W10 Desktop Icons

[jmccleary50]

I had a dual boot laptop with 7 pro and 10 pro on it. I now have two separate laptops with 7 pro and 10 home. My question is what happened to creating desktop icons in 10 home? In 7 dragging the 2nd icon from upper left put an icon on desktop but in 10 home I have to go through the create new shortcut dance of copy, right click desktop, paste, and rename.

For you guys into the latest versions of windows and build numbers does anyone know what happened? It was so simple that it didn't need fixed.

 

[Trouble]

I'm confused, so help me out here.

In 7 dragging the 2nd icon from upper left put an icon on desktop

It sounds like you're dragging an existing desktop icon around on your desktop in an attempt to create a second version. That obviously never worked in any version of Windows and simply relocates the icon's position on the desktop, so dragging from where to where, just so we can understand better what you are attempting.

 

[Norton]

Sorry! I don fully understand your question.
"In 7 dragging the 2nd icon from upper left" Are you trying to create a new desktop icon in Win 10. If so right click on desktop > new > shortcut that will open a desktop icon wizard.

 

[jmccleary50]

I'm in 7 now just to make sure. Hovering over the How To Geek icon at upper left shows a flyout which says pin icon to taskbar which can also create an icon on desktop.This no longer happens in 10 home. The only way I can get an icon to desktop in 10 home is create new shortcut.
On the dual boot 7 pro and 10 pro worked the same. The Microsoft program I couldn't think of was insider where some of the new changes are.

 

[Trouble]

The icon for how to geek that is in the URL address bar works exactly like that for me, only it says specifically "Drag to taskbar to pin site" (not the icon from the tab menu).
Additionally, you should just be able to drag that same icon to your desktop and let go in an empty area and that should create a shortcut also
AND
You should be able to right click any area of the page (that is static) and choose "Create shortcut" and answer yes and that should pretty much do the same thing.
This is all with Internet Explorer, not Edge or any third party browser.

 

[Norton]

I use Fire Fox. It allows you to click on the url "How to Geeks" and drag to desktop as you could in Win 7. In Windows 10 any items pinned to the start menu can also be dragged from the start menu to the desktop.

 

[jmccleary50]

I might have to try Firefox because another aggravation is create new shortcut ends up with an icon symbol for internet explorer not How To Geek the desired shortcut.

 

[Norton]

Alternative You could right click the shortcut, select properties, change icon/select customized icon

 

[katalina]

I use Fire Fox. It allows you to click on the url "How to Geeks" and drag to desktop as you could in Win 7.

I am on Firefox 47.0 where is 'How to Geeks'?

 

[davehc]

Works as always for me, as Trouble states. That is if you use IE!

katalina:

http://www.howtogeek.com/

 

[jmccleary50]

Not to beat this to death with details but both 7 pro and 10 pro ended up with a desktop icon and symbol of the desired shortcut. (How To Geek). 10 home puts multiple symbols of internet explorer all over the desktop so you can't readily tell one from another. How's that for being picky?

 

[Norton]

From your description, the shortcut icons that you place on the desktop is using your browser (IE) to display the icon. Try this method, using IE open Geeks or whatever, click on the article you want and open it. If you wish to save the url as a desktop shortcut right click on it and drag it over to your desk top. If it just happens to be howtogeek the shortcut icon will display "HTG"
You can also right click and rename the shortcut to whatever you wish.