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MAKING CUSTOM TILES

FOR THE

"START" SCREEN

OF "WINDOWS 8.."

2

Web location for this

presentation:

http://aztcs.orgClick on

“Meeting Notes”

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The new-fangled "Start" screen

of "Windows 8" is growing in

popularity. Here are the steps

for creating custom tiles on the

"Start" screen that point to your

photos, documents, Internet

shortcuts, and portable third-

party application programs.

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TOPICS• The problem: "Start" screen search does not

find your photos, documents, and Internet

shortcuts so you cannot do a "Pin to Start" to

put them on the "Start" screen of "Windows

8" as a tile.

• One solution: Make shortcuts to your photos,

documents, and put them in "ProgramFiles"

• Another solution: Use Microsoft or third party

software utilities to make tiles for the "Start"

screen of "Windows 8.."

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc.One paragraph description: You can make a

tile for the "Start" screen of "Windows 8.." by

doing the following: From "File Explorer" or the

"Desktop", use the RIGHT mouse button drag

and create a "shortcut" to the target photo, data

file, or traditional software application, place

this shortcut in

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start

Menu, go to the Start screen, type in the name

of the shortcut to search for it, use the RIGHT

mouse button to click on it, and click on "Pin to

Start" in the bottom "App bar".

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

• You cannot add an executable file, a

data file, a folder, an Internet

shortcut, or a batch file directly to

the "Start" screen".

• However, you can add tiles that

point to any of the above items to

the "Start" screen of "Windows 8.."

by putting shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" folder.

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 1:

Go to the "Desktop" of "Windows

8..":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 2:

Hover the mouse cursor over the

lower-left corner:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 3:

A thumbnail of the "Start" screen

will appear:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 4:

Use the RIGHT mouse button to

click once.

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 5:

A Power User's "Win+x" menu will

pop up:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 6:

Click on "Control Panel":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 7:

A "Control Panel" window will be

displayed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 8:

Locate and double-click on "Folder

Options" in the "Control Panel".

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 9: Click on the "View" tab of

the "Folder Options" box:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 10: You might have to scroll

down or page down to get to the

"Hidden files and folders" section:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 11: Select the "Show hidden

files, folders, and drives" radio

option button:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 12: Click on the "Apply"

button:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 13: Click on the "OK" button:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 14: The folder options box will

disappear.

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 15: The folder options box will

disappear.

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 16: Close the "Control Panel"

by clicking on the "x" button in its

upper-right corner:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 17: Go to the "Desktop" or

"File Explorer" and locate the

photo, documents, Internet

shortcut, and portable third-party

application program that you wish

to create a tile on the "Start"

screen for:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 18: In this example, we found

a photo (file) called

MP900422854.JPG on the

Desktop and we wish create a tile

for it on "Start" screen of "Windows

8..":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 19: When we use the RIGHT

mouse button to click on this

photo, a popup context menu will

be displayed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 20: We then clicked on

"Preview" in the popup context

menu:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 20: The photo (file) opened

up in the "Windows Photo Viewer":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 21: We then closed the

"Windows Photo Viewer" window

by clicking on the "x" button in its

upper-right corner:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 22: Use the RIGHT mouse

button to drag the

MP900422854.JPG file for at least

1/2 inch:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 23: Release the right mouse

button and a popup context menu

will be displayed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 24: Click on "Create shortcuts

here" in the popup context menu:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 25: A file called

MP900422854.JPG - Shortcut

is created:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 26: Start "File Explorer" by

double-clicking on its icon:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 27: A "File Explorer" window

will be displayed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 28: Click on the C: drive:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 29: Double-click on the

"ProgramData" folder:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 30: Double-click on the

"Microsoft" folder:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 31: Double-click on the

"Windows" folder:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 32: Double-click on the "Start

Menu" folder:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 33: Use the LEFT mouse

button to drag the shortcut that you

created in Step 24 into the "Start

Menu" folder:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 34: Click on the "Continue"

button of the "Destination Folder

Access Denied" box:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 35: The shortcut will move

into the "Start Menu" folder:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 36: Close the "File Explorer"

window by clicking on its "x" button

in the upper-right corner:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 37: Go the "Start" screen of

"Windows 8" (by pressing on the

"Windows" key of the keyboard):

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 38: Use the keyboard and

start typing in the name of the

photo, data file, Internet shortcut,

or portable application that you

wish to create the tile for. In our

example here, we started typing

MP900422854.JPG

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 39: You might have to click

on "Settings" or "Files" in order to

locate the desired tile (that points

to the target photo, data file,

Internet shortcut, or portable

application). In our example here,

we found a tile called

MP900422854.JPG:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 40: Use the RIGHT mouse

button to click on the desired tile:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 41: A bottom "App bar" will be

displayed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 42: Click on "Pin To Start" in

the bottom "App bar":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 43: Press the "Windows" key

once.

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 44: You will now be back at

the "Start" screen of "Windows 8..":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 45: Use the bottom horizontal

scroll bar of the "Start" screen to

move to the right:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 46: You will find the newly-

created tile on the far right edge of

the "Start" screen:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 47: If you click on this tile, it

will open up in the "Windows Store

App" called "Photo". "Photo" will

display the photo in a lot higher

resolution compared to "Windows

Photo Viewer" in the "Desktop":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 48: To close the "Photos"

Windows Store App, use the left

mouse button to drag from the top

of the monitor screen to the bottom

of the monitor screen.

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 49: Feel free to drag the

newly-created tile to a new location

on the "Start" screen:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 50: Here are a few steps for

renaming the tile: Use the RIGHT

mouse button to click on the tile:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 51: A bottom "App bar" will be

displayed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 52: Click on "Open file

location" in the bottom "App bar":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 53: You will be taken to the

location of the shortcut that you

created in Step 24:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 54: To rename the tile, you

can rename the shortcut by using

the RIGHT mouse button to click

on it:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 55: Then click on "Rename"

in the popup context menu:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 56: In this example, we

changed the name of the shortcut

from

MP900422854.JPG - Shortcut

to 2013-02-06 Photo of Johnny

MP90022854.JPT

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 57: Close the "File Explorer"

window by clicking on the "x"

button in its upper-right corner:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 58: Return to the "Start"

screen by pressing once on the

"Windows" button:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 59: Note that the name of the

tile has changed:

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

Step 60: When you hover the

mouse cursor over the tile, the full

name of the tile shows up in a

popup "tool tip":

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Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

For additional advice, see

http://www.howtogeek.com/107451/how-

to-pin-apps-or-folders-to-the-metro-start-

screen-in-windows-8/

and

http://www.mmo-

champion.com/threads/977781-Windows-

8-Adding-Shortcuts-to-Metro-UI

130

Making Tiles by Putting Shortcuts in the

"ProgramData" Folder, Etc. (continued)

and

http://www.howtogeek.com/77061/how-to-

add-shutdown-restart-sleep-to-the-

windows-8-metro-start-screen/

131

Custom Software Utilities Are Another Way

to Make Custom Tiles for the "Start" screen

of "Window 8.."

o See

http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-

us/app/custom-tiles-maker/6192f3b0-

03e5-421c-82f4-33ae16537559

132

Custom Software Utilities Are Another Way

to Make Custom Tiles for the "Start" screen

of "Window 8.." (continued)

o See

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Create-

Custom-Start-Screen-Tiles-in-Windows-

8-312343.shtml

and

http://www.c-

sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/7e39ca/cre

ate-custom-tiles-in-windows-8/

133

Custom Software Utilities Are Another Way

to Make Custom Tiles for the "Start" screen

of "Window 8.." (continued)

o See

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdIEn

PYjqiQ