5 Simple Steps to Create a Device Manager Shortcut

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[Image of Device Manager window with shortcut icon on desktop]

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In an era defined by a myriad of technological advancements, efficiency has become paramount in optimizing our digital experiences. When it comes to managing hardware components on your Windows system, Device Manager reigns supreme. However, repeatedly navigating through multiple menus to access this essential tool can be a time-consuming endeavor. Fortunately, there is a simple solution that empowers you to create a convenient shortcut, granting you instant access to Device Manager whenever you need it.

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Creating a Device Manager shortcut is an incredibly straightforward process that can be completed in a matter of seconds. By following a few simple steps, you’ll have a dedicated icon on your desktop that will launch Device Manager with a single click. This not only saves you time but also enhances your overall workflow, enabling you to quickly troubleshoot hardware issues or make necessary configuration changes.

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Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional or a casual user who simply wants to maintain their system’s health, having a Device Manager shortcut at your fingertips is invaluable. It provides a seamless and efficient way to manage your hardware devices, ensuring that your system operates at peak performance. So, let’s delve into the step-by-step instructions to create your own Device Manager shortcut, empowering you to conquer any hardware-related challenges with ease.

Create a Shortcut on the Desktop

If you frequently access Device Manager to manage your hardware devices, creating a shortcut on your desktop can save you time and effort. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:

1. Right-click on the desktop: Bring up the context menu by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop.
2. Select New > Shortcut: Hover over the “New” option and select “Shortcut” from the submenu.
3. Enter the location of the Device Manager: In the “Type the location of the item:” field, enter the following path:

   %windir%\System32\devmgmt.msc

   Make sure to type it exactly as shown, including the percentage signs.

4. Click Next: After entering the path, click the “Next” button to proceed.
5. Name the shortcut: In the “Type a name for this shortcut:” field, enter a name for the shortcut. For instance, you can name it “Device Manager.” Click the “Finish” button to create the shortcut.

Now, you will have a Device Manager shortcut on your desktop. Simply double-click on the shortcut to open Device Manager and manage your hardware devices conveniently.

Step	Action
1	Right-click on the desktop and select “New” > “Shortcut.”
2	Enter “%windir%\System32\devmgmt.msc” in the “Type the location of the item:” field.
3	Name the shortcut and click “Finish” to create it.

Add to the Quick Access Toolbar

In addition to creating a desktop shortcut, you can also add Device Manager to the Quick Access Toolbar in File Explorer. This provides easy access to the tool from within any File Explorer window.

To add Device Manager to the Quick Access Toolbar:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on the "View" tab in the ribbon.
3. In the "Show/Hide" section, check the box next to "Device Manager".
4. The Device Manager icon will now appear in the Quick Access Toolbar, next to the "Home" button.

You can now click on the Device Manager icon in the Quick Access Toolbar to open the Device Manager window. This method is particularly useful if you frequently use File Explorer and want quick access to Device Manager.

Method	Steps
Create Desktop Shortcut	1. Right-click on the Desktop. 2. Select New > Shortcut. 3. Enter the following path in the "Type the location of the item" field:     devmgmt.msc 4. Click Next. 5. Enter a name for the shortcut. 6. Click Finish.
Add to Quick Access Toolbar	1. Open File Explorer. 2. Click on the "View" tab in the ribbon. 3. In the "Show/Hide" section, check the box next to "Device Manager". 4. The Device Manager icon will now appear in the Quick Access Toolbar, next to the "Home" button.

Pin Shortcut to the Start Menu

To pin the Device Manager shortcut to the Start menu, follow these detailed steps:

1. Open the Run Dialog Box

Press the “Windows key + R” simultaneously to open the Run dialog box. Alternatively, you can search for “Run” in the Windows search bar and click on the “Run” app.

2. Type “devmgmt.msc” and Press Enter

In the Run dialog box, type “devmgmt.msc” (without the quotes) and press the “Enter” key or click on the “OK” button. This command will launch the Device Manager window.

3. Create a Shortcut to the Device Manager

3.1. Select Device Manager

In the Device Manager window, right-click on the blank area on the top of the window (where it says “Device Manager”) and select “Create Shortcut” from the context menu.

3.2. Choose the Destination

You will be prompted to choose the destination for the shortcut. By default, it will be placed on the desktop. However, you can also select the Start menu by clicking on the “Start Menu” option in the left-hand navigation pane.

