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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsYou can create a desktop shortcut for a Windows Store app entirely with PowerShell. The reliable method is to find the app’s Application User Model ID (AUMID), create a Windows shortcut whose target is explorer.exe, and pass shell:AppsFolder<AUMID> as the argument. Windows resolves that shell namespace to the registered app; it does not require a conventional executable path.
The same shortcut can be created interactively from Explorer, but the PowerShell method is repeatable and suitable for scripts. The app must already be installed and registered for the user who will launch it.
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Why Store apps use an AUMID instead of an .exe path
Traditional desktop programs normally expose an executable such as C:Program FilesExampleexample.exe. Packaged Windows apps are identified differently. Windows uses an Application User Model ID (AUMID), also called an AppId, to identify and differentiate an installed app for launching, switching, telemetry and other shell functions.
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The shell namespace for launching one of these applications is:
shell:AppsFolderAUMIDFor a desktop .lnk, Explorer is the target and the shell namespace is supplied as its argument. The shortcut therefore contains two separate pieces: explorer.exe as TargetPath, and shell:AppsFolder<actual AUMID> as Arguments.
Before you start
- Run the commands on Windows in a PowerShell session where the app is visible to the account that will use the shortcut.
- Install and register the Store app first. An AUMID is useful only while its package is registered for that user.
- Choose a destination name for the shortcut, such as
Calculator.lnk. The.lnkextension is created by the shortcut API. - If you need to enumerate another account or every account on the computer, use the appropriate
Get-AppxPackagescope from an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt.
There are two practical routes. The Explorer route is quickest for one person and one app. The PowerShell route is better when you need repeatable setup, several shortcuts, or deployment automation.
Find the app’s AUMID
Use Get-StartApps for an app shown in Start
Get-StartApps returns applications that appear in the Start menu, including an AppID value. Filter by the visible name:
Get-StartApps | Where-Object Name -like '*Photos*'Read the AppID column in the result. That value is the AUMID to place after shell:AppsFolder. Change *Photos* to a distinctive part of the app’s Start-menu name; for example, *Calculator* or *Weather*.
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An app that is not listed in Start will not be returned by Get-StartApps. An empty result therefore does not prove that the package is absent; it means this particular Start-app enumeration did not find it.
Enumerate registered Store apps from package manifests
For a broader current-user list, read each installed package manifest and combine its package family name with every application ID declared in that manifest:
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$aumidList = foreach ($app in $installedApps) {
foreach ($id in (Get-AppxPackageManifest $app).Package.Applications.Application.Id) {
$app.PackageFamilyName + '!' + $id
}
}
$aumidListThe output is a plain list of AUMIDs. A package can declare more than one application, so the inner loop is important; taking only one manifest value can omit valid launchable entries.
Microsoft’s package cmdlets also support -User and -AllUsers scopes. Use an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt when querying those scopes, and select the AUMID for the account in which the shortcut will run. A package installed for another account is not automatically launchable by the current user.
Check the value before creating the link
Copy the package-family portion exactly, including capitalization where shown, the underscore before the publisher ID, the exclamation mark, and the application ID after it. Do not replace the AUMID with the package display name or an installation directory. If a package is updated or has multiple applications, verify that you selected the entry belonging to the app you intend to open.
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Create the desktop shortcut with WScript.Shell
Windows includes the WScript.Shell COM object, so no third-party module is required. The object’s CreateShortcut() method accepts the path of the .lnk file to create. Set the target, arguments and (optionally) working directory, then call Save().
$aumid = 'Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App'
$shortcutPath = Join-Path $HOME 'DesktopCalculator.lnk'
$wsh = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$shortcut = $wsh.CreateShortcut($shortcutPath)
$shortcut.TargetPath = Join-Path $env:WINDIR 'explorer.exe'
$shortcut.Arguments = "shell:AppsFolder$aumid"
$shortcut.WorkingDirectory = $env:WINDIR
$shortcut.Save()Replace the sample AUMID with the value you obtained. The resulting file is Calculator.lnk on the current user’s Desktop. In the saved shortcut, Explorer is the executable that receives the argument shell:AppsFolderMicrosoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App.
PowerShell treats a backslash as an ordinary character, so the string contains one backslash between AppsFolder and the AUMID. Do not add a file extension to the AUMID and do not quote the AUMID separately inside the argument.
Use a different name or destination
Change only the second argument to Join-Path to create another filename:
$shortcutPath = Join-Path $HOME 'DesktopMy Store App.lnk'If you are creating a link in a shared location, replace $HOME with the intended profile or shared desktop path and ensure the account running the script can write there. The AUMID itself should still belong to the user who will launch the app.
