Although pinning files and apps to the Taskbar and the Start Menu are the same thing as creating a shortcut, pinning is limited to placing items on the Start Menu and the Taskbar only.
Using shortcuts in Windows 7 is more advantageous due to the fact that once created, the shortcut can be placed in any location.
There are two methods to create shortcuts in Windows 7 and we will cover both in this step-by-step guide.
Option 1 Create a Desktop Shortcut
The first method allows you to create a shortcut that is autmatically placed on the desktop from any location on your computer.
So if you are in the Pictures library and would like to place a shortcut of your favorite picture on the Desktop all you have to do is follow the directions below.
1. Right-click the file you wish to create a shortcut for and click Send to from the menu that appears.
2. When the menu expands click Desktop (create shortcut) from the menu that appears.
A shortcut for the file or folder you selected should automatically appear in the Desktop.
Note: You do have the option of moving the newly created shortcut that appears on your Desktop to any location on your computer.