Windows 10: Can't Drag Icons to Dekstop (win10)?

I've just got a new laptop with Windows 10. I've managed to add some icons to the desktop (during installation), but I want to add more for quick use. I'm trying to add Windows Media Player (example). I open start, find WMP, click and hold, and drag onto desktop. However, there's an error sign and it will not transfer the icon to the desktop.



Image shows what I'm talking about. There's an error symbol and I cannot add WMP to my desktop at all. I had the same issue with my Gimp icon, but that added itself to my desktop when I downloaded a newer version. It also will not let me add MS Word to my desktop either, by dragging from the start menu. There's also no right-click option to "create desktop shortcut" like there was in previous Windows versions either. I've even tried pinning WMP to the start menu (in old versions this added it to a list near the top but pinning it doesn't seam to put it anywhere on the start bar at all?)

Can someone please tell me how to do it? It's really frustrating not being able to do simple things like this. All guides I've read say to click and drag and it doesn't work for me. Any solutions?

:)

 

desktop icon

Right click the icon on the dekstop

Go to the Shortcut tab

Click Change icon

 

Missing dekstop icons

Hi Dee,

One of the possible reasons why you're desktop icons are missing is because your computer is on Tablet mode. When Tablet mode is enabled, icons may disappear from your desktop screen. For us to isolate your concern, we'll be needing answers to the following:

• Have you checked if Tablet mode is turned off by going to Settings >
  System > Tablet mode?
• Did you make any changes on your computer prior to the issue?
• Does the issue persist after restarting your computer?

Keep us posted and we'll be willing to assist you further.

 

Hi. I'm in All Apps section and there is no IE icon. It goes right from G to M on the alphabetised list of all my apps. WMP is also not listed on there either. (Also, why would WMP be in IE folder? I'm not trying to find Internet Explorer. I'm trying to find Media Player and add a desktop icon for it).

 

sorry I will reread you post a little closer

 

UPDATE: WMP is located in "Windows Accessories" folder of All Apps section. You can click and drag that one to the desktop to make a shortcut icon.

Apparently (from what I can tell), you can ONLY pin and drag apps / programs from their actual folders in Start. You can't use the search option to find them and drag them.

Eg; I searched WMM because I couldn't find the location. Search brought it up, and can open it, but you can't drag it from the results to Desktop. There's also no option to view file location and pin to start doesn't work from it being a search result either. Which is absolutely ridiculous since previous versions of windows could do this fine. No idea why this is an issue (or feature has been removed) making it harder to find things and customise where they are.

TL;DR - you have to manually search through folders in start to find the thing you want to add to desktop - you can't use the search function (for some reason) :/

 

Go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs (copy paste address in file explorer) find the shortcut for WMP, right click it, go to send to, send to desktop(creates another shortcut there)

 

this will also work for a lot of apps ,and other people are posting now you will likely get even better solutions

 

Zethian,
I know you have marked this thread Solved.
However, I don't think you really got it all right.

You do not "drag/drop" item from Start Menu to desktop.
If you want a shortcut at your desktop, please use this method:
Let's use WMP as example.
Go to All apps > locate WMP > right click at it > click More > click Open File location > right click at Windows Media Player > click Send To > click Desktop (create shortcut).
That applies to almost all the apps listed under All apps.

 

and just a side note , win now has no dvd media player ,I use VLC player for that .

also you might want to try Microsoft new media player app called Groove Music ,I use it on my laptop, its ok

 

Mine is also under W, not under Windows Accessories.
No, I did not move it out of Accessories.

 

Strange as mine IS in Windows Accessories, and I have not touched it since Clean Install.....also I don't even use it hardly at all *Smile

 

I'm on my laptop now and wmp is under accessories on it ,

 

Er... I do not know where you got that idea.

Yes, you do drag and drop application icons from Start Menu to Desktop. This is (and has always been) the primary method of creating desktop shortcuts for applications. It works perfectly well in Windows 10. If it does not work in your case, it means something is broken at your end.

However, search results are not draggable at all. The OP seems to be getting that crossed-circle icon in response to his attempts to drag a search result. This is strange since in my case search results cannot be dragged at all.

 

My main comp, only has the wimp icon on the taskbar, so my guess is it something I done,,, its in a different place on the 3 of my computers