The Windows Power User Menu that is accessed by pressing Win+x keys on your keyboard shows a list of quick shortcuts to system management and configuration tools which are otherwise a couple of menu hops away.

Though the Power User Menu a.k.a WinX menu is not officially customizable, thanks to an individual contributor on GitHub, you can simply download and run a hash file on your device to add any shortcuts of your choice in the menu.

Download and Run the Hash File to Add a Custom Shortcut

Though it may sound a bit technical, the process actually requires no technical know-how. Simply follow the instructions below and you will be done before you realize it.

First, head to the github.com/riverar/hashlnk link using your preferred browser. Then, click on the ‘Download’ button to download the hashlnk_xxx.zip file.

Once the file is downloaded, navigate to the directory where you saved it. Then, right-click on the hashlnk_xxx.zip file and choose the ‘Extract all’ option from the menu. This will bring up a separate window on your screen.

Next, click on the ‘Extract’ button to extract the contents of the zip file in a separate folder in the same directory. In case you wish to change the directory, click on the ‘Browse’ button and choose your preferred directory to extract the files into.

Once extracted, right-click on the hashlnk.exe file and click on the ‘Properties’ option.

Then, select the file path and copy it by pressing the Ctrl+C keys together on your keyboard and temporarily save it somewhere (like in a Notepad) as it will be used in further steps.

Now, type or copy+paste the below address in the File Explorer address bar and hit Enter on your keyboard to navigate to it.

C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX

Then, click on the group you wish to place the shortcut. ‘Group 1’ is the bottom two options on the menu, ‘Group 2’ is the middle section options, and ‘Group 3’ is the top section of the menu.

Next, once inside the folder, right-click on the empty space and hover over the ‘New’ option. Then, click on the ‘Shortcut’ option to proceed. This will bring an overlay window to your screen.

Then, click on the ‘Browse’ button to continue. This will bring up a File Explorer window on your screen.

After that, navigate to the app, file, or folder you wish to add to the menu and click on the ‘OK’ button to proceed.

Now, click on the ‘Next’ button to continue.

Then, type the name for the shortcut or leave it as is if you wish to use the default name. Next, click on the ‘Finish’ button.

You will now be able to see the shortcut created in the folder.

Now, head to the Start Menu and type Terminal to perform a search for it. After that, click on the ‘Terminal’ tile to proceed.

Then, click on the chevron (downward arrow) and next click to choose the ‘Command Prompt’ option to continue. This will open the Command Prompt in a separate tab.

Next, on the Command Prompt tab, first, type or copy+paste the location path in quotes of the hashlnk.exe file that you had copied earlier. After that, enter the location path of the shortcut that you wish to add to the menu and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute it. Make sure you have a space between the quotation marks.

Note: You can also copy+paste the below code, just make sure to change the location path in the code.

"C:\Users\arhaa\Downloads\hashlnk\hashInk.exe"  "C:\Users\arhaa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group2\Steam.ink"

And that’s it, you have successfully added the custom shortcut in the Win+X menu. You can also repeat the process to add more shortcuts as you like.

Once you have added all the shortcuts, head to the Start Menu and click on your account picture. Then, click on the ‘Sign Out’ option. After that, sign back into your account.

Once signed in, bring up the Power User Menu by pressing the Win+X keys together. You will be able to see your added shortcuts in the menu.

Adding custom shortcuts to the WinX menu can come in really handy as you can skip the hopping through menu or window to access your most frequently visited files, folder, or settings.