start-screenwindows 8windows-search
If you go to start, then search in Windows 8, you see a list of applications (both desktop and Metro).
Many of the (desktop) applications I have running on my PC are not listed here however, because of the way I installed Windows 8.
How can I add a (desktop) application to this list?
(Not pin an application to the start screen so it has a tile, but pin a (desktop) program to this list of apps.)
No you cannot as it is the program itself who determines what gets installed in the "start menu". Just as on previous versions of windows, you have no influence over this as it is all legacy code.
I do have a suggestion however but it is not perfect.
go to your start menu folder: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu and change the permissions of it so that the system can no longer write to the folder. That way nothing will get added. Have not tried this but should work. The negative point is that NO icons will be added, so not even the one for your app.
If this is not a solution, you can always just manage your start screen in that same folder.
OblyTile will let you create Metro tiles to launch your desktop apps:
See Color 1, 2, 3,4 in the above screenshot.
Best Answer
Go to
and add a shortcut to your application there. Then it will be available in All Apps.
Alternatively, use the
folder.