OblyTile, the fantastic free software that allows you create custom tiles on the Start screen of Windows 8/8.1 doesn’t support the latest Windows 10 operating system yet. The tool was really helpful for users to customize the Start screen by creating their own tiles to quickly access files, programs, and URLs.
Some programs available on the Store app although have been updated for Windows 10, they don’t allow you create custom tiles for desktop programs.
Fortunately, a Windows enthusiast has just released a free app to create custom tiles on Windows 10’s Start menu with ease.
TileCreator
TileCreator is the OblyTile for Windows 10. With TileCreator app you can pin images, files, folders, and traditional desktop programs to the Start menu of Windows 10. Like OblyTile, it gives you the liberty to choose tile background color and text color.
Although TileCreator can be installed from the Store using the link provided at the end of this article, there is a catch. The TileCreator app that you installed from the Store will not support creating tiles for desktop applications out of the box.
Because Windows 10 doesn’t allow desktop applications to pin tiles to the Start menu (this is the reason why OblyTile doesn’t work in Windows 10) and Store apps don’t have the capability to run programs from the local computer, the developer has released another utility called Tile Creator Proxy that you need to install alongside the Tile Creator app.
How to install and use TileCreator on Windows 10
If you are confused and not sure and not sure how to get it working, please follow the given below instructions.
Step 1: Navigate to Windows Store page to install the free TileCreator app.
Step 2: Once the app installed, you need to download another small utility called Tile Creator Proxy. Click here to download Tile Creator Proxy executable.
Step 3: Next, run the downloaded Tile Creator Proxy with administrator rights. To do so, right-click on TileCreatorProxy.exe file and then click Run as administrator.
Step 4: Next, open up drive where Windows 10 is installed. You will see a folder named TileCreator.
Step 5: Double-click on TileCreator folder and open the file named ApprovedApps with Notepad application.
Step 6: Here, you need to type in the name (key) and full path to the program that you want to pin to the Start menu. After adding program names and their paths, save the file.
Step 7: Finally, launch Tile Creator app, enter a name, select a picture, tile color, and text color.
Step 8: In the Approved Apps Key field, type in the name of the app that you have already added to the ApprovedApps file in Step5.
Click Pin Tile button to see the newly added tile on the Start. If you can’t see the newly added tile, please sign out and then sign in again.
And if you’re getting Please enter in an Approved App Key (Letters Only) error when you click Pin Tile button, it’s likely because you are trying to pin a tile without adding it to the ApprovedApps file or have used a special character in its name.
Note that TileCreator is only for Windows 10 and doesn’t support Windows 8 or 8.1. If you’re on 8/8.1, please use the OblyTile software.
Gus KD says
the application left the store, how can I get it?
dekar says
“cannot resize it to wide or large. Is this inherent to the ”problem” that only apps and not shortcuts or folder or executables can be resized to wide and large”
i think executables can be resized to wide and large and even they can have live tiles….
for eg : onenote.exe
onenote.exe can be resized to wide and large and even can have live tiles….
Pratik says
I am getting broken links what can i do to fix it it opens the tilecreator app instead
Kchumon says
I love it. Would like the proxy delay to be less and it doesn’t have the color for the text in my version. But besides that all the rest works like a charm. I don’t usually pin docs to the start but did with a PDF to test and works like a charm and also a folder and it works like a charm. Haven’t used modifiers since none of the programs I currently run uses them but my guess is that it will work
Marcin says
I feel like windows is back to 1990. did you even notice how much time does it take to run NOTEPAD through this thing.
Joe says
Hey you can try using WinTIler from WindowsStore. I can create tiles easily.
No need to be a geek for custom tiles and it supports a lot of things, even what @Larry asked for, to pin documents.
GObonzo says
well, you lie about what the App can do. it can not change background color from Windows 10 defaults, it can not change text color, you can not make all tile sizes. it can not launch a large amount of file types or even certain regular applications. the App sucks in it’s current state.
Larry says
Is it possible to setup a tile that loads a document, which in turn loads the application?
(i.e. load: Smith.doc run: MSWord with Smith.doc loaded
load: spreadsheet1.xls run MSExcel with spreadsheet1.xls loaded )
OUTraged says
So, I tested it. It seems to work okay, sure it does the tiles fine but the BAD PART is emulators dont work with it.
the zsnes emulator is the ONLY one that it kept its settings with. When you tile epsxe and gens emulator the settings you once had are GONE forever. But for some reason it allowed me to keep zsnes working perfectly. I can’t understand it. So this thing is a bloody joke. I hate it for that very reason, the fact we’re not allowed to pin tiles with programs that have preset settings…..it ERASES the settings. So sure, programs with no settings at all like paint and some others work fine I am sure. But when it comes to complicated programs like emulators its like a disease for this….
it can’t handle their epic settings. So, ya I been testing some stuff……and so far I hate it.
OUTraged says
wow….why is it so hard to do???….Why would I need a second program on top of it? Proxy wtf?
And having to edit a notepad file and add file locations, thats dumb. So it’d take me over an hour to add the programs I want to make tiles for to that file……what a pain in the ass
H. van Wouwen says
I would like to know how I can make a tile of a file.
Dave says
When running TileCreatorProxy.exe with administrative rights on my Windows 10 PC, I get the following message:
This App can’t run on your PC To find a version for your PC, check with the software publisher. Can you help me figure out why this file won’t run when directions are followed for running it?
Steve says
Amendment to my previous comment: The tile is created with picture, but BOTH tile color and text color are ignored.
Steve says
Although the Preview correctly shows the selected picture, tile color and text color, the resulting created tile has the specified picture and text color, but the specified tile color is always ignored and the default windows tile color is used.
Rob Walz says
All it does for me is launch TileCreator and asking for an App to open it. Don’t think I’m doing anything wrong.
Erik says
I’m not sure what the author means by “Windows 10 doesn’t allow desktop applications to pin tiles to the Start menu”. Half the tiles on my start menu are from desktop applications…
Josh says
How come I can’t put an image to an Existing Tile in the startup (i.e. Cortana)? That App NEEDS a face Dangit! XD
John says
Doesn’t appear to actually give you the option to use anything but the small and medium versions of the tile.
Daniel says
Works Perfectly! Except one problem: when I pin a tile, I cannot resize it to wide or large. Is this inherent to the ”problem” that only apps and not shortcuts or folder or executables can be resized to wide and large? Would be great if this method could make large and wide tiles too. Otherwise: perfect!! No slow app launch (though TileCreatorProxy seems to be started when you click the tile, but its hardly noticible and it doesnt stay open, no junk, just a fraction of a second delay difference from a normal shortcut) so its exactly wat we want!! Thank you for making this, its unbeleavable that microsoft does not have this build in from the start. Especially since they made sure your shortcuts etc pinned to the start menu look fucking ugly as hell, while the only purpuse of tiles and start menu etc to me is for aestetics. Well that failed….., thank you for letting me pick my own way to make the start menu visually pleasent to look at :)
Dwayne says
This is a really nice work around. It would be even better if there was a way to use it with universal (a.k.a. metro) apps. If there is, and I’m just not seeing it, I’d love to know how to do it.