Creating a Microsoft Edge desktop shortcut in Windows 10 is somehow different from creating a shortcut with Internet Explorer. But before I continue, I should point out that there are 2 distinct interpretations of creating a Microsoft Edge shortcut on your desktop.

1. How To Put Gmail Icon On Desktop Windows 7

Free gmail icon on desktop download. Desktop software downloads - Gmail Icon Installer™ by Iconomize and many more programs are available for instant and free download. Now enter your gmail (Google) password, and select Sign in; click to enlarge. Tap/click Allow; click to enlarge. Yep, that’s it. Click Done; Back at the initial Mail window, there will be a new button labelled Ready to go – click it. Your Gmail is now is all set up in Window 10. Click to enlarge.

• A desktop shortcut to launch Microsoft Edge and display your Edge “start page”
• A desktop shortcut to launch Microsoft Edge and display a specific website, which is not your Edge start page

I’ll explain both scenario’s below, so you’ll have a step-by-step guide for each scenario.

Create A Microsoft Edge Desktop Shortcut To Open With The Start Page

To create a Microsoft Edge desktop shortcut, right-click an empty spot on your desktop and select “New” and then select “Shortcut”.

Windows will then open the create shortcut wizard and will prompt you to type the location of the item. In the input field for the location of the item, type the following text (you can copy / paste the line below)

%windir%explorer.exe shell:AppsfolderMicrosoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge

and click next.

In the next screen, the wizard prompts “What would you like to name the shortcut?”

Type “Microsoft Edge” (without the quotes) in the name input field and click finish.

Your new Microsoft Edge desktop shortcut will now appear, but it will probably not look like a Microsoft Edge shortcut.

The icon can easily be changed, so right-click your new desktop icon and select properties.

Then, in your Microsoft Edge properties window, click the “Change icon” button.

In the field that says “Look for icons in this file, copy and paste the next line of text and click ok
%windir%SystemAppsMicrosoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbweMicrosoftEdge.exe

The change icon dialog will ask you to select an icon from the list. There will only be one icon to pick, so select the Microsoft Edge icon and click ok.

Then, after returning to the Microsoft Edge properties window, click ok to complete your icon.

You will now have a Microsoft Edge desktop icon that will launch your Edge browser when double-clicked upon.

Double-clicking the icon will indeed open Microsoft Edge with your current setting for the start page in Microsoft Edge.

Create A Microsoft Edge Dekstop Shortcut To Open With A Specific Web Page

This is a slightly different scenario from above, because now you will create a Microsoft Edge desktop shortcut to launch Microsoft Edge with a specific web page. For instance, if you are surfing the web and you visit a certain page or website quite frequently, you might want to create a desktop icon that you can click and that will immediately take you to the desired page.

With Internet Explorer this used to be pretty simple. On any given page, you can simply right-click with your mouse in the page, select “Create shortcut” from the menu and voilà, your desktop shortcut to that page was ready.

Now, with Microsoft Edge, if you right-click on a page, all you get is “Select all, Inspect element and View Source”, which is not going to be very helpful in creating your Microsoft Edge desktop shortcut.

Instead, click in Microsoft Edge’s address bar while you are on the page that you want to create a shortcut for (one single click).

That will get you the web url (address) of the page you are currently looking at, selected and marked in blue.

Now, on this selection, right-click with your mouse and select “copy”.

Then, press the Windows key + d on your keyboard to return to your desktop.

On your desktop, right-click in an empty spot and select “New” and “Shortcut”.

In the field underneath where it says “Type the location of the item”, right-click with your mouse and select paste.

Then click next to continue.

In the next screen, enter a recognizable name for your shortcut and click finish to complete the creation of your new shortcut.

You’ll now have a new shortcut on your desktop that you can use to open Microsoft Edge at the web page you want.

Shortcut Does Not Open With Microsoft Edge?

In some cases you might notice that your new shortcut does not open with Microsoft Edge, but with another browser. If you want it to open with Edge, then you need to check your default programs.

To do so, press the Windows key + x on your keyboard to open the Windows 10 Quick Access menu.

In the Quick Access menu, select “Control Panel”.

In Control Panel, make sure that “View by category” is selected and then select “Programs”.

Next, click “Set your default programs”.

In the programs list, select Microsoft Edge and then click the “Set this program as default” setting. Of course you can use this method to define any other browser in your programs list as your default browser.

From then on, your desktop internet shortcuts will open with the default browser of your choice.

Alternative Method To Create A Microsoft Edge Web Shortcut

Some people have commented that the method to create a new web shortcut is a bit cumbersome, so here is an alternative method for creating a shortcut that will open on the page of your preference.

If you are on the specific page for which you want to create a shortcut and you are looking at that page with your Microsoft Edge browser, click in the three dots in the upper-right corner of your Edge window and select “Open with Internet Explorer”.

