Why can't i pin this executable to Start 11

Hello,
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Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Try this and see if it works:

1) Create a shortcut of this file.

2) Place this shortcut in "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"

3) Restart Windows Explorer.

4) Open the Start11 Start Menu and go to All Apps

5) Right click on the shortcut created above and select "Pin to Start11"

Hope this works for you.

Didn't work.

Shows as a shortcut in File Explorer already. 

Copied it to the location you specified. 

But "pin to Start 11" still does not appear.

(btw, it always could be pinned to the Windows shortcut taskbar)

Can you pin it to the Windows 11 Start menu? And if so, does it work when you click on it?

there's an option to pin it to the Start Menu, which i just now did.

Do I have to disable Start 11 to see the built in Windows start menu? to see if it appears there?

Open the Start11 configuration app. Make sure the "Show the Windows menu when I Ctrl-click the Start button" is turned on. Now when you hold down the Ctrl key and click the Start button, the Windows 11 Start menu will open.

yes the app starts when i left click on the shortcut pinned to the Windows start menu.

That's good news! So it should work in Start11 unless there is some reason it doesn't understand the file type as an executible.

After you copied the shortcut to the "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" folder, and restarted File Explorer, did it show up in the "All Apps" section of the Start11 start menu? And is that where you tried to "Pin to Start11?"

Try this: Open the Start11 start menu and right click in an empty area and select "pin file" from the context menu. Now browse to the "Tax Help Software.appref-ms" and select it.

Does that work?

please post a screen shot, because when I left click anywhere in the Start Menu which is configured to be the Start 11 start menu, I only get "configure Start 11"

Actually, I am lost, what are you trying to get to? If you click on that "Configure Start11" that will open up Start11 configuration windows. And you can choose in there to have Windows 7, Modern, Windows 10 or Windows 11 Style.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I'm sorry, I didn't know you were using the Modern Style start menu. Temporarily change it to Windows 10 or Windows 11 style and then follow the directions I gave you.

doing as instructed by changing Start11 to "Windows 11 style" I have the "pin to Start11" choice and I can do so.

Keeping Windows 11 style, I can click on start and execute "tax help software" fine.

If I switch Start11 back to Modern, I can no longer see "tax help software".

Could be that I have too many pinned items. But on the Windows 11, Start 11 screen there are only 30 pinned items including "tax help software" the last one.

For Modern, I thought I have "left hand side shortcuts" set to 45 but only 7 shortcuts appear at the top, which I assume are the pinned items?

Hello,

In Modern and Windows 7 style you might need to add space to make more pinned icons appear. You can adjust vertical and horizontal space my changing the below setting.

Vertical.

Horizontal.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I changed back to Modern and increased grid to 8 columns, and increased shortcut max. Tried compact.

Still doesn't display that shortcut.

I'll just use Windows 11 style, seems least fussy.

Do most users chose Windows 11 style? 

I use Windows 7 style most of the time. I don't have issue pinned application to it. Create a shortcut to an app and pin the shortcut instead, usually work for me.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant