Phenquestions
Change is the law of nature and it seems that Microsoft is strictly following it. I'm saying so because of the new features introduced in Windows 8 - the most important being the Start Screen and UWP Apps, which are radically different from what Windows users have been used to.
Launch UWP Apps from Windows Desktop or Taskbar
Many like what Windows 10/8 offers; but not all of its features. One of my friends told me that he hates the Start Screen, but loves to use UWP Apps. He wanted to know if there was any way he could launch apps from the desktop itself. This question, made me write this article. Actually he asked me, how he could launch the UWP Apps without going to Start Screen.
I'm pretty sure that most of you may also have the same question. So without wasting any more of your time, here is how to access UWP Apps bypassing Start Screen, from the Windows 8 desktop.
1. Right-click on Desktop and select New -> Shortcut.
2. In Create Shortcut window type the following location and click Next:
%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::4234d49b-0245-4df3-b780-3893943456e1
3. Finally give a name to this shortcut, say, UWP Apps. You can later change its icon, by right-clicking this icon and selecting Properties -> Change icon. Now pin the shortcut to the taskbar.
That's it!
Click this shortcut in the taskbar, and the full list of Metro Apps will open in Windows Explorer. You now don't need to go to the Start Screen each time to run a UWP App.
You will be able to open the UWP Apps, from this open explorer window.
Go here to see all the new Shortcuts, Shell Commands and CLSID in Windows 8.