Now the page will also open in Internet Explorer and from there you can simply right-click anywhere in the page and select “Create shortcut”.

This method will also create a shortcut on your desktop and even though it was created from within Internet Explorer, as long as Microsoft Edge is set as your default browser, clicking the shortcut will open the web page with Edge.

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Would you ditch your default desktop email client, if Gmail had more desktop-like features?

Gmail is the leading webmail client, but desktop email clients remain a thing. They’re appealing because you can store your emails locally and access them anytime. What if Gmail could be more like a desktop client, while not dropping any of its killer features?

Let us show you how you can set up Gmail to behave more like a desktop email client.

1. Create a Desktop Application Shortcut

Old school Windows users will appreciate Chrome’s ability to create application shortcuts. Open Gmail in your Chrome browser, open the Chrome menu (three vertical dots) and go to More tools > Add to desktop…

This will create a Gmail desktop shortcut, which you can now pin to the Taskbar or the Windows 10 Start Menu. Just right-click the shortcut and choose the respective option from the menu. If you checked Open as window, the Gmail browser window opened through this shortcut will look like a bit like a Windows app because it won’t show browser toolbars.

2. Make Gmail Handle Mailto Links

When you click on an email address hyperlink, it will open your default desktop email client, with the address field already filled in. This type of hyperlink starts with mailto:, rather than http://, telling your computer to open an email client, rather than a website. But you can associate the Mailto link with Gmail.

How To Put Gmail Icon On Desktop Windows 7

In Chrome, open Gmail and click the Protocol Handler Icon in the address bar. Select Allow, to Allow mail.google.com to open all email links.

If you can’t see the icon, click the Chrome menu icon (three vertical dots) and go to Settings > Advanced > Content Settings (under Privacy and Security). Click Handlers and make sure this setting is enabled to Allow sites to ask to become default handlers for protocols (recommended).

If mail.google.com isn’t yet listed under mailto, you should see the icon in the address bar in your Gmail tab now. Otherwise, remove the application that is currently listed under mailto, so you can associate Mailto links with Gmail.

3. Enable Offline Support

Gmail offers offline support through its Chrome app. Under Gmail Settings > Offline in the web client, you’ll find a link to the Gmail Offline app [No Longer Available]. The app will appear in your Chrome apps list. When you click it for the first time, you can choose to Allow offline mail.

Once enabled and after all your messages have been downloaded, you will be able to view your email through the Gmail Chrome app, even when you’re offline. You will be able to compose new messages, which will be sent the next time you are online. The app behaves just like a desktop email client.

4. Configure Multiple Accounts

If your main reason to use a desktop email client is that it allows you to manage multiple email accounts and inboxes, then you’re in for a treat. Gmail has built-in support to access external email accounts. This is specially useful in situations where you would like to access your work email or other accounts inside Gmail.

To configure multiple accounts, go to Gmail Settings > Accounts and Import. Here you can configure Send mail as and Check mail from other accounts, which allows you to add multiple accounts.

The settings you enter here in are just the same as you would enter in any email client. With this much effort, you will be able to check different accounts for new mail and using any configured email address.

5. Use Filters and Labels

Folders, as they are commonly known in various email clients, are another desktop client stronghold. They let you sort your email for easy access and an organized inbox. Gmail does this one better: instead of folders, you get labels.

To manage labels, head to Gmail Settings > Labels. You can also click the label icon when you’re viewing an email and check existing labels or click Create new at the bottom to add a label. You’ll see a Manage labels shortcut at the bottom of the list of labels.

Labels are similar to folders, only better. You can have a message with more than one label. You can quickly jump to a label or use it with a filter to automate tasksHow to Set Up Email Filters in Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and OutlookHow to Set Up Email Filters in Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and OutlookEmail filtering is your best tool in keeping your inbox neat and organized. Here's how to set up and use email filters in Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Outlook.Read More.

In fact, filters and labels combined give you near magical powers that can greatly reduce your daily email workload4 Smart Gmail Filters That Help You Deal with Too Much Email4 Smart Gmail Filters That Help You Deal with Too Much EmailDecluttering and organizing your Gmail inbox is a daily chore. There is a smarter way to do it. Create four basic types of filters in Gmail to sort your emails right automatically.Read More. You can automatically sort incoming mail into labels (which can function as folders if you want), archive emails automatically, delete them if you want, or set up a vacation responderHow to Set Up an Email Out of Office Responder Before You Go on a TripHow to Set Up an Email Out of Office Responder Before You Go on a TripWouldn't you love to go on vacation knowing you don't have to check your email? If you can't rely on an assistant while you're away, turn to autoresponders in Gmail.Read More.