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Icons are separate from launching
Explorer can resolve the shell item and often supplies an appropriate icon. If the shortcut displays a generic icon, first confirm that the target and argument are correct; an icon problem does not necessarily mean the launch identity is wrong. The shortcut object also exposes an IconLocation property if you need to assign a known icon resource, but choosing and extracting a custom icon is separate from making the app launch.
Test and verify the shortcut
- Open the Desktop folder and double-click the new
.lnk. - Confirm that the intended app opens, rather than an AppsFolder window or an error dialog.
- Right-click the shortcut, choose Properties, and verify that the target is
explorer.exeand the argument begins withshell:AppsFolder. - If you copied the AUMID manually, compare every character with the value returned by
Get-StartAppsor the manifest enumeration. - Run the shortcut while signed in as the user for whom the package is registered.
When a package has been removed, reset, or registered for a different account, the old link can remain on the Desktop even though its identity is no longer launchable. Recreate the link after obtaining the current AUMID.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Get-StartApps returns nothing |
The app is not represented in Start, or the filter does not match its displayed name. | Remove or broaden the filter, then use the Get-AppxPackage and Get-AppxPackageManifest method to enumerate AUMIDs. |
| The shortcut opens an AppsFolder window | The argument is missing, misspelled, or has the wrong slash/AUMID. | Set TargetPath to explorer.exe and set Arguments to exactly shell:AppsFolder<AUMID>. |
| Windows says the item cannot be found | The package is not installed or registered for the launching account, or the AUMID belongs to another package/version. | Install or register the app for that user and obtain a fresh AUMID from the current package manifest. |
| The wrong app opens | The package contains multiple application IDs and the wrong one was selected. | List every manifest application ID and match the intended app’s entry before rebuilding the shortcut. |
| The icon is generic | Explorer did not resolve a shell icon, or the shortcut has a stale icon cache. | Test launching first. If it works, treat the icon as a cosmetic issue and assign IconLocation only if a specific icon resource is required. |
| The link works for one person but not another | Registration is user-scoped. | Create or deploy the shortcut after registering the package for each intended user, using that user’s valid AUMID. |
Graphical fallback: create the link from AppsFolder
For a one-off shortcut, no script is necessary:
- Press Win+R to open the Run dialog.
- Enter
shell:AppsFolderand press Enter. - Find the installed app, right-click it, and choose Create shortcut.
- When Windows says it cannot create the shortcut in that location and offers to place it on the Desktop, choose Yes.
This route uses the same registered shell identities as the PowerShell method. It is convenient for a single user, while the scripted route records the exact AUMID and can be rerun consistently.
Choose the right approach
| Approach | Best use | Registration requirement | Icon and maintenance considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AppsFolder context menu | One user creating one shortcut interactively | The app must already be installed and visible to that user | Explorer chooses the shell item and icon; repeat manually after package changes. |
PowerShell plus WScript.Shell |
Repeatable scripts, several apps, or standardized workstation setup | The selected AUMID must be registered for the launching user | You control the filename, target and arguments; regenerate when the package identity changes. |
| MSIX deployment script or Package Support Framework workflow | Shortcuts that are part of application deployment | Create the shortcut only after the MSIX application is installed and registered | Deployment automation can recreate links at the correct lifecycle point instead of relying on a pre-install shortcut. |
The decisive distinction is timing. A shortcut that points to a package identity cannot succeed before that identity exists on the machine for the intended account.
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Use the pattern in MSIX deployment
Microsoft’s Package Support Framework guidance uses a script-based deployment pattern for applications that need a shortcut. The MSIX application must be installed before the shortcut is created, because the deployment process needs the installed application’s package information when it builds the link.
In practice, place shortcut creation after the install and registration step, obtain the package’s current AUMID rather than assuming a fixed folder, and create the .lnk with the same explorer.exe plus shell:AppsFolder<AUMID> pattern. If deployment runs for multiple users, define whether registration and shortcut creation occur per user or as part of a managed, all-user process; the scope must match the account that will click the shortcut.
Keep scripts maintainable
- Keep the AUMID in a clearly named variable so it can be replaced without editing the shortcut logic.
- Prefer discovering the value from the installed package during deployment rather than embedding a path into the script.
- Use a descriptive shortcut filename that remains meaningful if the package’s display name changes.
- Log or display the final shortcut path and AUMID when running unattended setup, making it easier to diagnose registration or account-scope errors.
- After an app update, test the existing link. If the package identity or application ID changed, enumerate the current manifest and recreate the shortcut.
The core recipe remains small: identify the registered application, target Explorer, pass the AppsFolder shell URI, and save the link after installation. Everything else—name, icon and deployment timing—depends on how broadly you are distributing it.
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