Shortcut Tab missing in Properties window in Windows 11

If you have ever opened the Properties of an application (.exe) file, you might have seen the Shortcut tab there. The Shortcut tab is useful when you want to add some arguments to an application. Some users found the Shortcut tab missing in the Properties window in Windows 11/10. This is a problem because you cannot define arguments for an application until the Shortcut tab appears again. If you are in such a situation, the solutions provided in this article will help you fix this problem.

Shortcut Tab missing in Properties window in Windows 11

If you find the Shortcut Tab missing in the Properties window in Windows 11/10, use the solutions provided in this article. Before proceeding, restart your computer and install the latest Windows Update (if available). If this does not help, use the following suggestions.

From which location you are opening the exe file properties
Delete and recreate the shortcut on your Desktop
Repair your system files
Perform System Restore
Reset your PC.

Let’s see all these fixes in detail.

1] From which location you are opening the exe file properties

It is an important point to take care of when opening the exe file properties. If you open the EXE file Properties from File Explorer by visiting the installation directory of the application, you will not see the Shortcut tab.

In such a situation, create the desktop shortcut of the exe file. To create the desktop shortcut of an application, right-click anywhere on your desktop and select New > Shortcut. Now, follow the on-screen wizard to create a desktop shortcut.

Alternatively, you can also create the desktop shortcut by following these steps:

Go to the installation location of the application. For this, click on Windows 11 Search and type the name of the application.
Right-click on the application in Windows 11 Search Results.
Select Open file location.

The above steps will open the installation directory of the selected application. Now, right-click on the exe file and select Show more options > Send to > desktop (create shortcut).

After creating the desktop shortcut of the application, open its properties. You should see the Shortcut tab in its properties.

Read: How to add Compatibility Tab from File Properties

2] Delete and recreate the shortcut on your Desktop

Delete the shortcut of the application and recreate it. We have already talked about the process of creating the desktop shortcut of an application.

Read: Sharing tab is missing in Folder Properties box

3] Repair your system files

You may also experience such a type of problem due to the corrupted system image files. Windows 11 comes with built-in command-line tools. You can run System File Checker to scan and repair your corrupted system image files.

After the SFC scan is complete, run the DISM scan. Do not interrupt the process. After both scans are complete, restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed.

Do note that you should launch the Command Prompt as an Administrator to run both SFC and DISM scans. Otherwise, you will get an error.

Read: No Security tab in Folder Properties

4] Perform System Restore

You can restore your system to the previous working state by using the System Restore tool. System Restore will also restore the Registry Changes you made after a certain date. Hence, if the problem was occurring due to the incorrect Registry modifications, this step will resolve the issue.

Do note that this action will uninstall all the programs that you have installed after a particular date.

Read: Sound Enhancements tab missing in Speakers Properties

5] Reset your PC

If the issue still persists, you can reset your PC. This action will reset your computer to the factory default settings. You can select whether you want to erase your data while performing this action or not.

This action will also restore your Registry to the default settings. Hence, resetting a computer is helpful because it reverts the changes in your Registry and fixes the issues that are occurring due to the incorrect Registry modifications.

I hope this helps.

Read: How to add or remove ReadyBoost tab in Drive Properties

Why is the shortcut tab missing in shortcut properties?

There can be many reasons why the Shortcut tab is missing in the shortcut properties. The main cause of this issue is you are opening the shortcut properties from the installation location instead of the desktop. Other causes of this problem are incorrect Registry modifications, corrupted system image files, etc.

Read: How to add or remove Quota tab in Drive Properties

What is the Shortcut for properties in Windows 11?

The keyboard shortcut to open a file or a folder Properties window in Windows 11 is Alt + Enter. Simply select a file or a folder, the properties of which you want to open, and press the required keyboard shortcut.