Pin to taskbar

:) Thanks JohnGalt! Works well!

johngalt,
tried exopin, thanks for discovering it, followed your seemingly easy instructions, can't get it to work. Say for example i put eoxpin in c:, and say I, for simplicity, wanted to pin IT to the taskbar. After starting eoxpin, would I type eoxpin c:\eoxpin -s
I tried different progs to pin and different usage like with .exe and without the -s, but can't work it, can you help? I want to ultimately pin an aero/peak show desktop to the middle or left side of taskbar. At this point just to get a centered\left show desktop icon on taskbar, I've added a new toolbar, a show desktop shortcut where I want it on the left, but whenever I engage auto-hide the new toolbar disapears and I have to remake. thanks, jm

The following was put together based on ideas from other techs/coders and assumes that you are using an english version of Win7, as it uses Verbs (the items you see when you right click a file) to "Pin to Taskbar". Other languages will need to replace the text accordingly.
These two scripts and batch file that I put together for my agency are currently being used, and are implemented via SCCM. It is applied on first logon for any user to any PC.
We wanted to programmatically configure the icons on the Taskbar as follows -
Remove:
Windows Media Player
Add:
Outlook
Change:
Windows Explorer (Libraries) to Windows Explorer (Computer)
Create the three files and put them in the same folder...
***************************************
Name this script (Pin.vbs)
***************************************
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set filesystem = CreateObject("scripting.Filesystemobject")
If filesystem.FileExists(Wscript.Arguments(0)) Then
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace(filesystem.GetParentFolderName(Wscript.Arguments(0)))
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName(filesystem.GetFileName(WScript.Arguments(0)))
Set colVerbs = objFolderItem.Verbs

Select case WScript.Arguments(1)
case 0
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Unpin from Taskbar" Then objVerb.DoIt
Next
case 1
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Pin to Taskbar" Then objVerb.DoIt
Next
case 2
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Install" Then objVerb.DoIt
Next
End Select
End If
***************************************
The following script can be used to programmatically create Shortcuts. I could have used a preconfigured .lnk file and just xcopy'd it, but this is just cooler :)
You'll notice there are commented (') out sections for Shortcut Name. You can use one of the three depending on the way you'd like to reference the destination folder for the icon being created.
***************************************
Name this script (MyExplorerLnk.vbs)
***************************************
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell" )
' Shortcut Name (Special Folders)
' strLocation = WshShell.SpecialFolders("AllUsersDesktop" )
' Set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strLocation & "\Windows Explorer.lnk" )
' Shortcut Name (Environment Variables)
strLocation = WshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%APPDATA%" )
set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strLocation & "\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Explorer.lnk" )
' Shortcut Name (Normal Path)
' Set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut("C:\Windows Explorer.lnk" )
' Path to application
oShellLink.TargetPath = "%Windir%\explorer.exe"
' Command line arguments
oShellLink.Arguments = " shell:MyComputerFolder"
' Window Style
oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1
' Hotkey
oShellLink.Hotkey = ""
' Icon for Shortcut
oShellLink.IconLocation = "%windir%\explorer.exe"
' Shortcut Comment
oShellLink.Description = "Windows Explorer"
' Working Directory
oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = ""
oShellLink.Save
***************************************
The following Batch file is used to launch the above scripts, and also documents the use of Pin.vbs
Our agency primarily uses Win XP, Win 7 x86, and Win 7 x64... hence the limited version check.
***************************************
Name this Batch file (TBcustom.cmd)
***************************************
:: Set Environment
@ECHO OFF
CLS
TITLE Taskbar Customization Tool
COLOR 3f
PROMPT $s
SET UsrPinTBar="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar"
:: *** Usage - Pin.vbs
:: *** WScript.exe "%~dp0\%~dp0\Pin.vbs" [drive:][path]filename [Argument]
:: *** [Arguments] = 0 1 2
:: *** 0 = Unpin from Taskbar
:: *** 1 = Pin to Taskbar
:: *** 2 = Install
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:: Identify Windows Version
:: *** Assign ver output to variable VerResult ***
FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('ver') Do Set VerResult=%%A
:: *** Parse VerResult and assign variable according to OS version ***
ECHO "%VerResult%" | find "Version 6.1" > nul && GOTO Windows7Var
ECHO "%VerResult%" | find "Version 6.0" > nul && GOTO WindowsVistaVar
ECHO "%VerResult%" | find "Version 5" > nul && GOTO :WindowsXPVar
ECHO Error - Unexpected Version Information
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:Windows7Var
IF %processor_architecture%==x86 GOTO 7x86Var
IF %processor_architecture%==AMD64 GOTO 7x64Var
IF %processor_architecture%==IA64 GOTO 7x64Var
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:WindowsVistaVar
ECHO This PC is running Windows Vista
:: *** Unsupported ***
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:WindowsXPVar
ECHO This PC is running Windows XP
:: *** Unsupported ***
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:7x86Var
ECHO This PC is running Windows 7 32Bit
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS EXPLORER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Explorer.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk"
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Media Player.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk"
:: *** ADD CUSTOM WINDOWS EXPLORER (opens to shell:MyComputerFolder) ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" %windir%\explorer.exe 1
WScript.exe "%~dp0\MyExplorerLnk.vbs"
:: *** ADD OUTLOOK***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe" 1
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:7x64Var
ECHO This PC is running Windows 7 64Bit
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS EXPLORER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Explorer.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Explorer.lnk"
:: *** REMOVE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER ***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Windows Media Player.lnk" 0
IF EXIST "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk" DEL /q /f "%UsrPinTBar%\Windows Media Player.lnk"
:: *** ADD CUSTOM WINDOWS EXPLORER (opens to shell:MyComputerFolder)***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" %windir%\explorer.exe 1
WScript.exe "%~dp0\MyExplorerLnk.vbs"
:: *** ADD OUTLOOK***
WScript.exe "%~dp0\Pin.vbs" "%ProgramFiles% (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe" 1
GOTO EOF
:: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
:EOF
EXIT
***************************************
This method is what worked best for our particular needs, as our agency deploys virgin OS images and customizes and deploys software as SCCM task sequences and packages. It also does not dictate that a user can't customize the Taskbar as they see fit, and won't remove their own customizations, as would other methods posted that replace the Taskband registry values.
I hope this helps, and feel free to criticize or ask for assistance with it!