How to Create an Internet Website Shortcut in Windows
Information
This tutorial will show you how to create a Internet Website Shortcut that will open a website in any browser in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.
OPTION ONE
Drag and Drop to Create Internet Website Shortcut in IE9, IE10, or IE11
Note
You will be able to Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu this shortcut by doing this in Internet Explorer.
1. Open
Internet Explorer, and go to the website that you want to create a shortcut of, then do either
step 2 or 3 below for how you would like to create the shortcut.
2. To be able to Pin the Internet Shortcut
A) Drag the favicon in the left side of the address bar in IE to your desktop and release to have a shortcut to the website. (see screenshot below)
Note
When you create a shortcut using this option, the shortcut behaves like when you
pin a site from IE, and
opens in a new Internet Explorer window. The shortcut's/pinned site is at the center of the experience, not the browser. When a shortcut's/pinned site is launched from the taskbar, the browser frame and navigational controls integrate the site's icon and primary color, providing an experience that's tailored to the site you're viewing.
You can also
add additional home page tabs for each site you
pin or create a shortcut of like this. That way when you open a site that's pinned you can open several webpages or websites all at once.
B) You can now move the shortcut to where you like for easy use,
Pin to Taskbar in
Vista/Windows 7 or
Windows 8/8.1, use
Add site to Start Menu (Vista/Windows 7), use
Add site to Start Screen (Windows 8), and use
Add site to Apps (Windows 8.1).
OR
3. To Drag and Drop without a Separate IE Window Opening
A) Press and hold
shift + left click, drag the favicon in the left side of the address bar in IE9 or IE10 to your desktop and release to have a shortcut to the website. (see screenshot below)
B) You can now
pin the shortcut into the jump list of
Internet Explorer on the taskbar, or move the shortcut to where you like for easy use.
OPTION TWO
Right Click on Website to Create Internet Website Shortcut in Internet Explorer
Note
This option will allow you to create a website shortcut quickly to your desktop that you will be able to move where you like, but this shortcut will not have the option to Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu in it's context menu.
1. Open
Internet Explorer, and go to the website that you want to create a shortcut of.
2. Right click on a non clickable area of the webpage, and click on
Create shortcut. (see screenshot below)
3. Click on
Yes to have the shortcut created on your desktop. (see screenshot below)
4. If you would like to Change the Icon of the Internet Shortcut
NOTE: This is if you do not want to have the default Internet Explorer icon use for your shortcut. If that icon is ok with you, then you are done and can go to step 5 instead.
A) Right click on the new internet shortcut on the Desktop and click on
Properties.
B) Click on the
Web Document tab, then click on the
Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
C) Click on the
Browse button, then navigate to and select the
256x256 pixel ICO file that you want to use as the icon for your internet shortcut, click on
Open, select the icon, and click on
OK. (see screenshots below)
D) Click on
OK. (see screenshot below step 4A)
5. You can now move the website shortcut to where you like.
OPTION THREE
To Manually Create a Internet Website Shortcut to Open in Any Web Browser
Note
This option will allow you to be able to Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu this shortcut with any browser by just substituting the full path to the browser's EXE file in the shortcut. You can use the Internet Explorer and Firefox examples below for how. You will also be able to change the icon of this shortcut as well.
1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on your desktop, and click/tap on
New and
Shortcut. (see screenshot below)
2. Type the location from either
step 3A or 3B OR step 4A or 4B below into the location area, and click/tap on the
Next button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Check to see if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit Windows installed first. You would substitute website address below with the website URL adress that you want instead.
3. To Create a Internet Shortcut to Open in Internet Explorer Inprivate Browsing
NOTE: InPrivate Browsing enables you to surf the web without leaving a trail in Internet Explorer. This helps prevent anyone else who might be using your computer from seeing where you visited and what you looked at on the web.
A) If you have 32-bit Windows
Code:
"%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -private website address
B) If you have 64-bit Windows
- To Have Website Shortcut Open in Default 32-bit Internet Explorer
Code:
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -private website address
- To Have Website Shortcut Open in 64-bit Internet Explorer
Code:
"%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -private website address
4. To Create Internet Shortcut to Open in Internet Explorer, FireFox, or Chrome
A) If you have 32-bit Windows
"%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" website address
Note
If you wanted to have the website shortcut open in another browser, say
Firefox instead as an example, you would use this below instead. You would just substitute the first part in quotes for the full path of the browser's exe file that you wanted to use instead.
Note
If you wanted to have the website shortcut open in another browser, say
Google Chrome instead as an example, you would use this below instead. You would just substitute the first part in quotes for the full path of the browser's exe file that you wanted to use instead.
B) If you have 64-bit Windows
- To Have Website Shortcut Open in Default 32-bit Internet Explorer
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" website address
FOR EXAMPLE:
I would type this below for our website
https://www.sevenforums.com/
- To Have Website Shortcut Open in 64-bit Internet Explorer
"%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" website address
Note
If you wanted to have the website shortcut open in
Firefox instead as an example, you would use this below instead. You would just subsititute the first part in quotes for the full path of the browser's exe file that you wanted to use instead.
Note
If you wanted to have the website shortcut open in another browser, say
Google Chrome instead as an example, you would use this below instead. You would just substitute the first part in quotes for the full path of the browser's exe file that you wanted to use instead.
4. Type in the website name (ex: SevenForums), and click on the
Finish button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can name this anything you would like.
5. To Change the Icon of the Internet Shortcut
NOTE: This is if you do not want to have the default Internet Explorer icon use for your shortcut. If that icon is ok with you, then you are done and can go to step 5 instead. If you wanted to use the default favicon .ico file used by the website, then these are stored in the hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files protected operating system folder. It is recommended to move and select to use the favicon to a different location to avoid accidentally deleting the favicon when clearing the browser history.
A) Right click on the new internet shortcut on the Desktop and click on
Properties.
B) Click on the
Shortcut tab, then click on the
Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
C) Click on the
Browse button, then navigate to and select the
256x256 pixel ICO file that you want to use as the icon for your internet shortcut and click on
Open. (see screenshots below)
D) Click on
OK. (see screenshot below)
6. In
Vista and
Windows 7, you can now
Pin to Taskbar (Windows 7 only) or
Pin to Start Menu, add to
Quick Launch,
assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.
7. In
Windows 8 and
8.1, you can
Pin to Taskbar on desktop,
Pin to Start screen, add to
Quick Launch,
assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.
NOTE: Just a reminder that if you move or delete the shortcut (target), then the pinned one from this shortcut on the taskbar and/or Start Menu will no longer work since the target has been moved or deleted.
That's it,
Shawn