You can even create custom replies called canned responses that Gmail will mail to the sender if their message fulfills certain criteria mentioned in the filter. And speaking of all this organization, you should know how to create a group email in GmailHow to Create a Group Email in GmailHow to Create a Group Email in GmailLearning how to create a group email in Gmail will make your life easier. Start on your Gmail contacts list with these tips.Read More too.

6. Enable Keyboard Shortcuts

If you like the ease of use and speed you gain by using keyboard shortcuts, then you just cannot ignore Gmail.

There is hardly anything that you cannot achieve via keyboard shortcuts inside Gmail. Select conversations, apply labels, navigate forward and back, star, delete, archive, etc. You name it and it can most certainly be accomplished by a keyboard shortcut or two.

You can enable keyboard shortcuts under Gmail Settings > General > Keyboard shortcuts. You can get a quick overview of all the shortcuts by typing ? in Gmail or visiting the Keyboard shortcuts for Gmail site.

Have trouble remembering shortcuts? Try our guide to learning keyboard shortcutsThe Best Ways to Learn All the Keyboard Shortcuts You Will Ever NeedThe Best Ways to Learn All the Keyboard Shortcuts You Will Ever NeedThere are many keyboard shortcuts you aren't using. We bring you all the right resources to teach you everything you need to know about keyboard shortcuts. Memorize keyboard shortcuts for instant productivity.Read More, which shows you more tricks like the one above.

7. Get Notifications

Almost every desktop email client offers notification when a new mail arrives. So does Gmail.

Head to Gmail Settings > General > Desktop Notifications and enable your preferred setting. You can choose between receiving notifications for new mail or important mail. The default is off.

Do You Still Need a Desktop Email Client?

Surely, looking at all the features that Gmail has to offer, it’s hard to dismiss it as a desktop email client replacement. The only thing holding you back might be slow internet or security and privacy concerns. In which case, you might as well stick with a desktop email client. And if you’re a Mac user, here are some handy apps that bring Gmail to your desktop4 Handy Mac Apps That Bring Gmail to Your Desktop4 Handy Mac Apps That Bring Gmail to Your DesktopLove Gmail and wish you could use it on your Mac desktop? These apps bring Gmail's familiar interface to your Mac.Read More.

Remember, you can use Gmail on your mobile too; see how you can master the new Gmail on mobileMaster the New Mobile Gmail With These 10 TipsMaster the New Mobile Gmail With These 10 TipsIf the new Gmail design on iPhone or Android fazes you, then walk through these features to stay productive with your emails.Read More.

Image Credit: By 279photo Studio via Shutterstock.com

Originally written by Varun Kashyap on 22 March 2010.

Explore more about: Desktop Email Client, Email Tips, Gmail, .

1. What's holding me back? My main concern is to be able to access and manage all my old emails stored locally in my PC archived by my old email client. If Gmail can tap into these archives of decades of old jewels without causing me pain, I will make the switch right away. Preserving the old folder structure is very important when doing this. But since Gmail uses labels, please don't ask me to label all my old emails from ground zero all over again.

2. Great article! I've been using a customized version of Thunderbird I designed and it works great. But I'm using Gmail in Thunderbird anyway and the folder structure isn't optimal for organizing my client emails. I get very confused at times and lose emails which means losing money also. I love your article and the shortcut option is great. The one thing I am wondering is how to go about having new mail on top but organized by sender. This way when client emails come in they are grouped rather than random. I'll leave a link a below to my Thunderbird project as you may find it interesting. I'd appreciate any feedback you can provide regarding grouping email in Gmail.

   Thanks, Bobby C.
   Incloud Design

3. Gmail will never replace Outlook until they give me a sort feature and not by using labels and such. All I want is to be able to sort by sender alphabetically so I can batch delete or batch save certain emails. To hover over and click on email is all well and good but I shouldn't have to do that for each sender. Plus when I do that, the only move option it gives me is to move to my in-box and the message is already in my in-box. I want to move it to a specific folder like account information or family or whatever and I can't do that unless I move one at a time. It's very inefficient and the reason I have way more e-mails in my in-box than I want. Why is Gmail so anti-sorting? It's such a basic function. Makes me out of sorts with Gmail!

4. Correct me please if I'm wrong, but it appears that Gmail is only half an IMAP mail reader of other accounts. It allows me to send email through another organization's outgoing SMTP server, but does not allow me to read messages on another organization's incoming mail server. That is a huge limitation in trying to use Gmail like a desktop client. It's a showstopper for me.

5. Super helpful, thanks.

6. having the ability to use SEND TO when you right click on windows desktop and have GMAIL an option

7. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!

   I'm actually note a noob, and know a lot life-hacks for Chrome, BUT this easy thing I DID OVERSEA FOR YEARS

   And you know, that was the think I needed so much, didn't imagine it exists.

