[Paul R.]

Anyone know how I can add a desired exe file to the "All Programs" list in the Start Menu in Windows, specifically Windows 10 Pro? Dragging them there doesn't seem to work, and I'm not seeing a command to do this.

Thanks in advance! :-)

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Seriously?

Me thinks you are making a mistake.

[Paul R.]

I tried to research this a bit on the web and got nowhere... ;-)

[BitWielder1]

File explorer - view - show - file name extensions.

[CatOwner]

Right-click on the Start Button. From there, select “Open” (for yourself) or “Open All Users”. A Windows Explorer window will open. From there, enter the “Programs” folder. From there, drop in your desired shortcut. You may need to be administrator to do so.

[stylin19a]

It used to have to be installed and registered to windows. Has that changed ?

[sauropod]

bkmk

[fireman15]

This has been a pain in the rear since the menu structure was modified in Windows 8, but there has been a fix, Classic Shell which I have been using for years.

https://www.fosshub.com/Classic-Shell.html

But it is not quite as simple as that. You still need to go to the actual locations of your start menu to take complete control of your start menu like you used to in Windows 7. You may have to unhide these directories and may also have to use administrative privileges to add and edit items in the following folders.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu —— for all users

C:\Users\{your name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu -—— for just your account

You can add programs you want to be able to access through your start menu in the programs directory and also add your own additional directories. But if you do not install “Classic Shell” you won’t be able to see them in your windows start menu ... but remember this is for your “protection”. Who knows what bad things might happen if you were allowed to do this without jumping through more hoops?
Once you add Classic Shell your new programs and directories will be visible in your Classic Shell start menu.

Of course, if you don’t feel like going through this hassle you can always right click on your shortcuts and pin them to your Windows start menu and access them through one of the tiles or you can put them in folders that you have pinned to the start menu.

[fireman15]

I should note that Classic Shell has editing functions of its own.

[daniel1212]

Paste in Run command:

Create shortcuts to the exe and or to folders.

Create shortcut to
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Create shortcut to the SendTo folder (%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo).

Then place that SendTo shortcut in the folder itself. Then place shortcuts to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs and other places or programs. Then you can right click on a shortcut and point to SendTo and then to Programs. As well as right click on a exe and point to SendTo and then to the exe you want to use to open it, other than the default, like as to image viewers, editors.