Start Menu multipe shortcuts to the same application

2016-11-28

Question

_{Monday, November 28, 2016 11:45 AM}

Hello,

We are running Windows 10 anniversary edition version 1607 (build 14393.447) and came across a quirk/issue of the Windows 10 Start Menu.

If you try to add multiple shortcuts to an application to start it with different parameters for example opening Google Chrome with and without a proxy server, the Start Menu will only show one of the shortcuts even though the shortcuts have different names. I have also tried putting one shortcut in the All Users Start Menu and the other on the user's Start Menu without any difference. I also tried putting the shortcut in a different folder, again no difference.

At the same time if you pin the shortcut to the Start or Taskbar, when right-click the shortcuts, they both say that they are pinned, even though only one is showing, unpin one and both become unpinned. So it looks like Windows 10 is looking at the target and deciding that it is the same application and therefore the same shortcut.

The shortcuts have been created with the following targets:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --proxy-server=1.1.1.1:8080

Interestingly when it comes to IE with different URLs, it actually displays different shortcuts for IE.

Using PowerShell and issuing "Get-StartApps" only shows one instance.

Is this by design? Can it be changed via GPOs/Registry?

Thanks

zx6dude

All replies (5)

_{Monday, November 28, 2016 12:42 PM}

Hello

Your issue seems to be the same as this: Windows 10 Start menu not displaying the subfolders and seems to be by design.

Regards, Regin Ravi

_{Monday, November 28, 2016 5:03 PM}

Hi Regin,

This does seem to be by design which is unfortunate and I think short sighted by Microsoft. Menu customisation is something necessary for business users.

Thanks,

Sean

_{Tuesday, November 29, 2016 8:52 AM}

Hi ,

I agree, it should be by design. I suggest you use the built-in "Feedback" tool to submit your suggestion to the development teams.

Best regards

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_{Tuesday, October 30, 2018 4:15 PM}

I found a work around it is a little clunky but it worked for me.

1) Create two .cmd files (one for each way of running your application) on some folder on your system
In them launch your application with the appropriate parameters.

2) In your "Start Menu" create a shortcut to each of your .cmd files (You can right click and drag the files to the following folder and select "Create Shortcut". This is the folder for your reference:
(C:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs)

3) On the left side (app list) look for the two new command files (they will be listed by the name of the shortcut)

4) Now you can pin each of those to Start

I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it is. -Wayne Gretzky

_{Tuesday, December 10, 2019 1:10 PM}

December 2019.

If you arrived here looking for what Google Chrome calls now shortcuts (differing from keyboard shortcuts) because you want to add shortcuts to specific URLs in your Windows 10, this might help.

Make sure your Windows 10 is updated to the latest version (1903).

Create shortcut manually

Most flexible option.

In order to add multiple shortcuts to the same domain you need to create them manually. COPY-PASTE doesn't work.

Open your file explorer and go to %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Chrome Apps
Right click > New > Shortcut
The location of the item is: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome_proxy.exe" --profile-directory=Default --app="TARGET_URL" .
- Replace TARGET_URL with your relevant URL
- Note that the path to chrome_proxy.exe might differ in your installation.
Now the shortcut is created but doesn't look pretty. You can change this by opening the shortcut properties > Change icon… and finding the relevant icon. Tip: If you created a shortcut from your browser before, the icon will be somewhere.
Right click on icon > pin to start. You can have multiple shortcuts to the same app, as long as the URL is somehow different.

Create shortcut using Chrome options

To then modify it to open a specific URL rather than the landing page.

Create the shortcut from Chrome: "⋮" > More tools > Create shortcut…
Go to %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Chrome Apps
Right click the shortcut you created
In the Target field, replace --app-id=XXXXXX for --app="TARGET_URL"
- Replace TARGET_URL with your relevant URL

Originally posted here: https://superuser.com/a/1508935/1020519

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