcut, you’ll view the following:

Step 4

Click yes, and then cut and paste this shortcut in to the above opened Programs folder. Then you’ll be asked Administrator permission, so click on Continue.

Step 5

Now, on the Start Screen click the All Apps icon. There you’ll see the shortcut we just created above.

Step 6

Now right click on that shortcut and select the Pin to Start option.

Step 7

Finally we got our desired file on the Start Screen.

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