Windows 10: Can't Run Shortcuts in Normal Window

Running Win 10 Home x86 on a Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet. I cannot get shortcuts (File Explorer and others) to open in a Normal Window. I can change the Run type in Properties to Minimized and the app will start minimized. Then when clicking on the icon in the task bar, it will open in a Normal Window that remembers the last size and position in which the app was closed. Setting the shortcut properties to either Maximized or Normal Window results in the app starting in full screen (Maximized) no matter what I do. Also, if i right click on a short cut (File Explorer for example) and select "Open file location" File Explorer then will open properly in a Normal Window.

I have gone so far as to clean the HDD with diskpart (deleting all partitions and starting with a blank HDD) and reinstall the OS. Windows then open as expected right after the installation, but Windows 10 does not install the drivers I need to access the MicroSD card reader, rotate the screen, use the touchscreen or on-screen keyboard, etc. I install the current Dell provided chipset drivers (Intel) and gain proper control of all hardware but loose the ability to open windows as described above. Intel support says it is a OEM issue and to contact them. I spent an hour on the phone and remotely connected to Dell tech support and barely was able to get the tech to understand what was not working right and came nowhere close to getting a resolution. I have spent days Googling for a solution but it seems everyone wants to find a way to make their programs always open Maximized. These solutions all center around changing the shortcut properties or deleting the Bags/BagMRU (and others) keys from the Registry. Believe me, none of these solutions help my situation!

This really is not a real big problem but I have one program that starts with a sign-in dialog "box" that with the computer in this condition opens truly in full screen even covering the Task Bar. As a result, I have no access to the keyboard icon until I double click on the Title Bar to get the app back to the normal box configuration.

I'm pretty sure Dell/Intel switched some setting in the registry when the chipset drivers installed. Hopefully someone here can help?

:)

 

control of automatic expanding to full screen

Open Start > All Apps > scroll down to Microsoft Word

Right click Microsoft Word shortcut

Click More

Click Open file location

Right click the Word shortcut

Click Properties

Under the Shortcut tab, click in the Run window

Click Normal window

Click Apply then OK

Repeat the same step for the PowerPoint shortcut

 

Windows 10 Start menu quirks - & and #?

Shortcuts that start with symbols that aren't in the alphabet will always come in a "&" heading, and shortcuts that start with numbers will always show under the "#" heading, so that's entirely normal.

You can easily delete the 3D Builder app, if you don't want it, by right-clicking it. But if you want to keep it and just put it somewhere else, that is not possible.

As for uTorrent, since that's a normal shortcut (not an 'app store'), that one you CAN move somewhere else by simply renaming the shortcut icon. To do that, go to your run box and run
shellrograms, find the uTorrent shortcut, and rename it to something else. After you restart, it will show in that section instead.

PS. If you can't find the icon after running shellrograms, run %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs instead

PPS. You can also set your Start menu to only show your favorite pinned things, and hide the full alphabetical list. That way it will look something like this: