Here is a quick, easy way to have ALL APPS in a Desktop window; no flipping screens from Desktop. List s ALL APPS, even if not being displayed on Start.

Result is a Desktop icon, tagged explorer.exe
I changed the name to APPs (As you like)
Rt Clk > Properties > Change Icon (I pick image of windows on a screen)
Icon can be left on Desktop, Pinned to Taskbar, added to Quick Launch.


Here is something, if you would prefer to work from your desktop without going back into the Metro tiles @ Start.


Right-click on desktop and select new , then shortcut

Enter or paste this into the "Type location.. etc." :


%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{4234d49b-0245-4df3-b780-3893943456e1}

Call it whatever you fancy (APPS or ....?)

When you click the shortcut, you will have a window with all your Start Metro icons - Just click and launch whatever from there. It's really an "All Programs" list. Along w/ Nav tree, of course. Becomes Pinned as or in (same ) place of Libraries Folded on Taskbar. Thus stays @ view one prefers.



Enjoy!!

Cheers,
Drew

Thanks Drew!

This makes things a lot easier to get to. There's also more options than what shows up on the Tiles.

Cat

You're welcome, Cat. Cool, someone else sees & appreciates both those points. Maybe (many) others will, also.

Cheers,
Drew

You can, also, do this from the Windows Explorer 'folder' in Desktop toolbar. Open, change View & Sort by Name & Minimize.

Cheers,
Drew

Great help ^^ this helped me alot to setup the folder ^^ thx alot ^^

You're welcome. Yeah, the value, convenience, time-saving, thought & effort & steps-saving w/ this is quite large.

As an aside, & I, already, put this as part of another thread... I changed some things around on my Taskbar, try it for however long; but, trimmed items somewhat & going not, only, w/out desktop icons but, leaving Gadgets off, too... easy to grab 'em, to look @ meters or something... I grab all these nice photos from photo.net so, why cover 'em up, right? Also, just for this photo, normally Taskbar hides. Can't, really, go w/ a'cleaner'Desktop, I spose… nothing but, a purrdy picture that, keeps changing, to boot (no pun intended!). Have always kept a couple Gadgets & a Sticky Note in sight... might get to like this, though; we'll see... pretty nice to live w/, so far



Oh & BTW, I don't "not use" Start because of any hatred, 'denial' or any issue, @ all, really... myself I find no need for it, is all, ergo, don't really need to hit the button for that one, lol. It's cool to just stay @ all my purrrdy pictures It's ALL @ Desktop, anyway Easy & handy to anything I want or need.

Cheers,
Drew

Drew,

It really helped me a lot. Thanks.

Kerry,

You're welcome. Really, makes it rewarding to see such appreciation & gratitude expressed.

Cheers,
Drew

Great to see this still works with Win 8 RP. I'm doing a bit of customization today. Got the logoff, restart, shutdown & explorer shortcuts on the taskbar. All are working perfectly!



Thanks again Drew!

Cat

You're most welcome, Cat. The "thank you" is appreciated.

Couple notes:
1. Since, in RP, the Power button I had in the System Tray won't hold, I'm just using the all-in-one one in Charms (instead of any added buttons.
2. I've never pointer this out before... as I've said, bouncing back n forth to Start for things is not necessary... this includes opening, running & managing active APPs... if the Applications folder is opened from the taskbar & an APP selected, that APP (actually, more than 1) can just go to the APP Bar (when done using or viewing it, for the moment) & they can be managed from there, whilst, still, staying @ Desktop. And by virtue of Snap, can have an APP on the screen right beside the Desktop... the APP Bar becomes your friend, rather than, Start & rather than losing Desktop for the sake of an APP... it's not an all or nothing, 1 or the other scenario.
3. Here's a couple shots of my somewhat revised screen & Taskbar. Not showing is the so-called 'Power Users' menu (bottom-left corner) but, it is plays a big part in this... anyway, to continue; what I had in Quick Launch is now (KISS principle) in the Desktop Toolbar... you make stuff Desktop icons & then don't, actually, have them display but they will be in that Desktop Toolbar + it avails the ability from it to drill down to anything & everything in the machine. Links is the same as Favorites Bar items. the rest is just whatever gets pinned to the Taskbar including the Applications folder. Oh, almost forgot, there's, also, "Notifications" (where the temps & connectivity icon is)... these can be set to one's liking, too & add whatever helpfulness one may find them or want them to be.

Quick, simple, clean & all w/out needing to bounce around to other screens... just go from Desktop to the specific thing one wants @ that moment w/out changing screens.

I trust I'm articulating this so it makes sense. Trying not to make something simplistic sound more involved than it should.

You may not need all this spelled out but, or, it may help others increase their understanding. Lots of options in approach to this stuff.

But, besides getting the Applications folder on the Taskbar, there's nothing added, no 3rd party stuff, no 'retro-fits', not even using anything new to or peculiar to Windows8. But, navigating w/ this arrangement is a bloody breeze.

Cheers,
Drew

NB: May have to Clk on the images to see the full area of them. The screen photos keep changing; maybe, the Taskbar is more visible in one pic than the other.