I created my own shortcuts to a couple of HTML Help documents, and placed the shortcuts into my Start Menu folder here:
C:\Users\Misha\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
However, they do not appear in the Start Menu when I type their name.
For example, I have a shortcut named ADO 2.8 Documentation which references ado28.chm. Typing "ADO" or "Documentation" doesn't come up with any result.
What can I do to make these shortcuts show up like any other Start Menu shortcuts?
Edit: The shortcuts do show up in the All Apps list of the Start Menu. But I want them to show up when I start typing their name like any other app shortcuts. Boy am I annoyed. This Windows 10 experiment is really not working out so far.
Edit 2: OK I'm onto something. Shortcuts to executable files, aka. apps, come up as expected when you type their name. Shortcuts to documents like text files and help files do NOT show up. Yeah, clap clap MS for another job well done. Hide stuff you've decided we shouldn't see. I can't find a setting to "show all things", is there such a setting?!
Best Answer
Navigate to the file, Right Click > Pin to Start. It takes a bit to actually appear. I just pinned a .zip file but it took 30 seconds to appear in start menu.
If you want to search for non-executable files from the start menu, there a couple additional (an annoying) steps:
Windows icon > start typing name of whatever you seek > click My Files at bottom left > click the "Show" drop-down and select Documents, etc. to narrow it down. Or, scroll to bottom of page and select "File Explorer."
P.S. I don't use the traditional "search" box on the taskbar (disabled it) nor do I use Cortana directly. I always search from the Windows icon, so there may be subtle differences between how we achieve results.