3.3. Rename and Pin the Shortcut

The shortcut will be created in your selected destination with the default name “Device Manager”. You can rename it by right-clicking on the shortcut and selecting “Rename” from the context menu. Once satisfied with the name, right-click on the shortcut again and select “Pin to Start” to add it to the Start menu.

Add Shortcut to the Send To Menu

This method creates a shortcut in the Send To menu, allowing you to quickly access Device Manager with a right-click.

1. Right-click on the Start button and select “Run.”
2. Type “%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo” into the Run box and click “OK.”
3. This will open the Send To folder.
4. Right-click in the Send To folder and select “New” > “Shortcut.”
5. In the “Create Shortcut” window, type “devmgmt.msc” into the “Type the location of the item:” field.
6. Click “Next.”
7. Type a name for the shortcut (e.g., “Device Manager”) and click “Finish.”
8. A shortcut to Device Manager will now be available in the Send To menu.

To use the shortcut, right-click on any file or folder and select “Send To” > “Device Manager.” This will open Device Manager directly.

Method	Steps
Create Shortcut on Desktop	Right-click on the desktop. Select “New” > “Shortcut.” Type “devmgmt.msc” into the “Type the location of the item:” field. Click “Next.” Type a name for the shortcut (e.g., “Device Manager”) and click “Finish.”
Create Shortcut in Quick Launch Toolbar	Right-click on the Quick Launch Toolbar (located next to the Start button). Select “New” > “Shortcut.” Type “devmgmt.msc” into the “Type the location of the item:” field. Click “Next.” Type a name for the shortcut (e.g., “Device Manager”) and click “Finish.”
Create Shortcut in Taskbar	Open Device Manager. Right-click on the Device Manager icon in the taskbar. Select “Pin to Taskbar.” Associate .devmgr Extension with Shortcut This step ensures that double-clicking on any file with the .devmgr extension automatically opens Device Manager. It involves editing the registry to create an association between the extension and the shortcut. Follow these detailed steps: 1. Open Registry Editor: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “regedit” (without quotes) and click “OK.” 2. Navigate to the Correct Key: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \.devmgr 3. Create a New Key: Right-click on the “.devmgr” key and select “New” > “Key.” Name the new key “Shell.” 4. Create a Command Key: Right-click on the “Shell” key and select “New” > “Key.” Name the new key “Command.” 5. Set the Value for Command: Right-click on the “Command” key and select “Modify.” In the “Value data” field, enter the following command: “%SystemRoot%\System32\devmgmt.msc” Click “OK” to save the changes. Now, double-clicking on any file with the .devmgr extension will open Device Manager. Create Shortcut Using Command Prompt To create a Device Manager shortcut using the Command Prompt, follow these detailed steps: 1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator Press the Windows key + X, then select “Command Prompt (Admin)”. 2. Navigate to the Folder Execute the following command to navigate to the Desktop folder: cd %userprofile%\Desktop 3. Create the Shortcut Use the following syntax to create the shortcut: wmic path win32_process where name=”devmgmt.msc” call createprocess 4. Verify Shortcut Creation Check if the “devmgmt.msc” shortcut is present on your Desktop. 5. Customize Shortcut Icon (Optional) Right-click on the shortcut and select “Properties”. Under the “Shortcut” tab, click “Change Icon”. Browse to the location of the “devmgmt.dll” file and select the “devmgmt.ico” icon. 6. Troubleshooting Shortcut Creation If the shortcut creation fails, try the following: Ensure you have administrator privileges. Check if the Command Prompt was launched as administrator. Confirm that you entered the commands correctly. Verify that the “devmgmt.dll” file is present in the System32 folder. Restart your computer and try again. Employ Windows Script Host (WSH) for Shortcut Creation Step 1: Understand Windows Script Host (WSH) WSH is a scripting environment that allows you to create and run scripts on Windows systems. It provides access to the Windows API and other system resources, enabling you to automate tasks. Step 2: Create a New Script File Open a text editor like Notepad and create a new file with the extension “.vbs” (e.g., “devicemgr.vbs”). This will be the WSH script file. Step 3: Define the Object Variables In the script file, create the following object variables: Variable Description shell Accesses the Windows shell shortcut Represents the shortcut being created Step 4: Set Shortcut Properties Set the following shortcut properties: Property Value targetPath Path to the Device Manager executable (“devmgmt.msc”) windowStyle Window style (e.g., “1” for normal window) iconLocation Path and index of the shortcut icon (e.g., “devmgmt.msc,0”) Step 5: Save and Execute the Script Save the script file