Creating a Shortcut to an Application

Occasionally, you may want to create a desktop shortcut to a program, like Microsoft Teams.  By default, Microsoft does not allow the creation of desktop shortcuts for pre-installed Microsoft applications or programs downloaded from the MS Store.

However, you can follow the steps below to create the desktop shortcut you want.

For Microsoft Teams:

1. Right-click anywhere in the blank space on your desktop.
2. Select New --> Shortcut
3. In the box that appears, in the "Type the location of this item" field, type in msteams: 
4. Click Next, then name the shortcut "Teams" or "Microsoft Teams"
5. Click Finish, then confirm your new desktop shortcut has been created and is working properly

Steps for Teams and all other applications:

1. Press Windows key + R key on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type in: shell:appsfolder and press Enter
3. The Applications folder opens and will show you all programs currently installed on your computer.
4. Scroll down to Microsoft Teams (or other desired application) in the list, right-click it and select Create Shortcut. Click Yes to place the shortcut on your desktop.
5. Verify that the new shortcut is now appearing on your desktop.