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Windows eight shows desktop application shortcuts on its Start screen, simply these shortcuts await out of place in the new, tile-based interface. However, there is a mode to bandbox upward your Start screen with detailed tile icons for your desktop applications.

This trick also works with other types of shortcuts y'all can pin to your Outset screen — binder shortcuts, favorite websites, and direct links to Steam games.

Download OblyTile

We will be using OblyTile for this, as Microsoft didn't build this feature into Windows eight. You will need to download and install OblyTile (it's free) to get started.

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Creating a Program Tile

Using OblyTile is adequately simple — enter a proper name for the tile, select a program that the tile will launch, provide a tile image, and select some colors. OblyTile volition and so create a tile for y'all. The almost work involved will be creating tile images — just you don't have to do that yourself. OblyTile'south website contains a searchable archive of tile images for mutual apps, games, and websites.

We will examination information technology out by creating a tile for VLC, a desktop app. We will enter "VLC" into the Tile Proper noun box, scan to the vlc.exe file on our organisation, choose a VLC tile epitome we downloaded from OblyTile'southward website, and select orangish every bit the groundwork color.

Once we are done, we can preview the tile with the magnifying glass icon.

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Utilize the Create Tile button to add together the tile to your Get-go screen. Yous can so drag it around, simply like any other tile. When clicked, this tile will launch VLC on the desktop.

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Avant-garde Stuff

Here are a few more tips for making the most of OblyTile:

  • Removing a Tile: Right-click a tile on your Start screen and select Unpin from Commencement.
  • Creating Your Own Tile Images: Custom tiles must exist PNG images below 200kB in size. They must also be betwixt 120×120 and 256×256 pixels.
  • Creating Tiles for Folders and Websites: Enter the address of the folder or website into the Program Path box or use the Choose Folder or WebSite Url options.

4 oblytile types of tiles

  • Creating a Tile for a Steam Game: You lot will need the Steam game's application ID. Enter an URL similar steam://rungameid/201870 into the Program Path box, replacing 201870 with the ID of the Steam game you desire to run.

Tile Manager

Apply OblyTile'south Tile Director feature to speed things upwardly. Simply click the folder icon at the superlative-correct corner of the OblyTile window to open it.

From here, y'all can edit tiles y'all have created, quickly create tiles from shortcuts already on your Start screen, create tiles for mutual tasks such as "Shut Down", or view a list of installed applications for which you tin can create tiles. Just click the icons at the top of the Manager listing to get started.

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If yous are using Windows eight's Start screen as a desktop plan launcher, this should assistance desktop applications blend in more easily, because unfortunately, Microsoft didn't make it easy for desktop applications to create their own Windows viii-way tiles when you install them.