and double-click it to execute it. This will create a shortcut to Device Manager on the desktop. Step 6: Navigate to the Desktop Go to the desktop where the shortcut will be located. Step 7: Pin the Shortcut to the Taskbar or Start Menu Right-click on the Device Manager shortcut and select “Pin to Taskbar” or “Pin to Start” to make it easily accessible. Create a Shortcut Using PowerShell Follow these detailed steps to create a Device Manager shortcut using PowerShell: Open PowerShell as an administrator. Run the following command to create a shortcut file: <p>New-Shortcut -Target 'mmc devmgmt.msc' -Path $env:Desktop\DeviceManager.lnk -Description 'Device Manager'</p> This command will create a shortcut file named “DeviceManager.lnk” on your desktop. The target of the shortcut is set to “mmc devmgmt.msc,” which is the command to open Device Manager, and the description is set to “Device Manager. You can customize the shortcut icon by running the following command (optional): <p>(New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application).NameSpace($env:Desktop).ParseName('DeviceManager.lnk').IconLocation = 'C:\Windows\System32\devmgmt.msc,0'</p> This command will set the icon of the shortcut to the default Device Manager icon. Now, you can double-click on the shortcut to open Device Manager quickly and easily. Customize Shortcut Properties Once you’ve created your Device Manager shortcut, you can customize its properties to suit your preferences. Run as Administrator By default, Device Manager will run with standard user privileges. If you need to make changes that require administrator permissions, you can enable the “Run as administrator” option in the shortcut’s properties. Target The “Target” field specifies the command that is executed when you open the shortcut. For Device Manager, the target is typically “devmgmt.msc”. You can also add additional parameters to the target, such as “/showhid” to display hidden devices. Start in The “Start in” field specifies the initial working directory when Device Manager opens. By default, this is left blank, which means that Device Manager will open in the current directory. Window Style The “Window Style” field determines how Device Manager opens. The available options are: Normal: Opens Device Manager in a normal window. Maximized: Opens Device Manager in a maximized window. Minimized: Opens Device Manager in a minimized window. Run The “Run” field specifies whether Device Manager should be run in the normal window, minimized, or maximized when the shortcut is opened. The available options are: Option Description Normal Window Opens Device Manager in a normal window. Minimized Opens Device Manager in a minimized window. Maximized Opens Device Manager in a maximized window. Comment The “Comment” field provides a brief description of the shortcut. This is optional, but it can be helpful to provide a reminder of what the shortcut does, especially if you create multiple Device Manager shortcuts with different options. Troubleshoot Shortcut Issues Shortcut Not Working – Ensure that the shortcut is enabled in the Windows Registry. – Restart Windows and try again. – Re-create the shortcut following the steps above. Shortcut Opens Incorrect Program – Verify that the shortcut’s Target field points to the correct program executable. – Reset the Target field to its default value. Shortcut Icon Missing – Open the shortcut’s properties and click on the “Change Icon” button. – Browse for a suitable icon file and apply it. – Refresh Windows Explorer to display the updated icon. How to Create a Shortcut to Device Manager Device Manager is a useful Windows tool that allows you to view and manage all of the hardware devices connected to your computer. If you frequently access Device Manager, you can create a shortcut to it on your desktop or taskbar for easy access. Here are the steps on how to create a shortcut to Device Manager: Right-click on the desktop or taskbar. Select New > Shortcut. In the "Create Shortcut" window, type the following command in the "Type the location of the item:" field: devmgmt.msc Click Next. Enter a name for the shortcut, such as "Device Manager". Click Finish. The Device Manager shortcut will now be created on your desktop or taskbar. You can double-click on the shortcut to open Device Manager whenever you need it. People Also Ask About How do I create a shortcut to Device Manager on my Mac? There is no equivalent to Device Manager on a Mac. However, you can access similar information by going to the Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Hardware. How do I create a shortcut to Device Manager in Windows 10? The steps for creating a shortcut to Device Manager in Windows 10 are the same as the steps for creating a shortcut in any version of Windows. How do I create a shortcut to Device Manager in Windows 11? The steps for creating a shortcut to Device Manager in Windows 11 are the same as the steps for creating a shortcut in any version of Windows.