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Hiromichi Yokoyama edited this page Aug 5, 2026 · 7 revisions

Shortcut for Windows

Tip: As of moleditpy-installer v3.0, running moleditpy-installer (or moleditpy-installer --no-tui) does all of the following automatically — Start Menu shortcut, optional Desktop shortcut (--desktop), and the .pmeprj file association with its own icon — with no registry editing required. See Installation for Windows. The manual steps below are for setting things up by hand (e.g. custom shortcut placement, or if you installed with plain pip install moleditpy and skipped the installer).

This document explains how to associate files with a specific extension (.pmeprj) with a Python application (moleditpy.exe) so they can be opened by double-clicking, and how to set the icon to be used.

1. Target Executable and File Association

Item Details
Executable File C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX\Scripts\moleditpy.exe
File Extension .pmeprj

Replacing Placeholders:

  • Replace %USERNAME% with your Windows username.
  • Replace PythonXX with your installed Python version directory (e.g., Python313 or Python311).

2. Icon to Use

Specify the following icon file for file associations and shortcuts.

Item Details
Icon File Path C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX\Lib\site-packages\moleditpy\assets\icon.ico

3. File Association Steps (Windows)

To open .pmeprj files with moleditpy.exe by double-clicking, follow these steps to associate the file type.

Step 1: Find any .pmeprj file

In File Explorer, right-click a file with the extension you want to associate (e.g., sample.pmeprj).

Step 2: Change the Association

  1. Select "Properties" from the context menu.
  2. In the "General" tab, next to "Opens with:", click the "Change..." button.

Step 3: Select the Program

  1. When the "How do you want to open this file?" window appears, select "More apps" → "Look for another app on this PC".
  2. Navigate to and select moleditpy.exe using the following path (with placeholders replaced): 
    C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX\Scripts\moleditpy.exe
  3. Click "Open".

Note: Setting the Icon

Applying a custom icon to a system-wide file association typically requires editing the registry. Registry editing is an advanced task and should be done with caution.

4. Desktop Shortcut Creation Steps

These are the steps to create an application shortcut and set its icon.

Step 1: Create a New Shortcut

  1. Right-click on any empty area, such as the Desktop.
  2. Select "New" → "Shortcut".

Step 2: Enter the Path to the Executable

  1. In the "Type the location of the item:" field, enter the following path (with placeholders replaced): 
    C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX\Scripts\moleditpy.exe
  2. Click "Next".

Step 3: Name the Shortcut

Give the shortcut a name (e.g., MoleditPy) and click "Finish".

Step 4: Change the Icon

  1. Right-click the newly created shortcut and select "Properties".
  2. In the "Shortcut" tab, click the "Change Icon..." button.
  3. Browse to and select the icon.ico file from the following path: 
    C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX\Lib\site-packages\moleditpy\assets\icon.ico
  4. Click "OK", then "Apply", and finally "OK" to finish.

5. How to Place the Shortcut in the Start Menu

Shortcuts for the Windows Start Menu are stored in specific hidden folders. To add your application shortcut to the Start Menu's program list, copy or move it to one of the following folders.

Step 1: Locate the Start Menu Folder Path

Enter one of the following paths into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter.

A. Start Menu for the Current User Only (Recommended)

Placing the shortcut here will make it appear only in the Start Menu for the currently logged-in user.


%APPDATA%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs

B. Start Menu for All Users (May require administrator privileges)

Placing the shortcut here will make it appear in the Start Menu for all users on the PC.


%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs

Step 2: Copy or Move the Shortcut

  1. Arrange the windows so you can see both the Start Menu folder (opened in Step 1) and the location of your created shortcut (e.g., the moleditpy shortcut on your Desktop).
  2. Drag and drop the shortcut into the Start Menu folder window to move it, or hold down the Ctrl key while dragging to copy it.

Step 3: Verify

Click the Start button and check that the shortcut with the name you provided (e.g., MoleditPy) has been added to the program list.

You have now completed the process, from creating a desktop shortcut to placing it in the Start Menu.

See also

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