How to Easily Organize Your Windows 8 App Menu

By Brian Voo. in Desktop. Updated on August 25, 2023.

If you’ve used older versions of Windows, you know that pressing the Windows Key and typing lets you search for installed programs. You can then launch the program by hitting Enter. Windows 8 works similarly, but with a twist.

In Windows 8, let’s say you have Dropbox installed. If you press the Windows Key and type ‘Dropbox,’ the first result might be ‘Uninstall Dropbox’ instead of the app itself.

This can happen with other programs too, leading to irrelevant search results. Here’s how to clean up those unwanted files and organize your apps in the Modern UI.

Navigating the New Windows 8 User Interface

Note: This post was first published on the Apr 20, 2012. Microsoft has unveiled the new Windows 8... Read more

Organize and Remove Metro UI Apps

To clean up the Modern UI apps menu, start by searching for the app you want to remove.

For instance, to remove the ‘Uninstall Dropbox’ link, right-click on it and select ‘Open file location’ at the bottom.

A folder will appear containing ‘Uninstall Dropbox.’ Since it’s just a shortcut, you can delete it without any issues. Feel free to also remove ‘Dropbox Website’ if you don’t want it in the Apps menu.

After removing the unwanted shortcuts, your search will only show the relevant program. If you’ve customized your Modern UI with OblyTile, you may see two ‘Dropbox’ links, but both will launch the app.

Create a Favorites Folder in Apps Menu

You can also create a custom ‘favorites’ folder in the Modern UI Apps menu for quicker access to your most-used programs.

First, navigate to C: Drive > Users > [yourusername] > AppData > Roaming > Microsoft > Windows > Start Menu > Programs and create a new folder named ’00 Favorites.’

Next, go back to the Modern UI and search for a frequently used program like Dropbox. Right-click on it and choose ‘Open file location.’

A folder will open containing the Dropbox shortcut. Copy ( Ctrl + C ) and paste ( Ctrl + V ) it into the ’00 Favorites’ folder. Repeat for other favorite programs.

Once you’ve organized your favorites, log out and log back into Windows. Press Windows Key + Q, and you’ll see a ’00 Favorites’ section with all your go-to programs.