   I even downloaded 3 other browsers made on chromium to have the ability to sort browser windows in the windows taskbar

   But now from your article I know I NEED ONLY CHROME. You had to see my face I understood it!

   I'm happy and amazed like a child now!

   Thanks a lot!

8. How can I massively label historical mail files into labelled mails?

   • Hi Ricardo,
     You can use search within gmail to search for the particular emails you want to tag.
     Then select all (click the tick box above the top of the list). You can also untick any that you don't want to tag.
     Then click on the label tool (if adding more than one label) or the folder tool (if you want to remove the emails from the inbox), and select which label(s) you want to add.
     Hope that helps.

9. I used this article and the other one linked to it 'How to Import and Manage Multiple Email Accounts in Gmail.' When I set my work email to go through Gmail I lost notifications for my work emails. I assume this is because the work emails 'Skip the inbox' and so cannot have notifications. Is there a way to fix this so I get the notifications back? I want the work emails to be separated from all the others but losing notifications is a deal breaker.

10. I will be activating desktop notifications thanks

11. Gmails outlook connector sucks (read less secure app). But Chrome sucks even more. Why would I want such a memory pig on my computer. With all the background processes running and googles propensity for gathering ALL the information it can... I wouldn't trust Chrome on my computer.

12. Gmail is really sucks at business environment. No integration between emails, calendar and contacts. Also there is no way to send a task to contacts. On the other hand we were get used to write meeting notes by one note which is integrated with calendar, contact email and other needed information well so we keep all detail about the meeting and follow up easily.

    I believe that Google can do it better, but Microsoft Outlook is powerful email client.

13. Sorry, no. Gmail is great for personal use, on the web, but in a business atmosphere? It's not ready....still too young. Thunderbird......Evolution......and other clients are better suited for a desktop. And while you can't pull emails from your phone using Thunderbird or Evolution its still the better of the options. If you need access to your Gmail from your phone?...then by all means set it up....but for an office environment....and within a corporate setting GMail using a web interface or even a created desktop icon will never be as god as a dedicated email / calendaring / messaging client.

14. Kiwi for Gmail. Search it. Its great.

15. This is all good, but I still need to save and file emails in Windows folders sometimes to go with certain work projects. Without this, I'll continue to use Outlook.

16. Gmail is awful for business. Labels are the most assenine thing I've ever had to use. If I want to move/store sent items and put them in the sub label, they're still in my sent label. Stupid. The control and organization features are sub par compared to outlook.

17. I will try your tips to use a desktop app. We have gmail at work and it totally sucks. The control, user friendliness and organization features of gmail are horrible, frustrating and kindergarten compared to outlook. Who ever made gmail sucks donkey balls.

18. I agree, Gmail is great but there seems to be no way around my emails arriving on the recipients' system in horrible Times New Roman font. I've Googled and there seems to be no real fix for this.

    • Gmail Notifier Pro changes all of that!

    • GmailNotifier handles all of that

19. Opera Mail also has filters instead of folders, and I believe it was around long before Gmail :) Opera Mail used to be built into the Opera Browser ( version 12.8 was the last build :( ) and as of today I still use Opera Mail. I have around 11 email accounts ( mostly for work ) and they are all IMap. So I will never loose email and I can view all accounts online (view my phone). Gmail is ok but needs a better layout and support for more than 5 email accounts. Plus I don't trust the 'cloud' (storing stuff on the interwebs). It's only a matter of time before the unspeakable happens .....

20. Can anyone tell me if GMAIL is PCI Compliant?

21. I hate the web interface. It looks messy and because it groups conversations by subject and not sender my emails in gmail are a complete mess. If I want to see what is going on with one person I need to use Outlook which completely slows my Mac to a crawl when open. I'm am definitely not a fan but use it as it keeps all my mails in one place and I can access them from all my devices.

22. How do I file and record my emails?

23. I always prefer web-based programs as I can access it from anywhere.

24. I prefer web-based programs anytime. Thanks for this informative article.

25. I use Thunderbird as my desktop email client for Gmail. It's beyond easy to configure and is far superior in terms of overall options.

26. Seems like it might work for me, but it looks like I need 2 icons on my desktop to utilize the offline feature. One of the icons launches the real connection to gmail and the other launches the offline 'connection' to the local db. And unless I did something wrong, I need to use the offline 'icon/connection' to create emails and save them. Then once I have a connection I need to again use the offline 'icon/connection' to get the saved emails to send, right?

27. I use MailPlane on OSX to use my Gmail account. Great way to have access to my account on my desktop.

28. I prefere for security reason not having a desktop client.
    Your post is nice for debutant, but I like the animation (even if I don't like for productivity reasons - sic - being notified). I will make a post about it on my blog